Monday, August 7, 2017

Perhaps The Biggest Secret To Live in the United States - The 1,000 Islands (actually, 1,864)

As a late elementary, middle school kid, my father and I (sometimes my Grandma Vera, too) would head to Aunt Rena's on the St. Lawrence River. At times, my father would leave me at the camp and head into Alexandria Bay for their night life - I didn't see what that night life was until a few years ago when I visited A-Bay with my little sister. We didn't do the night scene, but a boat tour with my mom.

Fast forward to yesterday, when my little sister and I took the boys to the 1,000 islands for a boat tour and to walk the grounds of Boldt Castle - one of the most beautiful locations I've ever wandered. The history of the area is remarkable, but the absolute beauty of sky, water, greenery, and island homes is simply breathtaking. Of course, we hit it on a perfect day where the air was cool, the sun was hot, and the sky was patterned with perfect clouds.

It made me think back to the years where I would sit in my Aunt Rena's cabin, read her pile of dirty jokes books (that were in her magazine rack), and counted the ships coming towards Lake Ontario from the Atlantic Ocean. I remember all the days, too, of riding our little fishing boat and trying to hook into Pike or Muskie - every year Aunt Rena bought me a red dare-devil lure and every summer I'd try to hook a fish with it for two to three days.

The air, too, was so clean.

And when we returned, my father and I took Glamis for a short walk to visit Pete, his friend from the airlines, and the father of one of my best friend's growing up. I guess the day was one for memory lane and how fortunate I was to grow up in such a beautiful region of the United States.

I will hold onto these sights until I return again.


No comments:

Post a Comment