Today we carpooled across the bottom of the ocean floor to Ministers Island. The only way this is possible is to wait for the tide to go out! Not many people can say they drove on the bottom of the ocean floor, Wally proudly did and did a fantastic job representing the Jeep brand!
How did the island get its name? In 1791, the town’s minister bought the land. Reverend Samuel Andrews built a small stone cottage, which is still standing today! He decided to sell the property in 1798. No one wanted the property though. In 1818, when the minister passed on, he still owned the land. The land started being passed on through his family until in 1891 when Sir William bought it from one of the minister’s distant relatives.
When all the participants of the RV caravan arrived, our guide for the tour met us. Her name was Suzie and she sure lived up to her name. She was a hoot. She took us through the property of Sir William Van Horne. He was instrumental in bringing the railroad system to Canada. The residence we toured was built in 1891 had: 50 rooms, 11 bathrooms, 11 fireplaces, 1 huge dining room that had a table for 24, a butler’s pantry, several of the rooms were servant’s quarters (he had as many as 32 servants on staff at a time), several of the rooms were libraries, one enormous billiard room with a table that was 6’ x 12’. In spit of his corpulence, he and his butler, who was a billiards expert, would take on guests and beat them with their billiard prowess.
Von Horne had a Bathhouse built right on the tip of the island. This circular structure is where he would paint. Right outside the circular structure (ocean side) was an enormous pit left from all the digging for the building of the home. They used the sand from the beach to make the bricks for the house. He ended up with a natural swimming pool. When the tide would go out it left the pool full. Pretty neat idea!
Sir William Von Horne also had a great love for animals and built a beautiful 3 story barn. One day when he was driving by, he noticed some of his workers faces looking out the barn windows and to him that meant they weren’t working so the next day he had them raised up! Now you must be the Jolly Green Giant to see out the windows!
Later in the day Zoom Zoom and our carpoolers went back to take pictures of the ocean floor as the tide covered it up. Good thing we made it back in time!
Heading out to cross the ocean floor. 
Someone got stuck! 
Zoom Zoom is ScArEd! 
More ocean floor 
Made it to the island 
Shot out to where we crossed 
Sir William 
Beautiful windows 
Suzie 
Our new friends 
Bath house 
Bath houe ceiling 
Bricks made from the sand just outside the bath house 
Pool from all the digging 
Pool from all the digging 
Cobblestone walkway 
Original columns with gold leaf – they were dull 
One of Sir William’s paintings 
Dining room 
Dining room fireplace with another original painting 
Servants’ kitchen 
Linen press 
Cute highchair 
Butler’s pantry 
Kitchen 
Washmachine 
More washers through time 
Bissel vaccuum 
Original paintings 
Original Paintings 
6’x12′ table – HUGE 
His shiping room. One of the boats is called the UPS 
The little shipping boat is called HRH FedEx 
Guest room 
Mrs. Van Horne’s room 
Mrs. Van Horne’s bathroom 
Guest room 
Addie’s room-daughter 
Their son’s room 
Butler’s quarters 
Still the butler’s quarters 
Maids quarters 
Window split by two rooms 
This tree looked like it had its bangs cut! 
Original floor. 
Dumbwaiter 
Minister’s cottage. 
Heading out. Across the ocean floor again. 
Wally likes getting out and about. 🙂 
1/2 way 
GPS out in the ocean – that’ not a bridge 
Later that day – our “road” is under water. 
No more road for 12 hours! 
Cute birds!