1000 Islands Region
It’s not just a salad dressing! It’s also a gorgeous place to consider for a visit.
The Thousand Islands region sits at the far eastern end of Lake Ontario where Great Lakes water starts the final leg of its journey towards the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River. The south side of the lake and river is New York state, and the north side is Ontario.
There are actually well over a thousand islands at the mouth of the river. 1,864 to be exact. To be defined locally as an island, the land must stay above water all year round and be able to support at least one tree. So… some of the islands are very small!
The region now markets itself as a destination for a peaceful, outdoor-oriented vacation. That image contrasts with some past chapters of the Thousand Islands. There were significant battles between the United States and British-controlled Canada during the War of 1812. There is also a lengthy history of pirates, shipwrecks and smugglers.
The Thousand Islands saw peak popularity during the Gilded Age of 1870-1900. During that time, many rich, wealthy and famous individuals and families vacationed in the region and built castles and mansions, some on islands, that remain attractions today.
On the US side, many tourists anchor themselves near Clayton or Alexandria Bay, NY and enjoy boat cruises that take them out to see the islands and sites like Boldt Castle and Singer Castle. On shore, there are lots of options for hiking, biking and kayaking.
Visitors can also enjoy a rich array of food and beverage explorations and options. The river creates a microclimate that makes the region well-positioned for craft brewing.
The region is also famous for a tradition called “Shore Dinner” that dates back to the Gilded Age but has been updated over the years. A guide takes visitors out fishing for a day. The excursion closes by docking on a beach or island for the early evening where the guide prepares and cooks the fish over a wood fire. It’s served to the visitors along with sandwiches of pork fatback and onion, salad with Thousand Island dressing, salt potatoes (of famous origin in Syracuse), and local corn on the cob. Dessert is a french toast with local maple syrup and sometimes cream laced with whisky or another spirit. After that meal, assumedly, the guide takes the visitors back to their hotel to sleep the meal off!
Thousand Island salad dressing IS from the region but there is not agreement on its exact origin story. One version of the story focuses on a fisherman’s wife as initial creator. The other focuses on George Boldt, who ran the Waldorf-Astoria hotel at the close of the 19th century and vacationed in the region. In this version, the dressing was a mistaken concoction that landed on his plate. However, both storylines converge at the Waldorf-Astoria where the dressing merged into the mainstream when Boldt, either after discovering it or being introduced to it, asked the chef to begin serving it to guests in the 1890s.
There you have it. I’ve made a connection between the Great Lakes and a Reuben sandwich.
