Flashback: East Coast Road Trip Pt. 5
Upon leaving King of Prussia we steered north and drove. And drove. And then kept on driving until we came to Alexandria Bay right up at the Canadian boarder. It is the heart of an area called Thousand Islands (you will see where that name came from).
The reason we ventured there in the first place was this little beauty: Boldt Castle. It was built by a German business man for his wife on Heart Island and is magnificent both in size and architecture.
But first we took a small stroll through town. Small being the key word. Alexandria Bay is positively tiny.
Finally we hoped on a boat that would eventually take us to our destination. We crossed the boarder for five minutes before that though....without visa checks or anything. Let me share some impressions from the tour first.
So, this is the elusive Boldt Castle. It is a conglomeration of little towers and gangways and holds an additional playhouse for children. And by playhouse I mean an actual house that could comfortably host a family with four members by conventional standards.
The entrance hall
The opulent ballroom
Sadly, the castle was never completed. George Boldt was the proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria in NYC and built the castle to show his love for his wife. Starting in 1900 he had the six story, 120 room castle erected. It entails tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, an alster tower (children’s playhouse) and a dove cote. However, all efforts came to a sudden halt when Louise (George's wife) died in 1904. For the next decades the castle was left to the wilderness and it's constitution deteriorated until its restoration in 1977.
The more basic top floors which remain unfinished in remembrance of Louise Boldt would have been the servants quarters.
Our trip to the Canadian boarder did last for a couple of days. However, we went hiking on the second day complete with secret dives from stone cliffs and actual 'mountain' climbing. For obvious reasons I did not bring my camera on that trip. So, I'll see you at our next stop (which will be Boston by the way).
The reason we ventured there in the first place was this little beauty: Boldt Castle. It was built by a German business man for his wife on Heart Island and is magnificent both in size and architecture.
But first we took a small stroll through town. Small being the key word. Alexandria Bay is positively tiny.
Finally we hoped on a boat that would eventually take us to our destination. We crossed the boarder for five minutes before that though....without visa checks or anything. Let me share some impressions from the tour first.
So, this is the elusive Boldt Castle. It is a conglomeration of little towers and gangways and holds an additional playhouse for children. And by playhouse I mean an actual house that could comfortably host a family with four members by conventional standards.
The entrance hall
The opulent ballroom
Sadly, the castle was never completed. George Boldt was the proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria in NYC and built the castle to show his love for his wife. Starting in 1900 he had the six story, 120 room castle erected. It entails tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, an alster tower (children’s playhouse) and a dove cote. However, all efforts came to a sudden halt when Louise (George's wife) died in 1904. For the next decades the castle was left to the wilderness and it's constitution deteriorated until its restoration in 1977.
The more basic top floors which remain unfinished in remembrance of Louise Boldt would have been the servants quarters.
Our trip to the Canadian boarder did last for a couple of days. However, we went hiking on the second day complete with secret dives from stone cliffs and actual 'mountain' climbing. For obvious reasons I did not bring my camera on that trip. So, I'll see you at our next stop (which will be Boston by the way).
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