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| Singer Castle, Dark Island, NY |
Singer Castle, on Dark Island, was closed for tours yesterday so we back tracked a bit today for a visit. The castle, designed by Ernest Flagg and built between 1900 anda1905, was commissioned by Frederick Bourne, President of Singer Manufacturing (think sewing machines). Flagg, who was trained in the Beau-Arts style, also designed the Corcoran Gallery of Art, NYC's Singer Building, and the Naval Academy Chapel. Some of Singer Castle's features, especially the hidden passageways, were inspired by Flagg's reading of Woodstock, by Sir Walter Scott. A book so dense, according to our young tour guide, that not even the island's historian has been able to read it. The fact that the Canada/U.S. border is just a few yards north of Dark Island would be used to the Bourne's advantage. They bought the closest Canadian island and located their liquor cabinet there during prohibition. Very creative.
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| Looking SW On the St. Lawrence's Main Channel. The Thousand Island Bridge Visible in the Distance |
A two mph current headed us on the approach to the Thousand Islands Bridge. The area is known as Millionaire's Row because of the abundace of waterfront mansions. Most of them were built in the guilded age. To account for inflation perhaps it should be renamed Billionaire's Row.
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| Sunset on the Hook just East of Clayton, NY |
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| Alexandria Bay to Dark Island to Clayton, NY |
It was a relaxing 31 mile run today to Clayton, NY. That ups Nellie's 2018 total to 227 miles. Tonight we're on the hook in French Creek Bay on the SW side of Clayton, NY. DBH
