Cape Vincent

It’s amazing how many different things we can do from Wolfe Island, and one of them is go to the States. We’re on the island’s south shore, so we stare at the US coast all day, every day. We enjoy their fireworks on July 4 and we get reminded it’s time to stop swimming and think about lunch when we hear the noon whistle from Cape Vincent, NY – the tiny town right across the St. Lawrence from our cottage.

Cape Vincent isn’t exactly a fast-paced, high-adventure destination, but it’s easy for us to get to and, like all Thousand Island / St. Lawrence communities, it’s pretty and relaxing.

Here’s how a trip to Cape Vincent looks for us:

This is my dad’s new, super-easy, super-simple bike rack. He discovered it when visiting my brother in Nelson, BC. Isn’t it great? If you have a pick-up, I highly recommend this system …

We bring bikes because there’s a nice bike ride on a quiet road along the shore of the St. Lawrence that ends at a lighthouse.

Even though the US seems so close, to get to the US ferry, we have to drive back to the north shore of Wolfe Island, through the village, then cut across the entire island. It’s over 20 (windy) K each way. I’ve told the kids one of these days (sooner than they think) we’re going to cycle the whole way, but for now we drive to the ferry dock.

Love the seagull!

Crossing into US waters!

This ferry is MUCH smaller than the ferry to Kingston, and our bikes take up a lot of space on it.

Once we clear US Customs …

This is it folks! Friendliest US Customs officials ever …

We cycle through downtown Cape Vincent and head along the pretty road to the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse.

This is my kind of Dead End …

The lighthouse is really pretty, and there’s a Youth Hostel here, too. A picturesque place to stay.

We cycle out, we cycle back, then we get lunch, or ice cream (or both) and check out the art gallery, and buy any necessities in the Cape Vincent market / hardware store / souvenir shop (today it was guinea pig pellets), then it’s time to come back to Ontario.