Thousand Islands? Really?

St. Lawrence Islands National Park @ National Geographic
A Thousand Islands of Summer from National Geographic
Boldt Castle
More about Boldt Castle from TripSavvy
Private Islands for Rent in Canada
Parks Canada Thousand Islands 
Travel and Leisure explore the area
TripAdvisors main Thousand Islands review page
And the Loyalist Parkway from Trip Advisor
Travel 1000 Islands.ca
The Great Waterway
Visit Kingston
Gananoque Hiking
From the New York Times: In the Thousand Islands, Castles, Cliffs, and Contemplation

Helpful stuff from Tripadvisor:
Here is a bit of a Backgrounder that might come in handy as you explore the 1000 Islands Region.

Technically the 1000 Islands Region spans from the Mouth of Lake Ontario thru to the Quebec-Ontario Border near Cornwall… a distance of aprox 200 Kms (120 Miles) and there truly are over 1000 Islands to be found here in the St Lawrence River shared equally between the USA & Canada

Wikipedia – 1000 Islands = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Islands

The densest portion of the Islands spans from Kingston to Brockville… and the town of Gananoque is nicknamed “the Gateway to the 1000 Islands”.

Cruises of the 1000 Islands go out of Kingston – Gananoque – Ivy Lea – Rockport – and Brockville. By far the best ones begin in the middle portion (Gananoque - Ivy Lea - Rockport)... In this sector the primary cruise providers are… Gananoque Boat Lines = www.ganboatline.com and Rockport Boat Lines = www.rockportcruises.com

Gananoque Boat Lines offers 1, 2-1/2 and 5 Hour Cruises… the latter making a stop at historic and romantic Boldt Castle.

Rockport Boat Lines is the place to go to if you want to take part in a theme cruise… 2 Castle Tours, Dinner Cruises, etc.

Boating & Cruising is by far the most popular activity in the 1000 Islands…

BUT… IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE in the 1000 Islands… you’ll want to drive the very scenic 1000 Islands Parkway between Gananoque & Brockville (Butternut Bay). This aprox 50 Kms drive is considered to be one of the “prettiest drives in Canada).

The Parkway has many turn-outs where you can stop and take photos… or just pull of the side of the road and stop wherever you like… just make sure you are safely out of traffic.

Wikipedia – 1000 Islands Parkway = …wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Islands_Parkway

IF you have the time… (an overnight or two is ideal)… the area has a lot on offer for Tourists… from WEST to EAST…

KINGSTON - One of Ontario's most historic small cities... was a Capital of Canada prior to Confederation (when we were Upper & Lower Canada) - pretty waterfront - Old Fort Henry (UNESCO World Heritage Site) - Parks Canada Historic Sites (Bellevue House) - Penitentiary Museum etc

HEART OF THE ISLANDS (area that spans primarily from Kingston to Brockville) – The town of Gananoque (Gananoque Boat Lines – 1000 Islands Playhouse – 1000 Islands Casino) – The 1000 Islands Parkway (from Gananoque to Butternut Bay at Brockville) – St Lawrence Parks (Ivy Lea for Camping - Brown`s Bay has a Beach & Picnic Ground) – Rockport Cruise Lines – Parks Canada ~ St Lawrence Islands National Park (Mallorytown Landing).

SEAWAY VALLEY – The portion between Brockville and Montreal is also known as The Seaway Valley… and home to the eastern portion of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway… which gives Ocean Going Ships & Lakers access from North America’s heartland to the Atlantic Ocean (and the world)… this is the longest inland navigational waterway in the world… spanning over 3700 Kms from the Gulf of the St Lawrence thru to the lakehead at Thunder Bay.

This area, the last portion of the Seaway was finalized in 1959 with the damming & flooding of the St Lawrence River… which resulted in a significant change to the geography of the 1000 Islands Region… particularly between Brockville and Cornwall… where the River was greatly widened and deepened to accommodate the ship traffic.

You can learn much about the historical changes by visiting… the Historic Gallop Canal – the Iroquois Lock – Upper Canada Village – Battle of Chrysler Farm ~ War of 1812 (National Historic Site) - the Long Sault Parkway (runs between Ingleside & Long Sault) – the Lost Villages (Ault Park) – and the St Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre (Cornwall).