I spent eight years in the Hudson Valley of New York, but never got to the really “upstate” part of New York back then. From the edge of Lake Ontario and on up the St. Lawrence Seaway, it’s been a really beautiful month, in between smoke alerts and surprise rainstorms. The cover photo for this post is one of the “thousand islands” dotting the Saint Lawrence River between the US and Canada.
While I was camping at Fair Haven State Park, the really bad smoke from the Quebec fires came through and my lungs hurt when I went outside. I started wearing a mask again, not for COVID-19 but because it made my head ache less to not breathe all that smoke. So what’s a vagabond to do when stuck inside? Well, I decided to reorganize my kitchen cabinets. And for that I needed storage containers, so it was off to Dollar General. Along the way, I saw this cemetery in Sterling and went back the next day for a photo session.
On one of my short walks around the campground to keep myself from going stir-crazy, I saw these two trees, like twins at the base but definitely each going their own way as they matured. Kind of like people twins!
After three days of smoke so bad the sky was yellow-orange and the air smelled like the worlds biggest campfire, the winds came through and blew the smoke farther down into the US. I felt back for the rest of the East Coast, but I was also glad to see blue skies and white puffy clouds again. I was so happy I sat on a bench at the beach looking out at Lake Ontario until my eyes finally got tired of the sunlight.
I moved up to Wellesley Island State Park, where I was in the heart of the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence. Yes, I did see a lot but that’s another post. What I did like was this shot of the stairs at the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, so it gets featured here.
And finally, finally, I got back out on the water, at Eel Bay (Wellesley Island). I had a lovely evening paddle listening to bird song and a few faint loons. A few days later, I went back up despite gray skies, but cut it short when the rolling thunder started moving closer. The Oru Lake has really been great as a quick “get in the water” kayak that also fits in the back of my pickup.
Much of the village of Alexandria Bay is tourist-oriented, with the usual shops selling t-shirts and trinkets. But, if you look up, you can see this cool sign. The restaurant is called the Old Homestead, but I think the sign is probably the one showing its age.
So there you go, random snapshots of my June travels. Now it’s on to Canada for July and Alto activities, from camping with friends to some much-needed freshening up of my trailer. Breeze has been going strong for seven years, so it’s time for a bit of a facelift. But I’m not giving anything away yet, you’ll have to see how things turn out in a few more weeks…
In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.
You have such a wonderful way of seeing the world. I love your photos.
Thank, Kellye!
Iām not hinting at anything huge! Just some new things for Breeze
Loved them all Annie!
OMG… Are you hinting what I think you’re hinting? Can’t wait to find out.
Lived in upstate several years and yes, there are lovely spots. Back in the day, before you were born, we stayed in a cabin on one of the seven lakes. Lovely.
I enjoy your photos mostly of places I have not seen – armchair travel for me.