Lake Ontario - Long Point S...

Three Mile Peninsula

There isn't much on the peninsula (island?) in the way of activities. There is the state park, and there is water. There aren't any hiking trails if you don't count the paved roads, which are often entirely deserted. I went for a bike ride around the whole island (about 13 miles) and encountered only 3 cars. Almost everything was private, restricted, and plastered with warnings. Many of the waterfront properties have their land on both sides of the road - a sliver by the water, typically equipped with a boat ramp or docks. I found it interesting that nobody wants to share their water-access facilities - in a stretch of 40 water-front houses, all had their own.

Since our site was on the bay side of the island and the winds largely came from the North and North-West, we were constantly listening to a rush of air and the undulating waves, which make for a pleasant soundtrack. The bushes behind the trailer tempered the wind slightly, but we often had to close the back window to mitigate the cooling effect. Our water heater (which is located on the back wall of the trailer) was also in need of a wind break, and I had to keep a folding chair on its vents to keep the flame from blowing out. The wind was still most welcome, as it kept the bugs somewhat under control. The island has a very strong presence of insects, with mosquitoes in the lead, and most areas further from shore enjoy a continuous presence of hovering gnat clouds.

The park has a boat launch, a small marina, and even a boat pumping station. During the week the docks were largely empty, but towards the weekend (the weekend before July 4th) the park filled up and so did the water access area. The sounds of wind and surf gradually gave way to the noise of Jet Skis and power boats taking out their pent up aggression on the open water. Even so, the bay (not to mention the lake) is large enough to make the boats negligible - once I sailed out I usually didn't see any boats anywhere near me.

Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands region is only about 15 miles away - about a half hour's drive on the local roads, if that. I launched from Grass Point State Park (Here) after paying a $7 day use fee, and then encountered a sea of seaweed. I'm sure that it's not actual seaweed, but the water near the park was filled with green growth that clings to your feet, your oars, and your motor's prop. I had to stop and clean the prop 4 times before I got to the main water which was strangely clear.

The area is densely populated, both on shore and on the islands, and makes for an interesting sightseeing adventure. Some of the houses are built on islands so small that they occupy all of the available area - and the requisite water garage is constructed on a nearby rock, with a small bridge spanning the two specs of land. I found myself puzzled by the decision to construct one's house on a tiny island in the middle of a high traffic shipping lane. It seems to me that construction costs would be significantly higher than on the mainland, while the benefits of seclusion and serenity seem to be lost entirely to the endless train of barges passing by. Still, a number of islands were situated more to my taste, away from the constant noise and wake. Naturally, when the only means of getting to and from your house is by boat, noise is inevitable. I wonder how these people shop - do they keep a car on the mainland? Where do they keep it?