06/14/2017
A Bit About Our Summer House:
Our family are passionate about our summer house -- It has been passed down over four generations and in 2017 it is now full of family history and Howard-Smith charm.
Every year we invite vistors to rent the house for a week (or more), bring their families and friends, & discover the little known Thousand Islands.
The Main House is a large, pine cottage, uniquely set on top of a Grindstone Island cliff, overlooking the islands. This is the perfect vantage point for observing the little archipeligo of (mostly privately owned) islands.
The Thousand Islands an incredible place that is almost unexplored by tourists. But if you scratch the surface, you'll find a group of friendly, self stlyed "river rats" who will happily show you the best beaches and maybe even introduce you to Grindstone's weekly square dance (although less square dancing than DJ-ing these days).
The days at The Main House can be easily filled with a combination of relaxing, sun bathing and water activities. Just in front of the house is a calm patch of water that's perfect for learning new wakeboarding / water skiing tricks. And we also have a particularly spring-y diving board ideal for perfecting cannon ball technique. The fishing is great (perch, bass, pike, muskies and even sturgeon live in the waters) and if you paddle a bit up river there is a wild marsh to explore. And for swimming enthusiasts, you could not find a better spot. The water clear and we even have a little, uninhabited island across from the house which serves as a great swim destination.
As our house is located on one of the larger islands, you can also walk behind the house for miles. Our fields (some of which are filled with cattle) stretch for nearly a mile - you'll pass our picturesque barn (containing an a few ancient cars and a fire engine) as you walk into the interior of the island. If you explore enough, you'll find that Grindstone has two, one room school houses and a charming church with weekly services.
In the evening, you can sit on our large porch, sipping gin & tonic and watching the sun set over the river - more often than not this results in a spectacular show of color. And afterwards, our large dining table is perfect for large family style meals, with a chest full of games to keep everyone well entertained into the night.
The kitchen is well fitted with a separate washer and dryer, large fridge / freezer, dishwasher, coffee machine, toaster etc.
The actual sleeping accommodation is also ideal for large groups with a master cabin located away from the primary house with it's own bathroom and in the main house there are two twin bed rooms and two bunk bed rooms with two additional bathrooms.
The dock is currently flooded due to abnormally high water in the area but we have installed a temporary structure that can accommodate at least 1 boat. When the water recedes, the boat house can take about 5 to 6 boats.
Sleeps 10
Accommodation and Amenities:
Dock for One Boat : Fully Furnished Kitchen / Breakfast Room : Open Plan Living Room / Dining Room : Separate Master Bedroom Cabin with En-Suite Shower Room : Four Further Bedrooms : Two Further Bathrooms (one with shower and one with bath)
Getting There:
The easiest way to access The Main House is by private boat from the town of Clayton, New York, USA or from Gananoque, Ontario, Canada. Boats can easily be rented from both towns.
-To get to Clayton, NY you can drive (it's about 5 hours 45 mins from NYC) or alternatively fly to Syracuse, NY and it's about 1 hr 30 min drive from there (we can help to arrange a taxi).
-Gananoque Ontario is just under 3 hours drive from Toronto airport or you can take a direct train.
If you need help planning your journey, please don't hesitate to contact us.
