1000 Islands New York with baby

We are city folks, this you know by now, however, on a very very rare occasion we like taking a road trip to explore nearby places. So while we had driven about 6 hours in India back when the Little Monkey was 2 months, we had since not ventured on any sort of road trip. That changed this weekend, we loaded up a vehicle and went off on a 4 hour journey to Alexandria Bay, 1000 Islands (New York side). This was a last minute trip during a big biker festival in Alex Bay, which  meant that  finding accommodations were very tough. However once we go past that hurdle, it was a great time to be out there because most tourists tend to stay away and as a result… not much traffic and very few line ups at places!

The road trip was fairly unadventurous, all it took was snackertainment (cookies,  homemade pancakes and Mum-Mums) to keep the Little Monkey relatively quiet. No rest stops were required,  except for a mandatory check up at the border, when we coincidently also had a bit of a poop explosion (ha! Take that customs officer!).

We spent a blissful weekend on the lake in a very VERY VERY basic cottage (Pionteck Cottages) catching some gorgeous sunsets, bonding with family and unplugging ourselves from the city life. I rarely camp or cottage so I ensured I was well prepared for everything. Since we were a group of 5 adults and the baby, we had a lot  of help and all tasks were shared (everyone was in charge of one meal which makes things very easy!).  Late night card games, star gazing and smores making, were things we got up to once the Little Monkey went to bed.

As always we tried to stick to her regular routine, she had a familiar crib with her favourite blanket and bunny, she showered (in the kitchen sink!) and ate as per her usual schedule and she was knackered each day after all the exploring and conquering of the new domain. Our main challenge was food. After eating gourmet  home-made meals for the past 5 months, apparently her highness is not a fan of store bought purées! Oh well! We were able to quickly improvise with scrambled eggs, some carrot pancakes I took with me and tofu. I also  took along  some frozen breastmilk so that I could enjoy a few bevies. Ironically, I only used one pack and brought the rest home because I was able to keep the  drinking at bay till sunset (coincidently, also bedtime!). Next time around I will be taking  a bunch of finger food that would cover all meals whilst travelling to  places where I might not be able to source or cook fresh food for her. Staying hydrated (water and milk) and in the shade lathered in sunblock were our main goals for the Little Monkey, which ensured she did not cook herself in the extremely hot weather we were fortunate to have.

One thing I should mention is that the river water that flows through the pipes aren’t the cleanest, so ensure you stock up on bottled water. I ended up boiling all the baby related items (bottles, utensils, cutlery e.t.c) but still wasn’t fully satisfied with the cleanliness. Microwavable steam bags next time! 

Since we ate and drank at the cottage, I unfortunately have no tips to share about  where to eat in  Alex Bay, but I will recommend a quick visit to Bolt Castle and one of Uncle  Sam’s tours. We did the one hour Millionaire’s Row tour and a one hour tour of  Bolt Castle and it was the perfect amount of time away from our dock. The Bolt Castle is very stroller friendly but we didn’t know that and wore the Bjorn, definitely take  a stroller if you ever visit for more than two hours! We also spent an hour at the man made beach, but every other minute was spent at the cottage and by the lake. We’d definitely be back, perhaps explore the Canadian Gananoque side of the 1000 Islands next! I found cottaging with the little one super easy, much to my  surprise. However we did develop a bit  of a fever on our drive back home, most likely due to teething. What about you… any plans of a road trip any time soon?

  • Foodie Baby : Finger food | Baby and Life!
    July 30, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    […] Tofu cubes : This is one of the easiest snacks. Cube firm tofu, spread on baking sheet, drizzle olive oil, toss a speck of salt and layer with  fresh fennel. Bake for about 20 mins at 350 degrees. Voila! This is how I love to eat tofu and apparently the Little Monkey does  too! These are great for travel, we used  them on our recent road trip. […]

  • Celine Y
    February 3, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Sounds awesome and looks great!

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