Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The Thousand Islands Adventure Travel

The St. Lawrence offers several options for lovely adventure cruises in the summer months. Canada meets the United States here and the cultures of each country overlap and mingle in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, which forms a natural boundary between the two. Charming cities, traditional villages, dramatic waterscapes and fascinating wildlife, and there are cruise deals available to suit every taste and pocket.

Kingston – Montreal – Ottawa

A journey from Kingston to Ottawa, for example, offers the opportunity to explore the beautiful Thousand Islands from the water, which many say is the best way to see the archipelago that stretches out from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. Along the majestic waterways, the traditional heritage of the area is revealed in the waterfront villages and the opportunities for outdoor adventures. Cruise passengers on this route can take a guided tour of the city of Montreal, little townships such as Williamsburg, the Upper Canada Village and Omega Park where many species of Canada’s wildlife enjoy a natural, protected habitat.

The Heart of the Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands, which gave the name to Thousand Island dressing, are dotted along the shore of the St. Lawrence River for about 50 miles downstream of Kingston. The water channels and passages are fascinating, the islands themselves are said to be the tips of mountains laid bare by glaciers, and at the last count there were 1,793 in all. Defining an island is a precise business, and to qualify the very small, uninhabited rocks must be greater than one square foot in area, protrude above the water all year round and be capable of supporting vegetation in the form of at least one living tree.

Wildlife is in abundance on the uninhabited islands and some cruise deals take in many of the smaller cottage islands, such as those grouped together in the 18 Admiralty Islands at the heart of the watery wonderland, as well as the larger spectacular castles and mansions that have been summer homes for many celebrities over the years.

Onwards to Quebec

Cruising from Kingston to Quebec City reveals many of the charms of the upper St. Lawrence River; passing by Trois Rivières, often used as an overnight adventure travel cruise stop, and Cap de la Madeleine on the portion of the river between Montreal and Quebec. Look out for the Notre Dame du Cap shrine, which is in a beautiful setting of a lake as big as a football field with an island in the middle that is constantly adorned with flowers. Late cruises may catch the ceremony that follows mass at nine o’clock each evening, when a procession by candlelight ends in the formation of a delightful pageant on the little island, illustrating a Christian scene.

Themed Cruises

Travelling the river by steamboat is increasingly popular here, and many choose to cruise on a replica vessel, emulating the elegance and grace of past times. These graceful vessels are designed and furnished to reflect traditional décor and many include ornate brass embellishments. They provide a little touch of history and glamour amidst the serene and pleasant surroundings of St. Lawrence.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Woodpeckers are stocking away acorns, Amorous tarantulas

Stunning sycamores, Mars rising

The St. Lawrence offers several options for lovely adventure cruises in the summer months. Canada meets the United States here and the cultures of each country overlap and mingle in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, which forms a natural boundary between the two. Charming cities, traditional villages, dramatic waterscapes and fascinating wildlife, and there are cruise deals available to suit every taste and pocket.

Kingston – Montreal – Ottawa

A journey from Kingston to Ottawa, for example, offers the opportunity to explore the beautiful Thousand Islands from the water, which many say is the best way to see the archipelago that stretches out from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. Along the majestic waterways, the traditional heritage of the area is revealed in the waterfront villages and the opportunities for outdoor adventures. Cruise passengers on this route can take a guided tour of the city of Montreal, little townships such as Williamsburg, the Upper Canada Village and Omega Park where many species of Canada’s wildlife enjoy a natural, protected habitat.

The Heart of the Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands, which gave the name to Thousand Island dressing, are dotted along the shore of the St. Lawrence River for about 50 miles downstream of Kingston. The water channels and passages are fascinating, the islands themselves are said to be the tips of mountains laid bare by glaciers, and at the last count there were 1,793 in all. Defining an island is a precise business, and to qualify the very small, uninhabited rocks must be greater than one square foot in area, protrude above the water all year round and be capable of supporting vegetation in the form of at least one living tree.

Wildlife is in abundance on the uninhabited islands and some cruise deals take in many of the smaller cottage islands, such as those grouped together in the 18 Admiralty Islands at the heart of the watery wonderland, as well as the larger spectacular castles and mansions that have been summer homes for many celebrities over the years.

Onwards to Quebec

Cruising from Kingston to Quebec City reveals many of the charms of the upper St. Lawrence River; passing by Trois Rivières, often used as an overnight adventure travel cruise stop, and Cap de la Madeleine on the portion of the river between Montreal and Quebec. Look out for the Notre Dame du Cap shrine, which is in a beautiful setting of a lake as big as a football field with an island in the middle that is constantly adorned with flowers. Late cruises may catch the ceremony that follows mass at nine o’clock each evening, when a procession by candlelight ends in the formation of a delightful pageant on the little island, illustrating a Christian scene.

Themed Cruises

Travelling the river by steamboat is increasingly popular here, and many choose to cruise on a replica vessel, emulating the elegance and grace of past times. These graceful vessels are designed and furnished to reflect traditional décor and many include ornate brass embellishments. They provide a little touch of history and glamour amidst the serene and pleasant surroundings of St. Lawrence.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Montréal's past and future

Must-sees in French-speaking Quebec's cultural capital.
Next Article

A Visit to Macedonia

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader