Upstate NY Vacation

Oh how I enjoy a good vacation!  And I must say this was a good one…. NO cooking, NO cleaning, and NO laundry for 9 days!!

Whoo hoo!!!

Now that’s what I call a vacation no matter where you are, but I must admit, I was in a beautiful location…. Upstate New York.  If you have never been, you really owe it to yourself to make a trip. 

I was born and raised in Upstate New York but moved to the Carolina’s shortly after graduation.  I have lived in SC for over 16 years, but when I talk about Upstate NY,  I still call it home!

Not to overwhelm you with photographs, I created some photo collages.

{Cape Vincent, NY. lighthouse}

Yes, we are wearing pants and coats! Burrr

Now, I remember why I moved!

{Clayton, NY}

Funny, this is where the Hubs and I spent most of our summers, but on this trip we only spent a few hours.  We stopped in all the quant shops and ate lunch before heading to the next town.

{Alex Bay, NY}

I love this photo of the three kiddos walking down the dock.  The spacing between them, the descending height, and all of them looking in the same direction…..  just love it!

{Uncle Sam’s Boat Tour}

We stayed in a hotel right on the river (pictured in the bottom right hand corner) and the photo above is a picture of Boldt Castle on Heart Island taken from the balcony of our hotel room.

{Boldt Castle, Heart Island}

The Hubs and I first visited Boldt Castle when I was only 13 and he was 15 years old.  We started dating about 2-3 months after that and here we are……. 25 years later (give or take a month or two) revisiting with our kids.  I told Hubby that we will have to make the trip in another 25 years.  I will be  ~OUCH~ 63 years old!  That can’t be right….. let me check my math and get back to you.

If that wasn’t romantic enough for you, you really should read the story behind this castle. In 1900, George Boldt had hired over 300 workers to construct this 120 room castle for the love of his life, Louise Boldt.  Unfortunately, Louise past away suddenly in 1904, and George ended all the construction on the castle.  Brokenhearted, George, his children, and his grandchildren never returned to heart island.   Boldt castle was never been lived in nor furnished. 

I never did get a photograph of the entire family together. bummer

{Heart Island}

The castle sets on an island shaped as a heart.  Yes, it really is the shape of a heart.

{via}

There are heart motifs found everywhere in construction of the castle.  I thought you might enjoy seeing some of them.

 

We spent a lot of time with family just relaxing!  We have a pond in our own backyard and amazingly enough we are too busy to cast out a fishing line, so it was nice to get a chance to do something that simply can’t find the time to do in our everyday life!

Isn’t that what vacations are all about?

Joining the Blog Party!