Day's 29-30

• Clayton NY Town Dock - Alexandria Bay
• Start 7:00 am
• End 8:32 am
• Underway 1.35 Hours
• Locks - 0
• Distance 9.8 miles
• Av Speed 6.2 knots

Friday morning we headed up to Alexandria Bay. This part of the trip brought back many memories. I spent many summers camping in the 1000 Island and going to A-Bay was always a part of the trip. The last time I was here was probably 10 or 12 years ago. After driving up here for so many years, some of them towing a boat, it was a very different way to arrive.

We planned on arriving early because this weekend A-Bay is hosting a bike rally and we wanted to get on the town dock. We did easily got a spot on the town dock, but by early afternoon, there was little space left.

A-Bay looked very much the way it did the last time I was here, with most of the stores and restaurants remaining the same. The one big change, is they now charge to dock on the public dock. Up to 5 hours is $5 and overnight is $1.50 per foot. The docks use to be free, unless you stayed overnight. The dock location is great, but I wish there was electric on the dock. You have to love a town that caters to boaters so much that Emergency Room, Liquor Store, Drug Store and two Grocery Stores all have their own dock. We took the dinghy to the grocery store to stock up the boat.

We also took the dinghy to Boldt's Castle. At the turn-of-the-century, George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, set out to build a full size rhineland castle in Alexandria Bay, on picturesque Heart Island. The castle was to be a display of his love for his wife, Louise. To read about Boldt's Castle google it. (I would provide a link but the blog software will not allow it.)

Saturday we took a tour boat to Singer Castle. Singer Castle was built in 1905 by Frederick Bourne the 5th president of Singer Sewing Machine and was owned and occupied by his family until the mid 1960's.

Remember how I mentioned that A-Bay was hosting a bike rally, so in addition to doing all of the tourist stuff we also were entertained by the bike show. Both sides of James street were lined with bikes, and as we walked through the town, the bikers were revving their bikes one at a time to see who's bike sounded the coolest. They also had bands playing at the end of the dock. We could sit on the back of the boat and listen to them.

As always one of the highlights of weekend was meeting people. People would come up to the boat and ask, did you bring your boat all the way from New Jersey, that would start a conversation about the trip up here and the Great Loop. We met one group from Bangor PA, that hope one day to do the Loop.

Sunday we will start our way back to the Erie Canal. We will start by heading to Cape Vincent, where the Saint Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. Then we will get to go across the lake again.