I've been going up to the North Country my entire life… literally. And after all this time, it just never gets old.
I was born in Watertown, New York. I lived in Alexandria Bay for the first two years of my life and have been blessed to be able to visit the area every summer since we moved 24 years ago. One might think that after almost 26 years of going to the same place it would become boring… but it is actually quite the opposite feeling. As I get older, I find new things, make new memories, and have never loved the Thousand Islands more. A couple weekends ago, we took a little trip up there. A nice, refreshing getaway to one of the most beautiful places I've been blessed to have in my life. It was a completely different kind of beautiful this time of year, though.
During our usual trip in July, the Thousand Island Region is packed with tourists from all over. There are those who enjoy soaking up the sun, the diehard fishermen out on the river from dawn until dusk, families boating, barbecuing and enjoying the cute little shops together. Although there were still dedicated fishermen out on the river, the atmosphere had changed. There weren't anymore tourists, just locals. It was nice. Life has been stressful lately. Between the two of us, Jon and I have been extremely (and obnoxiously) busy and I feel an overwhelming need to just slow down and appreciate little moments. Our getaway to the North Country was my much needed little moment.
I am not typically a morning person, but something changes when you're waking up at Mason Point. Each morning as the sun was rising, a wall of fog stretched across the St. Lawrence. The crisp, cold air of autumn embraced the river, and I could hear the faint, familiar rumble of a freighter as it broke through the fog. Call me selfish, but I made sure that I was up before everyone… before Jon, before our daughter, before the dogs had to go out… and I just sat there at Gram's kitchen table, staring out the sliding glass doors sipping my coffee, and soaking up every second of the peace and serenity of the St. Lawrence.
It's amazing how after all of the years going to the Thousand Islands I had never experienced the beauty of fall. Thinking about it now makes me emotional. I have so many memories in that cottage, at that river, in those little towns… and now I'm making new ones with my husband and our daughter.
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