In August, the village is overtaken by pirates one weekend and power boaters on another!

For this year's dates and a complete listing of Alexandria Bay events, visit AlexBay.com, or call 1-800-541-2110.

Pay a visit to Aqua Zoo on Route 12 in Alexandria Bay, where over 100 aquariums of up to 1,500 gallons each exhibit views of fresh and saltwater species. See the sharks and explore the "touching tank," or take part in the many children's games and boat rides. Call (315) 482-5771 or visit AquaZoo.com.

Explore Boldt Castle's structures on Heart Island including the Power House, the Alster Tower, the Hennery, the Arch and a stone gazebo. There are other exhibits and a 15-minute video presentation.

Dockage is available for private vessels, or access may be provided via chartered boat tours. A shuttle from Heart Island provides additional access to the Boldt Castle Yacht House.

Call 1-800-847-5263, or visit BoldtCastle.com. For boat tours, call Uncle Sam Boat Tours at 1-800-253-9229, or USBoatTours.com; and Clayton Island Tours at (315) 686-4217.

Empire Boat Tours on Church Street offers narrated tours of the 1000 Islands (including Boldt Castle) and has snacks and a dinner cruise. Call 1-888-449-2539 for details, or log onto EmpireBoat.com.

Just minutes from the village is the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. Check out the displays of boats, motors and engines, take a speedboat ride or rent a skiff (which holds two to three persons) and explore French Creek. A half-hour guided tour of the 1903 houseboat La Duchesse is included in the admission fee, but visitors must sign up in advance. Snacks and beverages are available in the Gold Cup Building.

Call (315) 686-4104 or visit ABM.org.

The family sportsman will want to visit the Thousand Islands Museum at 312 James Street, which has special exhibits of world-class muskies, hunting decoys from past and present, a museum gallery and a library that offers a history of life along the St. Lawrence.

For information, call (315) 686-5794, or visit TIMuseum.org.

For more places to stay and things to do, call the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council at 1-800-847-5263. You can also log on to Visit1000Islands.com, or visit ThousandIslands.com.

ONEIDA LAKE
At 51,072 acres, Oneida is the largest lake entirely within the Empire State's borders. Known as the "Walleye Lake of New York State," Oneida is 22 miles long and five miles wide. Its fertile waters are naturally enriched by several tributaries, offering anglers more fish per acre than any other lake in the northeastern United States!

In addition to walleyes, the big lake contains largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, panfish and bullheads.