The Beauty of the Thousand Islands

On Lake Ontario there is a group of 1,864 islands of different sizes called Thousand Islands. Some of the islands belong to the US state of New York, the rest belong to the Canadian state of Ontario. After finishing their visit to Kingston, visitors often choose Thousand Islands as their next destination. They often stay in the village of Lansdowne because there is a friendship bridge across to the US village of Clayton.

Thousand Islands National Park is located on 21 large islands and several small rocky islands of Thousand Islands. On the other hand, the park is part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2022. This place is considered the most biodiverse land in Canada. Visitors love Thousand Islands Park because of the opportunity to sit on a boat and weave between the islands, watching wildlife such as coyotes, black-capped chickadees and beavers living on the water's edge. Many families also choose to camp overnight in the park. The campsites here are equipped with basic amenities.

Chimney Island is a Canadian national historic site. The island originally belonged to a wealthy French merchant who was mysteriously murdered in 1799. When the War of 1812 broke out between the United States and Canada (then a British colony), the British built a fort on Chimney Island to protect the St. Lawrence River. The fort withstood an American attack and was abandoned after the war. The only structure left largely intact on the island is the chimney built by the merchant.

Not far from Chimney Island is Dark Island with the ruins of Singer Castle. This castle was built by American millionaire Frederick Gilbert Bourne (1851 - 1919), who was then the director of the famous Singer sewing machine company. Mr. Bourne was a fan of the works of the great writer Walter Scott and wanted to build a castle in the true medieval style. The millionaire's dream was fulfilled. Many visitors to Singer Castle feel as if they have traveled back to Europe five or six centuries ago.

If you want to see the whole Thousand Islands, visit Hill Island. On the island is a 620m high observation tower built in 1965. Visitors standing on the top of the tower will have the best view of the entire Alexandria Bay area between the US and Canada. The tower also attracts many astronomy lovers because this place is not affected by light pollution as much as neighboring Canadian and American cities.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ve-dep-thousand-islands-690833.html