A Stone’s Throw – 2 Day Trips

Sackets Harbor

Sackets Harbor was our first day trip and our first little exploration after moving to upstate NY. It’s a small bay town that sits on an inlet of Lake Ontario. Founded in the early 1800’s, it’s been on the list of Historic Places since the 1980’s for its well-preserved buildings and historic district. Aside from views, it’s most known for its support during the War of 1812. The Navy used Sackets Harbor as a major shipyard and turned the quiet little town into a major city, the third largest populated in the state at the time. Shortly after the war a selection of local businessman helped support the building of the first US Steamboat, Ontario. 

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In Sackets Harbor you are able to walk the battlefields from the War of 1812 that take you alongside the lake as well as through the town (depending on which route you take). You can, when open for the season, walk through the various buildings that talk about life at the time. You can also walk-through Main Street and feel that old small-town vibe, popping into various little shops or cafés as your day goes on. 

We walked through a portion of the battlefield (we have plans to go back and bike ride the entire path), walked through a bit of the harbor, and then along Main St. We stopped in to the Junk in you Trunk antique store, which was one of the coolest little spots we’ve stumbled upon. They had everything from modern to antique, local businesses, and nationally sourced small business. We also stopped in Tea Thyme; a small tea shop that made all my tea loving dreams come true. I picked up a couple samples to try out. Overall, I think it would be one of those spots where you can easily spend a Spring day.

Wellesley Island (Thousand Islands)

Original called Wells Island (renamed Wellesley to honor the 1^st Duke of Wellington in 1815), Wellesley Island is located partially in Canada and partially in America. It is one of the largest of the Thousand Islands, it is home to not only a thriving community, but also two State Parks, a nature center, and several golf courses. 

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We spent a day visiting a section of the Wellesley Island State Park. This State park in particular offers a life guarded beach, nature center (with the cutest little chipmunk), hiking, hunting, fishing, snow shoeing/cross country skiing, boating and a marina, as well as a variety of camping spots and options (everything from primitive to cabins to rv’s). We hiked from the Nature Center over to Eel Bay, through the Narrows, and an inter trail or two through the woods. It was seriously one of the prettiest spots, reminding me so much of Eibsee and Konigsee in Germany. We stopped for a snack on one of the rocky inlets, resting, watching wildlife, and enjoying the sun and water. 

We did also walk briefly through the nature center, where they have educational materials about the different wildlife located on and around the island, as well as a little chipmunk that was attacked by a dog. 

I can foresee this being one of those spots that we return again and again, hiking different trails and doing a little boating and camping. We drove around a little after our visit to look at the different amenities and were very impressed by the sheer variety of options. It’s an incredibly family friendly area, however someone without kids would enjoy it just as much. Both of these day trips are within a “stone’s throw” and make us very excited to be able to explore more or our area. We seem to have a good combination of historical small towns and nature trails, which, in all honesty, is our happy spot of living locations. We are very excited by all of the hike and outdoor activities that are around and, with the weather starting to shift, we are looking forward to getting some more h