Cruising Through Kingston's Thousand Islands

JOSH HANSEN
KINSTON, ONTARIO

Doug Rainsburgh didn’t expect a line-up today onboard the Island Star. Business isn’t particularly slow during the September months for this three-hour lunch cruise around Kingston’s Thousand Islands, but Doug didn't anticipate members of a local teacher’s union, fuelled by a healthy amount of Friday afternoon red wine, to form a conga line that draws in nearly every other passenger onboard like the Bermuda Triangle.

I decline the invitation, a decision that was later chastised publicly with humour by Doug, the head of entertainment. After all, celebrations with good music, good people and a carefree attitude are staples of the Atlantic Canadian lifestyle. So for me to stay seated, taking notes and snapping pictures of Doug leading a chorus of Layla by Eric Clapton or Bad Moon Rising by CCR, was totally out of character for me.

Then again, the flash lightening storm followed by a spectacular rainbow and a charming British woman serenading her boyfriend aren’t exactly common occurrences onboard the Island Star either. Doug sure doesn't mind the change of pace. Taking song requests and the unpredictability of this Friday afternoon seems to strike a chord with the one man band.

His rendition of I Can See Clearly Now, as the sun breaks through the rain clouds, is bang on. His song selection to keep the conga line moving through the final half of the cruise is as equally timely. He seems to have an answer for everything.

How many islands in total? 1,865. Which island is the largest? Wolfe Island

Was the popular Thousand Island salad dressing named after the area? Yes. The recipe was concocted in Clayton, New York, by the wife of a local fishing guide. It was then passed on to the owner of the Clayton Hotel and gained notoriety from New York stage actress May Irwin. Who? May Irwin; a star figure on the Vaudeville Theatre scene at the turn of the 19th century.

I’ve never heard of Vaudeville, but I have heard of and quite enjoy Thousand Island dressing. However, I’m quite surprised to learn that the salad served with lunch doesn’t come with Thousand Island salad dressing. What? No dressing?

The organic mix of baby lettuces (tender greens, cucumbers, oven dried cherry tomatoes) is served with a balsamic vinaigrette instead. Quite pleasant I may add. The irony of the situation isn't lost on me.

In fact, none of the three lunch and dinner cruises (Island Queen Lunch, Island Star Dinner and River Revue Theatre) serve Thousand Island dressing with the salad. The Island Queen, which runs daily at 12:30pm during Spring and Fall, and the Island Star, which runs daily at 12:30pm during Summer (June 21-September 1), both serve vinaigrette. Lunch is optional, except during the summer months, and prices vary by season. Budget a little more than $20 for the cruise and about $25 more for the lunch.

After the salad, I move on to the main dish called Chicken Frontenac - a boneless chicken breast covered with an apple cider glaze and bacon sauce, served on a bed of rice alongside fresh vegetables. The simplicity of the meal fails to divulge the carousel of flavours that I experience with my first bite. Yet I can't help but wonder about the other choice, the Slow Roasted Beef Tips with fresh mushrooms, or the Roasted Garlic Shrimp Skewers and a Vegetarian Ratatouille. Dessert is a piece of Angel Food Cake served with coffee or tea.

The Island Star Dinner Cruise is a little more costly than the lunch cruise I'm on. Budget around $66 per adult, mainly because of the higher quality meals, like Slow Roasted AAA beef tenderloin. Sailing on weekends only, and Saturday nights during the summer season, passengers can experience a sunset, live entertainment, great food and an optional two-hour dance at 10pm for no extra charge.

Because of its design, cruising through the Thousand Islands onboard the Island Star is visually engaging any time of day. Unless you count the head, there’s not a bad seat in the house. Creative engineering opens the entire seating and dining area, which resembles the ribcage of windows. The panes are sectioned off in about a dozen equal parts, and wrap around the top of the boat, giving an uninterrupted view of the sky and surrounding area. It’s the complete opposite of a glass-bottomed boat and it is the ships most dominant feature.

Touring the Thousand Islands at this time of year is not only cheaper compared to high season, but is an experience rich in colour. Each island appears to have its own unique personality. Today the islands are alive with electric fall reds, oranges and yellows.

Two open viewing decks located on the ship’s stern, one on the main level and the other on the second deck, offer the best vantage points for pictures. A flood of shutterbugs rushes the door during my trip when they see the rain has stopped and a rainbow begins to arch off the starboard side. Knowing better, I stay in my seat and sip on my second cup of coffee.

Doug begins to play Mr. Bojangles and the conga line again snakes its way around the ship, growing bigger with each table it passes.