Seaway Trail
From Great Wars to Great Wealth on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail
| Departure: | Seaway Trail Discovery Center, New York |
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| Destination: | Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail, New York |
| Time to allow: | 5 days |
Two centuries of epic wars involving 4 great nations (Native, French, British, US) have been followed by 200 years of prosperous growth and creative expression. We invite you to share the fruit of our wealth; great thinkers, industrialists, architects and entrepreneurs have left a legacy of great art, buildings, boats, museums, tours and adventures all waiting for you to make great memories of your time on the Seaway Trail - a Great American Road Trip.
Day 1
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Start: Seaway Trail Discovery Center
The Seaway Trail Discovery Center is the first stop along the road trip east or west along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. This gracious limestone structure was originally built as a hotel on the Sackets Harbor waterfront after the War of 1812 and is now Seaway Trail’s fully handicapped accessible year round interpretation storefront. Nine rooms of exhibits begin with a scenic windshield video tour of the byway. One-of-a-kind wall murals depict the landscape and waterfront scenes prevalent along the Seaway Trail. Interactive sport fishing anglers and a natural history room test for your knowledge of byway plants and animals with interactive exhibits encased in half-logs. A surprisingly lifelike animated Ulysses S. Grant greets you; he was stationed at nearby Madison Barrack as a young Army officer. Today he details the famous people who lived, worked and invented on the Seaway Trail. In the maritime room, a scenic video features 23 historic lighthouses and an apothecary cabinet checks your facts and trivia knowledge of the War of 1812. The Seaway Trail "talking cow" is eager to tell you the places to look, stop, and stay to learn about the dairy industry, experience life on the farm, and enjoy farm fresh foods. Stop in the Seaway Trail Gift Shop to check out our guidebook series and byway products, such as hand-made Native American Akwesasne sweet grass baskets. On Wednesdays at 5 pm consider a 90 minute Seaway Trail (guided) Walk; they leave from the Discovery Center June through September.
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Stop 1: Boldt Castle and the 1000 Islands
Directions from previous place: From the Discovery Center, head south on W. Main Street for 1.4 miles, and then turn left onto NY-3. Continue for 2.5 miles, then take a slight left onto NY 180. Continue for 5.1 miles on NY-180, then turn left onto NY-12E. Continue for 42.4 miles along NY-12E (the Seaway Trail) until you enter Alexandria Bay. Turn left onto Church Street, and then continue to the waterfront, where you can find a boat tour to take you to Boldt Castle.
Distance from Previous Site: 40 miles / 64.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 50 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes From the magnificence of Boldt Castle to the barren rock of an uninhabited island, a cruise among the Thousand Islands captures the heart and imagination. The islands - there are close to 2,000 - run for nearly 50 miles in the St. Lawrence River, attracting sportsmen, tourists, and summer homes for the wealthy.
George Boldt, owner of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, commissioned a Rhineland-style castle on Heart Island as a monument to his wife, Louise. When Louise died in 1904, however, the broken-hearted Boldt ordered work to cease. For decades, the 120-room, six-story castle slowly wore away, neglected and vandalized.
Restoration of Boldt Castle began in the 1970s and today there are 6 impressive structures to explore plus a video exploring the lifestyle of the Boldts and the history of the 1000 Islands Region. Since then, millions have toured this symbol of the Thousand Islands.
The castle is only accessible by boat. If you don’t have one, contact Uncle Sam Boat Tours (800-253-9229 or www.usboattours.com) or Empire Boat Lines (888-449-2539 or www.empireboat.com). They offer their services from May through October. Rates will vary and fees are separate from the castle admission. Also, Alexandria Bay hosts guided Seaway Trail Walks every Tuesday at 5 pm.
The St. Lawrence is like a highway serving the islands, and a summer afternoon finds it full of all sorts of craft. Most of the islands, including the largest, Wolfe Island, are in Canada. On the U.S. side, Wellesley Island is a good place to launch an exploration of the islands, with several campsites and bed and breakfasts available.
If you enjoyed your visit to Boldt Castle, Seaway Trail has a second island castle. On the way to the Remington Museum, stop in Morristown and go to Singer Castle built by Frederic Gilbert Bourne, president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.
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Stop 2: Frederic Remington Art Museum
Directions from previous place: Follow Seaway Trail signs north east along Route 12, then Route 37 to Ogdensburg and follow the signs to the Museum
Distance from Previous Site: 37 miles / 59.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 45 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes The Seaway Trail is far from the Old West that Frederic Remington captured in his paintings and sculpture. But he was as much at home along the banks of the St. Lawrence as he was in Big Sky country. The artist lived in Ogdensburg as a boy and painted in his studio on an island in the St. Lawrence River. Although more famous for his western art, he painted many scenes from the Seaway Trail and northern New York. The Frederic Remington Art Museum displays works from all aspects of his career, along with tools of his trade.
The building, once a mansion owned by a friend of Remington, was where his wife lived for a time after his death in 1909. An interactive children's exhibit brings the art – and Remington – alive for young visitors.
The museum is at 303 Washington Street and is open daily from May 1 to Oct. 31, except major holidays.
Just a short drive north along the Seaway Trail will bring you to Waddington, one of the Seaway Trail Walks communities; stop on Friday at 5 pm from June thru September for a local guided experience. Waddington is also a great place to try your skill at carp fishing, and the necessary equipment can be purchased on the waterfront.
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Stop 3: Antique Boat Museum
Directions from previous place: Follow Seaway Trail signs westward along the St. Lawrence River. Head south on Route 37, then 12 into Clayton, turn right onto James Street, left onto Mary Street for the Antique Boat Museum 750 Mary Street on your right.
Distance from Previous Site: 48 miles / 76.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes Living on an island in the early 20th century must have been great. Rowing to the mainland daily to pick up the mail, on the other hand, was probably a drawback. The Antique Boat Museum preserves a traditional way of life through a collection of more than 200 boats. The collection includes utilitarian St. Lawrence skiffs used by 19th century guides to ferry their “sports” to the River’s best fishing spots, to the luxurious La Duchesse, a 1904 houseboat owned by George Boldt, sporting a Tiffany skylight, bronze and marble fireplaces and mahogany cabins. Boat rides, boatbuilding classes, a research library, children’s activities, and exhibits help inlanders understand life on the river. After viewing that display of wealth, a little shopping in Clayton is in order, whether for some great aged cheddar at Gold Cup Farms, some authentic Thousand Islands Dressing, or some local wine.
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Overnight Point: Alexandria Bay
Distance from Previous Site: 37 miles / 59.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 45 minutes After visiting the museum, return to Alexandria Bay for an overnight stay.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 1: 162 miles / 259.2 km
Day 2
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Stop 1: Safe Haven Museum and Educational Center
Directions from previous place: Follow James Street back to the light, turn right onto State Street (the Seaway Trail), and go west to Cape Vincent. You must take the extra few minutes to drive to Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, the location where the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario met. Today the keeper’s house is an overnight hostel; don’t forget to read the Seaway Trail story panel about Tibbetts. Back on the Seaway Trail go south west on Route 12 E, 180 and 3 to 104B and 104 always checking the Seaway Trail signs along the way. In Oswego, watch for East 7th Street, go north under the railroad bridge, the museum is the first building on the left.
Distance from Previous Site: 88 miles / 140.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 30 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour An old army base near Fort Ontario became safe haven for 982 refugees from Nazi terror. In 1944 President Roosevelt instructed his emissaries to bring refugees to the United States, and the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter housed these children and adults from August 1944 to February 1946. After the war, they were to go back to their homes, but they had none. President Truman allowed these refugees to immigrate and truly begin new lives. While the barracks and many other buildings were demolished, the memories are preserved in the former administration building that houses the Safe Haven museum. Time permitting, check out the only floating national Historic Landmark, the LT-5, a tug used in the Normandy invasion docked near the H. Lee White Marine Museum. Oswego hosts the regions local Seaway Trail Guided Walk each Thursday.
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Stop 2: Sterling Renaissance Festival
Directions from previous place: Follow 7th Street back to Seaway Trail, and turn right (west) on Route 104 through Oswego and continue west to 104A into Sterling. From State Route 104-A (the Seaway Trail) east of Fair Haven, turn north on Mac Neil Road and follow 1 mile to Farden Road, turn right on Farden Road and proceed to the Sterling Renaissance Festival grounds.
Distance from Previous Site: 13 miles / 20.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 25 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 4 hours 30 minutes As you follow the Seaway Trail into the hamlet of Sterling, your map may say Sterling, but your eyes tell you you’ve landed smack-dab in the middle of Warwick, England, in the year 1585. The Sterling Renaissance Festival re-creates Elizabethan England, right down to Good Queen Bess herself. Lords and ladies stroll the lanes in their finery. Merchants’ offer their wares and minstrels entertain. Jousters face off and knights rule the day. The actors stay in character, whether in rehearsed skits or comic improvisations that gives a visitor a chance to play the village idiot. The festival runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from July 2 to Aug. 14.
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Stop 3: Chimney Bluff State Park
Directions from previous place: From Sterling, continue west on 104-A through Fair Haven follow Seaway Trail signs to Lake Road to Bluff Road, turn north and follow Garner Road to signed entrance of the park.
Distance from Previous Site: 27 miles / 43.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 40 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 30 minutes The wind and waves create an ever-changing landscape along the shore of Lake Ontario, and one stunning example is Chimney Bluffs State Park. The reddish terrain looks part desert, part Mars. Hikers with good ankles can walk along the rocky shoreline and look up at spires that are the envy of a Gothic cathedral. The bluffs are actually a glacial drumlin – one of the distinctive rolling hills left by the last Ice Age that is characteristic of this part of the byway – that has been eroded by Lake Ontario to expose its interior structure. From a parking lot at the marked entrance to the park about three miles west, a trail leads to the top of the bluffs. You can climb pretty much straight up from a parking area at the bluffs, just a few feet from the lake. There is no railing at the top; the hike is not recommended if you have a fear of heights.
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Stop 4: Sodus Point Lighthouse
Directions from previous place: Follow Garner Road and Lake Bluff Road back to the Seaway Trail (Ridge Road / Route 104-A) and turn right. Follow the Seaway Trail into Sodus Point, where you go north on Ontario Street to the lighthouse.
Distance from Previous Site: 13 miles / 20.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 20 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Climb 52 corkscrew steps, and then duck as you emerge into the lantern room of the Sodus Point Lighthouse for spectacular views of Lake Ontario and Chimney Bluffs. From 1871 to 1901, the lantern served as a beacon at busy Sodus harbor. The attached keeper’s house is a museum that depicts 19th-century life in the village plus exhibits on shipping, sailing and lighthouses. This National Register property hosts Sunday concerts in the summer.
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Overnight Point: Rochester
Find lodgings in Rochester for your second night.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 2: 141 miles / 225.6 km
Day 3
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Stop 1: George Eastman House and International Museum of Photography and Film
Directions from previous place: Take Ontario Street back to the Seaway Trail and turn right (west) and follow all the way across Irondequoit Bay. After crossing the Bay on Empire Boulevard, go south on route 590 to the Route 96, East Avenue Exit, go west to George Eastman House.
Distance from Previous Site: 39 miles / 62.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 45 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours The George Eastman House is a one-stop tour of a Georgian-revival mansion, a photography museum, an art cinema, and luscious gardens. Imagine living the life of the wealthy at the home of George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak and the man who developed photography into a hobby for millions. Part of the mansion includes exhibits in the International Museum of Photography and Film. The Dryden Theater features classic films six nights a week. Horticulturists admire the gardens on the 12.5-acre estate, which can be explored at your leisure or as part of a tour.
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Stop 2: Strong Museum & National Toy Hall of Fame
Directions from previous place: Exit the George Eastman House and turn right (west) on East Avenue. Take the first left after crossing the Inner Loop onto Pitkin Street. The Strong Museum is in the sedond block on the right.
Distance from Previous Site: 1 miles / 1.6 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours 30 minutes "Museum"’ may evoke the image of a serious place where you speak in whispers and look but don’t touch. Strong Museum, though, brings out the playful side of its visitors. Ranked among the nation’s top 10 for children by Child magazine, the museum also features the National Toy Hall of Fame, interactive exhibits, and a working 1950s diner. The museum's collection includes over a half million objects include the world’s largest and most historically significant collection of dolls and toys, America’s most comprehensive collections of homecrafts, souvenirs, and advertising materials. These personal, everyday objects help Americans to understand who they are, who they believe they are and why. The museum is undergoing a $33 million expansion that will double its size and add more hands-on activities for kids and families.
While you are in Rochester check out the theater options: Auditorium Center, The Eastman School of Music, Garth Fagan Dance, Geva Theater Center, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra all offer performances.
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Stop 3: Cobblestone Society Museum
Directions from previous place: From the Strong Museum, follow Woodbury Boulevard west 1 block to Clinton Avenue, turn left and follow to Central Avenue. Turn left on Central Avenue for 1 block, then right on St. Paul Street. Follow St. Paul Street all the way to Lake Shore Boulevard (the Seaway Trail). (If the kids need to burn off some energy, go east on the Seaway Trail about 4 miles to Sea Breeze Amusement Park for some wild rides on the coasters and water park or a visit to the carousel museum.) Otherwise, turn left, cross the Genesee River. Before entering the Lake Ontario State Parkway,see the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse one block north on the banks of the river. From the Lake Ontario State Parkway (Seaway Trail) exit at Point Breeze and follow Route 98 south 5.3 miles to Route 104 (Ridge Road). The Cobblestone Society Museum headquarters is on the left.
Distance from Previous Site: 50 miles / 80.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 30 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes The word unique is overused, cheapening its meaning, but it’s an apt description of Cobblestone structures. It’s believed that 90 percent of the 1,200 cobblestone buildings in North America are in the Seaway Trail region. The area had a wealth of the stones and the soil could be turned into mortar. A cluster of eight buildings, with the 1834 Cobblestone Church as the showpiece, comprises the Cobblestone Society Museum in Childs. This National Historic Landmark, the world’s only cobblestone museum, showcases the unique construction method using stones polished into cobble by glacial action. A close look at how the stones are placed in the mortar shows that building with cobblestones was an art form as a means of shelter. The museum offers guided tours of 7 buildings from the Cobblestone Era (1825-1860) including the oldest cobblestone church in North America, an 1849 schoolhouse, and the parsonage owned by abolitionist Horace Greeley.
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Stop 4: Old Fort Niagara
Directions from previous place: Take Route 98 north to Route 18 and head west to Brown’s Berry Patch for a break on a porch rocker and a homemade waffle cone and strawberry ice cream (in season you can pick your own). Continue west on 18 (for a quick detour, follow the lighthouse signs north to Golden Hill State Park, Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse), to the entrance to Fort Niagara State Park.
Distance from Previous Site: 60 miles / 96.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour 15 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes During the colonial wars in North America, the country that controlled access to waterways had the upper hand. For that reason, Fort Niagara has served under three flags, French, British, and American. The French built the earliest fort at the mouth of the Niagara River in 1679, and France, Britain and the new-born United States fought over the ground almost continuously until the end of the War of 1812. Whoever held the fort held a strategic advantage. The French Castle, the oldest building on the grounds, is the focal point of a self-guided tour and has been restored to its 1727 appearance. A storehouse, powder magazine and bakehouse are other highlights, while archaeologists continue to uncover foundations of buildings lost long ago. The site of historic battles, trading and conquest, Old Fort Niagara is an exciting place where the past lives on! Today's byway travelers can experience military reenactments, living history, and ongoing archaeological excavations.
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Overnight Point: Niagara Falls
Spend the night in Niagara Falls.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 3: 150 miles / 240.0 km
Day 4
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Stop 1: Maid of the Mist Boat Tours and Niagara Falls State Park
Directions from previous place: Exit Fort Niagara State Park onto 18-F south to Lewiston, then take the Robert Moses State Parkway south (if you have time, stop at the Niagara Power Project’s Power Vista to see how power to actually produced from the falls). The Parkway takes you right to Niagara Reservation State Park (the nation's oldest State Park).
Distance from Previous Site: 14 miles / 22.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 20 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 2 hours 30 minutes No trip along the Seaway Trail is complete without a visit to Niagara Falls, and there is no better way to experience the power of Niagara than from the water. Since 1846, the Maid of the Mist travels into the mist at the base of Niagara Falls with passengers clad in protective slickers.
The first trips on the Niagara River below Niagara Falls were more business than pleasure. As early as 1834, rowboats ferried both people and goods from one side to the other, but a bridge built in the late 1840s took a bite out profits. To compensate, one steamboat service renamed their boat the Maid of Mist after a Native American legend and turned to the more successful sightseeing business.
At least 1 million people a year (the company won’t divulge the exact number) take the 30- minute trip to be doused by the Falls. Arguably one of the most photographed and best known attractions in the world, the three waterfalls made by the Niagara River tumbling over a cliff combine grace, beauty and power as over a billion gallons of water an hour pour over the edge.
The Maid of the Mist departs from the American side of the Falls at Niagara Reservation State Park on the Seaway Trail. Other activities at Niagara Reservation State Park include tours of Goat Island, situated in the middle of the falls. The Niagara Gorge offers excellent birding opportunities, as it is world-famous for its quantity and diversity of gulls and waterfowl, especially in winter. If you can come back in the evening, Niagara Falls are illuminated after 8:30 pm.
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Overnight Point: Niagara Falls and Buffalo
Spend your fourth evening exploring the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 4: 14 miles / 22.4 km
Day 5
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Stop 1: Darwin Martin House Complex
Directions from previous place: From Niagara Reservation State Park continue south on the Robert Moses State Parkway and take the Seaway Trail along the Niagara River through the Tonawandas (stop at the Herschell Carrousel Factory and/or take North Tonawanda's Seaway Trail Walk if you have time). Continue south on River Road, then Niagara Street to Route 198 in Buffalo. Take Route 198 (Scajaquada Expressway) east and continue to the exit at Parkside Avenue. Follow Parkside Avenue 4 blocks to Jewett Parkway, turn left and the Darwin Martin House is on the left in the second block.
Distance from Previous Site: 24 miles / 38.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 40 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour This had to be an unbelievable commission: an unlimited budget, an unparalleled site and unwavering support from the client. With those three things, Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Darwin D. Martin House and brought his Prairie House concept to the East Coast. The 14,978-square foot home, built from 1903-05, was part of a complex that was the most extensive in Wright’s career. From the sweep of the horizontal lines to the 394 pieces of art glass, the Martin House is quintessential Wright. The complex is undergoing a restoration that will bring it back to its 1907 splendor.
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Stop 2: Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
Directions from previous place: Take Jewett Parkway back to Parkside Avenue and turn right, skirting Delaware Park. Delaware Park is part of the extensive park system Frederick Law Olmsted designed for Buffalo. While best known for his work in New York City's Central Park, Olmsted's design for Buffalo's Park System was one of his proudest achievements. Turn left on Amherst Street, then left on Nottingham Terrace, and continue to the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society on the left.
Distance from Previous Site: 2 miles / 3.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 5 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour 30 minutes At the Buffalo and Erie County Historical there is a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned about the generations who’ve lived in western New York and what they’ve accomplished. The organization was founded in 1862 and is headquartered in the only permanent building erected for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. That international fair was the largest showcase to date of the uses of electricity, and it celebrated the power of Niagara Falls. The society’s 100,000 artifacts explore the ethnic and cultural heritage of Erie County, the industry that defined Buffalo and its place in history. Yes, there’s also an exhibit about a blizzard.
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Stop 3: Chautauqua Institution
Directions from previous place: Exit the parking lot and turn left onto Nottingham Terrace. Cross Elmwood Avenue to the entrance to Route 198 (Scajaquada Expressway) west and continue to the Niagara Street exit (Route 266, the Seaway Trail). Follow Niagara Street south to City Hall on Niagara Square. (City Hall is one of the finest Art Deco public buildings in America with a stunning panoramic view of Buffalo from its observation deck.) Take Delaware Avenue to Route 5 (known as the Skyway for its view crossing the Buffalo River). Note the grain elevators lining the Buffalo River - a monument to the days when Buffalo led the world in handling grain. Follow Route 5 to Dunkirk, stopping to at least take a picture at the Dunkirk Historic Lighthouse and Serviceman’s Park, before continuing to Barcelona. Take Route 394 east through Westfield (if it is Wednesday at 5, stop in Westfield for a Seaway Trail (guided) Walk) then continue through Mayville to Chautauqua Institution.
Distance from Previous Site: 80 miles / 128.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 2 hours Suggested Time at This Site: 3 hours What began in 1874 as a vacation Bible school for Methodist Sunday school teachers has become one of the world’s premier arts and cultural centers. For nine weeks each summer, Chautauqua Institution buzzes with theater, music and thought-provoking lectures about politics, religion and science. Chautauqua is sometimes called a summer camp for adults, but kids can find a wealth of activities too. Stroll through the village green in this National Historic Victorian village, hear a performance and maybe relax on the ornate porch of the Athenaeum Hotel.
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End: Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail
Directions from previous place: Follow Route 394 back to Westfield. Turn left on Route 20 and you are following the Chautauqua - Lake Erie Wine Trail. Just outside of Westfield you will find the Johnson Estate Winery, the first of a dozen wineries along the Trail open for tours.
Distance from Previous Site: 12 miles / 19.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 20 minutes As you explore this part of the Seaway Trail corridor, it is evident that this is productive ground. Centuries of working the land have shaped the rural landscape and provided for its residents needs. The vineyards lining the Seaway Trail are testament to this heritage. The region is the world's leader in the production of Concord grapes thanks to a microclimate along the shore of Lake Erie. The Welch Company, based in Westfield beginning in 1897, uses most of these grapes in juices, jellies, and syrups. A law passed in 1976 allowed grape farmers to establish small “Estate Winery” sites, meaning that the entire wine making process from grape growing to pressing to bottling happens on the property. The Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail is a scenic drive among these wineries, many of them offering tours, tasting and sales to visitors.
Of course, grapes aren't the only crops grown here. As you head to your next stop, patronize one of the roadside stands for fresh local produce, or for a real treat, visit Webb's Candy factory in Mayville and sample some goat's milk fudge.
