CPP - August 4-14, 2023

 A "10-Day Vacation in CPP"

August 4 to 14, 2023

The drive back was a tad long but I did have a lunch and a fuel stop that broke it up. Weather was good, traffic so-so but pulling into CPP set my mind into relax mode. Some down time; well, eventually. But first, a ton of things to take care of:  At the apartment, laundry, shower, mail, shopping, and banking. Then Winnie must get inspected.

After neighbor, Diane, picked me up at CPP, she drove me to the lower parking lot in our complex. She noticed two pups laying on the hood of a covered vehicle; this was daytime and they're nocturnal predators. Probably malnourished coyote or fox pups with mange. I captured a photo of one while driving out. They were probably using the covered vehicle underneath as a den. Such sightings are common but in this case, residents are still waiting for something to be done about the potential danger.

Saturday night, I went to dinner with Marybeth and Carlo at Cosimo's in Poughkeepsie.

Paccheri Arrabiata: Oversized rigatoni, spicy San Marzano tomato sauce, charred onion, pancetta and ricotta salata, half of which went home. This was accompanied by...

...my go-to wine when dining here. This juicy red Montepulciano "displays notes of cherry, strawberry and sweet spice. Bright, mouthwatering acidity makes it especially food friendly." 

Sunday was special. I picked up sister, Judy in Fishkill and drove two hours, ten minutes to Guilford, CT, for a Rossi cousin's reunion. Cousin John scored well by picking Amarone Restaurant in Guilford. Cousins from Southington, CT, Katonah, NY, Medfield, MA, Pigeon Forge, TN, Fishkill and Peekskill met at noon.

L. to R: Cousin Kathy, Judy and hubby, Cousin Joe, Cousin Janice and hubby, John, sister Judy, Barbara and hubby, Cousin John, Cousin Charlie.

Cousins Bob and brother, Chuck, both deceased. Fun Fact: their mother and father (my aunt and uncle) are the sister and brother of my mother and father. That is, brother and sister married brother and sister. My mother's brother is my father's sister's husband. Hmm. How else can it go? My father's sister is the wife of my mother's brother. There, that should do it. 

Gnocchi Genovese:
House-made potato dumplings in a fresh pesto cream sauce.

Pistachio Layer Cake:
Pistachio cream, ricotta cheese and white cake dipped in chopped pistachio nuts

The restaurant, upscale; the meal delicious; and our server, Mark, terrific (not one item written down for our table of nine).

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of driving two of my neighbors, Stella and Diane, to dinner in Warwick, NY at the Landmark Inn. There, we met Stella's brother, Fred. The historic homestead goes back to the 1700's. "The restaurant had a bawdy reputation, during the 1950’s and 60’s, and was very popular with young people who would frequent the bar, often carving their names in the walls." Stella may have some insight into those goings on as this was one of her haunts. Check out the website for full historical details and menu. 

"In 1953 the house was purchased by Gordon and Cynthia Richardson who set about converting the house into a restaurant. At this time the kitchen and dining rooms were added. The unique ceiling, covered in doors, was Gordon’s idea. At the time the restaurant was being finished, the Red Swan Inn, a hotel in Warwick was being torn down to make way for a new country club and golf course. Gordon and his friends salvaged the doors and used them for the ceiling still in place in our dining room." ~~ From their website.

We checked the old bar area where 15-year old Stella frequented 'back in the day' and along with her then beau, carved their initials in one of the table. That table has been upgraded with a new table top. 

Stella and brother, Fred

Diane and Charlie

Wild Caught Cod
Spring pea purée, cucumber preserved lemon and jalapeno relish, roasted tricolor fingerling potatoes.

Tasting notes: Intense ruby red color. Scent of cherry, black cherry and white pepper, with mineral notes. Soft, fresh and elegant taste. (This outstanding red wine was ordered before I found out the pumpkin ravioli was no longer offered.)

Thank you, Cameo, our server, for taking our picture.

Meanwhile, back at CPP,

A heartbreaking story.

I witnessed this while in my RV composing my last blog about the 1000 Islands week. This lad is part of a family over on site 20 behind me. You can't see the Mr. Softee ice cream truck parked on the road off to the left. He and family had just purchased their ice cream and this little fella left them running back to his camper through gravel covered site 32 to enjoy the treat when all of a sudden the entire scoop or two fell out of his cone onto the gravel. He stopped dead in his tracks, turned and stood for at least a full five minutes in the pose you see above and just stared in disbelief at what just happened. Minutes passed. He didn't move a muscle, just stood motionless, left arm at his side, the right holding the practically empty cone. The stance was pure disbelief and dejection. He didn't take a closer look bending over at what was on the ground. Having just finished my share of ice cream last week in Alexandria Bay, my heart went out to him. I felt his pain. He remained motionless as if in a trance, in that pose until his parents and sister walked by after their purchases. He never said a word to them. He walked ahead of them taking tiny bites of whatever ice cream was left in the cone. His head hung low as he walked by my RV and back to his site; a heartbreaking sight. Never a word to the parents. The thought occurred to me that I should have gone out, let him know that it was an unfortunate bit of luck, gave him five bucks (Mr. Softees are expensive) and told him to get another. I may still do that if the opportunity presents itself.

One morning I had to rise and shine at 6 a.m., stow moveable objects, close the awning and slide, disconnect power and be at Pacific Automotive on Albany Post Road in Buchanan by 7 a.m. to have Winnie inspected. That ungodly hour was if I wanted to wait for it. Otherwise I'd have to leave it for the day. I had my coffee so, $60 and fifteen minutes later I was on my way back to CPP and good for another year. Inspection amounted to a check of my front tires and that was it. Yup, that was it.

Saturday afternoon a visit and a lunch with friend, Diane #1 in Katonah. Grandma now to Amora, William and Thomas, all is well and her plate remains full, her agenda bursting at the seams.

Saturday night, not having had sushi nor visited my Sakura since May, friend Lynn and I traveled down to Hastings for a late dinner.

Sarah was happy to see me.

An unexpected appetizer courtesy of Alex.

Our ordered appetizer: Rocky Shrimp Tempura

Lynn's sashimi assortment

Charlie Roll

Spicy shrimp & kani, avocado inside topped with lobster salad, mango and wasabi tobiko

Unfortunately, a torrential downpour and generally crappy sky watching conditions prevented us from viewing the annual Perseid meteor shower. I don't know who reads the blog or where you are located, but if you had that awesome experience, mention it in the comments below. We'll try again next August 12th at 10 pm when we'll have a repeat performance. What made it special this year was the waning moon was at 10% thus reducing the amount of light pollutions that would hinder the view.

And, finally, Sunday evening, a trip back to my apartment to drop off my Caddy. I enjoyed the company of neighbors for cake and coffee as they bid me farewell for the next two weeks. Thank you Diane #3 for hosting. Terrific, as usual.

So, once again a lot was packed into my ten days and before I knew, it was time to pack and travel to Fishermen's Memorial State Park in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It will be my third visit. Hope to see you there.

1000 Thousand Island Campground-2023

 

A beautiful sight driving north on I-81.

1000 Islands Campground, sister campground to Finger Lakes Campground, is located
in Alexandria Bay just 11.7 miles by car via I-81 crossing over Wellesley Island from Canada.

 

My back-in site 40 was conveniently located; a walk across the road to our
gathering place, Dan/Melanie's site 45.

In attendance for this Hudson Islander's get-together were: John/Dawn, Larry, Vicki/George, Dan/Melanie, Tony/Doreen, Ray/Sue and Johnny. A number of the members left after five days to attend the FMCA Rally in Herkimer, NY.

Because so many were not staying for the full week, activities such as tours, shopping and dining were crammed into their five days. Our usual evening campfires, as always, complete with libation samplings and trips to The Gal's Place just outside the campground were the perfect endings to the full days.

To keep this memory-packed blog short and sweet, I've highlight links in red for readers to pursue if they wish more details such as attractions, menus and photos that are better than mine. In addition to memories captured this week, I can fortunately look back at blogs five years ago and reminisce about the last time we camped at this campground...for fellow Hudson Islanders, take a look at what you looked like five years ago. That was fun. 

So, if you're interested, click on the red day to read about what went on in 2018:

SUNDAY. This blog concentrated on the ice cream/deli store just outside the campground within walking distance. With very limited Internet presence, other than Trip Advisor info, The Gal's Place gave incredible portions of Hershey's ice cream at reasonable prices. I did notice that the price for my usual "small" (3 scoops) went from $3.75 to $4.50.

A small (2 scoops) butter pecan

MONDAY. The trip into nearby Clayton, NY featuring the Koffee Kove, River Rat Cheeses and Olive Oils and Vinegars.

TUESDAY. Interestingly, this blogs depicts the same things we did this year. Dining at Bella's, a Sunset Cruise and dinner at  Riley's by the River.

WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY - A recap of the St. Lawrence River cruise.

Now fast forward to 2023. I've condensed the activities first and added (some) photos at the end. 

Saturday: Breakfast at Bella's; rainy most of the afternoon.

L. to R. Larry, Ray, Sue, Doreen, Tony

L.to R. John, Charlie, Dan, Melanie, Johnny

Sunday: Uncle Sam Boat Cruise; Two Nation Tour; walked the town prior to boarding.

Lots of photos for cruise; Boldt Castle self-guided tour with late afternoon dinner at nearby Riley's by the River in Alexandria Bay.

Must be a senior citizen's day outing from the Home.

Built in 1988, the 700 horsepower Alexandria Belle is 104' long, 40' high and...

...has a carrying capacity of 440 passengers.

Bulk carrier CSL St. Laurent built in 2014 is 739' long as seen sailing past Boldt Castle.

These are just a few shots taken aboard the tour boat. I've placed 40 more shots of the beautiful homes and estates seen along the route, some within Canadian waters, into a separate PAGE. Click the link if interested. Fun Fact #1: There are actually 1,864 islands in the "Thousand Islands."

Thousand Islands Bridge, administered by New York State and the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (which also maintains the Boldt Castle) connects Alexandria Bay with Ivy Lea, Ontario. Access to Wellesley Island prior to entering Canada is on the other side of the bridge. About 2 million vehicles cross each year. 

Electricity? Generators, some solar but underwater cables from mainland can branch from island to island...at $500/foot.

Sewage? No septic. Waste is flushed into tanks near the shoreline where periodic sewage pumping vessels visit to empty tanks.

Drinking water? Directly from the river; all fresh water although filters and bottled water serve well when property is occupied...usually only in the summer months. Being a fresh water river, it freezes up in winter. Driving vehicles on the ice during the winter can incur fines of $25,000 if vehicles break through and sink. Depth of river varies from 80 to 1,145'.

Fun Fact #2: Satisfying the definition of what constitutes an "island," (remains above water 365 days/year and supports trees) this rock can be yours for $99,000. However, you cannot add anything to it such as a dock or platform but you can build vertically.

At Boldt Castle.

A very popular venue for weddings, there was one scheduled that day. When I asked attendant how frequent, she replied, "In August, we have one every day." No catering services available, so it's come for the ceremonies and then off to the reception...only by boat.

The Boathouse.

Alster tower, the children’s (George, Jr. and Clover) playhouse.

Larry

Tony & Doreen

For those history buffs who are interested, I have 50 photographs of the inside of this magnificent piece of architecture that I could not include. CLICK THE LINK HERE TO VIEW THEM.

A walk up and down the main street of Alex Bay, as they call it now, before the tour and dinner at Riley's.

The shuttle returning from Boldt Castle.

At Riley's by the River, I had the "Hip, Hip, Filet:" Two 3-ounce char-grilled beef tenderloin medallions, accompanied with a side of Béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Monday: The gang enjoyed the Clayton Island Tours Sunset Cruise with a departure at 6:30 pm. Two hours on the St Lawrence River, BYOD (Bring your own dinner). Cash bar on board. Bringing your own alcoholic beverages on board not allowed as per NY State law. I made Sesame Orange Chicken w/Coconut Jasmine rice.

Front: Melanie, Vicki, John, Dawn
Rear: Dan, Ray, Sue, Doreen, George, Tony, Larry.

Brad: First mate, dock master, bartender, tour guide.

Capt. Matt

Rock Island Lighthouse is located 4.5 miles northeast of Clayton, off of Fisher’s Landing. Originally commissioned in 1847, it is one of six lights put up along the St. Lawrence River to guide traffic to and from Lake Ontario through the waterway.  The Rock Island station is the best preserved, as all of its structures still survive. It was refitted in 1855, rebuilt in 1882, and moved in 1903. The light was closed in 1955 after more than a century of service. Today, the lighthouse and island are maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.

Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel

Our sunset cruise was timed perfectly as Capt. Matt made his way up the St. Lawrence River and back in time for the 8:12 pm sunset. He positioned the boat just off Willy Nelson Island and circled several times so passengers on both sides of the boat could take their photos which probably numbered in the hundreds. It was quite a sight. Fun Fact #3: The huge American flag is situated on the island referred to as "Willy Nelson Island" yet it has nothing to do with Willy Nelson. He never owned nor did he visit. It must be local lore because I couldn't find it in a Google search of islands in this archipelago. 

An added surprise for us was catching the full moon rising in the east. Thanks to Dan, while everyone's focus was on sunset, he turned and was the first to see it. This full moon in August is named after North America's largest fish, the sturgeon. This Sturgeon Moon is also a Super Moon (a moon who's orbit brings it closest to the earth--perigee.) The lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes is the continent's largest freshwater fish and can grow to over 6 feet and weigh around 200 pounds. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Corn Moon, Lynx Moon, and Lightning Moon. Photos from Tony and Vicki.
Fun Fact #4: A full moon rises in the east at the same time the sun sets in the west. 

Mark your calendar on August 30th for the next full moon. Not only will it be a Blue Moon (2nd full moon in a month), but it will be a Super moon as well and you won't see this combination again for nine years. I'll be back in Croton's RV park under trees and will probably miss it.

Blue Heron

The tank-barge, John J. Carrick sailing north back to Canada.

Tuesday: dinner at Clipper Inn in Clayton.

A refreshing change: Chilled crisp variety of greens with red cabbage, carrots, olives, croutons and pepperoni.

Pesto Shrimp Alfredo: Medium shrimp and sweet red peppers with pesto Alfredo sauce over angel hair pasta; half went home.

Sue & Ray

Melanie & Dan

John & Dawn

Doreen & Tony

Johnny

Wednesday:  With most of the members gone to the FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) Rally in Herkimer, NY. We who remained for the entire week included Dawn/John, Larry and me. For one last hurrah together, we traveled a few miles down the road to the Clayton Distillery and later dinner at PJ's River Rat Cafe

"A blend of 83% corn, 5.5% each rye and wheat, 6% malted barley and age our final product in new, charred American oak barrels. Father Time takes over to produce a smooth, mellow spirit with hints of vanilla and caramel 92 proof."

"Made with fresh milk and cream, our bourbon and 191 proof neutral grain spirit with white chocolate and raspberry flavoring. 35 proof."

"Our Shoal Finder Gin is an American style gin bottled at 88 proof and distilled from 100% corn. A blend of eleven botanicals produces a smooth, lightly aromatic gin with hints of juniper, lemon, grapefruit, cinnamon and nutmeg."

"Produced in small batches using our 191 proof grain neutral spirit and infused with strawberry juice and locally produced pure maple syrup. Great in a cocktail, over ice cream or even with pancakes1" 45 proof."

Later that afternoon, a visit to PJ's River Rat Cafe 

St. Lawrence River Perch, Baked Potato and home made Cole slaw.

A Blue Moon draft (in a Sam Adams glass)

And Opps, we had to take advantage...no one at The Gal's Place for our ice cream dessert. No, that's not me.

Concluding thoughts and memories.

If you follow my blogs, when I am together with "the group", the mood, the experiences, the entire "camping" dynamic is different and so looked forward to.  It could be a "group" of anywhere from three to fifteen. There's the fire, the people, the conversations, the drinks and, for me, usually the last one to retire to my RV, the stillness of the night while watching the dying embers shimmer and glow. We never leave an active campfire, so I'm always okay with watching the end of a campfire end my day, always wondering where a fire goes when it goes out. But.. that's me.

Evening Libations: Larry's homemade limoncello, his homemade red wine, Tony's homemade red wine, my banana pudding moonshine from Pigeon Forge, Gin & Tonics, Ray's bourbon cream and white chocolate raspberry cream bourbon from the local distillery or even Dan's cola, they all contribute to memories. Special drinks for special occasions create special memories. Thanks to Sue and Ray purchasing and offering those bourbons, as described above, I too have a couple of the White Chocolate Raspberry Creams in my frig...for special occasions, of course.

One chilly night, Johnny provided fresh brewed coffee (and Sambuca)

People: 

Melanie and Sue

Doreen and visiting Rita with...

...hubby, Dennis, Jr., Tony, visiting Dennis, Sr and Johnny

Ray

One night Johnny's friends, Danny, wife, Pam, her sister, Tammy and hubby, Milton camping elsewhere in the campground joined us for a fire.

Another night, we observed the young couple who were in a huge tent next to Dan and Melanie return from a full day of boating and fishing. All they towed was the boat. They began packing everything up and were preparing to leave. They came to our campfire and offered their unused wood and said good-bye. At 9 pm, the newlyweds were about to takeoff and travel for 9 hours back to Virginia. Well, we thought, at least there's two of them and they can take turns. Nope, he'll do all the driving. That's when I got up, went to my camper and returned with two travel cups of coffee. And off they went.

Employee of the campground, Maria, drove by with grandson, Oliver. Caught that I was about to walk up to The Gal's Place for an ice cream and offered me a ride. I took it, of course.

A pleasant surprise driving past my site. A classic; shiny brand new.

The neighbors next to my site were Ray and Gladys from this area...they're seasonal here at the campground. He works for the Army, she was a medical corpsmen for the Seabees during Desert Storm. They were Camp Workers here for 7 years but for the past two, he helps out when needed. Being local, he shared a local legend/lore that Boldt's wife who you'll read about died from a weak heart and was in frail health, really ran off with one of the carpenters working on the Castle. How she met her demise is unknown. If you didn't check out the link for Boldt Castle  above, take a look at a very famous and unbelievable tale of expense and heartbreak at the end of the Gilded Age in America.

Animals: Chickadees, grackles and a cardinal visited my hanging suet.

Each morning, Thumper appeared and I fed him grass.

In addition to Dawn and John's "Titan" and "Lokie", Dan and Melanie's "Gizmo" is around ready for the meager treats I often find in my pockets. I should share this with Ivan Pavlov. Oh wait, he died in 1936. But I can make dogs salivate, jump, offer paws (except for Lokie. I'm still working on him), lie down and wag tails just by approaching them. 

Well, that was a packed seven days, don't ya think? I will be returning "home" to Croton Point's RV park for a short "vacation" before heading to Rhode Island and Fisherman Memorial State Park in Narragansett, RI. Next blog from CPP. Comments always welcome below. "Nice" doesn't count.

Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~~ Mark Twain