1000 Islands Campground, Alexandria Bay, NY
Monday, July 2nd. Tony, Doreen and I drove into Clayton for the afternoon. Clayton has about 5,000 residents. It has an area of 104 square miles and on the opposite shore of the St. Lawrence River, lies Ontario, Canada. Our timing was such that we were able to have lunch at the Koffe Kove Restaurant and check out a couple of shops. Links to their websites are in RED should you care to check out photos, products, menus and/or reviews.
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| Huge Cheeseburger |
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Huge portion homemade
potato salad. |
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| My little friend at the next table. |
The huge portions were more than enough and the prices were totally reasonable. You would think that "price gouging" was the rule of the day in this area. Considering the height of the season, a town crawling with tourists and a short money-making season for them, prices would sky-rocket. Not so. From lunch we took a short walk down the street to The Cruet, home to 53 different varieties (flavors) of imported vinegar and oils. They also offer spices, salts, rubs, imported Spanish Olives, exclusive skincare products made with olive oil imported from Australia. On their website, click on products and be amazed. Thinking you were in a wine-tasting room, you could sample each one including, for us, a "blend" provided by the very friendly owner. An outstanding and interesting experience.
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| Every kind of candy,,, |
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...and a great variety of cheeses to choose from with, of course, the
table from which you could sample many.
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Along the way, an eye-catching mural caught my eye as I crossed a lane leading into a parking lot and separating two buildings. It took up the entire side of the building and was created by Kelly Curry.
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| Did you notice he's left handed? Brilliant. |
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| Yup, the little guy in the back is left handed as well. |
On our way back to the campground, I got a quick tour through Clayton....
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| St. Mary's Catholic Church |
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| The Grotto behind St. Mary's Church |
...and we picked up info and made reservations for a "Sunset Cruise" on the St. Lawrence River Wednesday, July 4th. It will be the subject of my Wednesday blog. Here's a peek at what they offer. Sunset Cruise with the Clayton Island Tours.
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch...ice cream. Again, the 25 minute
wait was well worth it. Including those behind us, at least 100 folks were counted. |
The huge portions were more than enough and the prices were totally reasonable. You would think that "price gouging" was the rule of the day in this area. Considering the height of the season, a town crawling with tourists and a short money-making season for them, prices would sky-rocket. Not so. From lunch we took a short walk down the street to The Cruet, home to 53 different varieties (flavors) of imported vinegar and oils. They also offer spices, salts, rubs, imported Spanish Olives, exclusive skincare products made with olive oil imported from Australia. On their website, click on products and be amazed. Thinking you were in a wine-tasting room, you could sample each one including, for us, a "blend" provided by the very friendly owner. An outstanding and interesting experience.
