our story

My journey to The Captain Visger House is one of loss, labor and love.

Growing up in southern California, everyone knew me as Cathryn Munna.  It was after the loss of my mother when I was ten years old that I moved with an aunt to Alexandria Bay, assumed the nickname of “Sam” to distinguish myself from the many  “Cathy’s” in the class, and became aware of the possibilities that lie ahead.

The towering maple trees; the Victorian architecture; the change of seasons; and of course, the Saint Lawrence River – with it’s magnificent power and beauty – were among the new discoveries (and re-discoveries) that helped me to heal.

Fast forward through twenty-five years in San Francisco and Indianapolis, to the 1990s and another loss – that of my beloved husband John.  Widowed, with two miraculous daughters and a career as a school teacher, I found myself at another fork in the road.  Where did my compass lead me?  Back to Alexandria Bay and the recuperative spirit of the Thousand Islands.

At the age of fifty, I chose to deny my chronological age and become a doctor and I was accepted at a prestigious Upstate New York medical school.  Then, while studying for an exam I was hit with yet another loss.  My dear friend died suddenly, and the exam prevented me from attending the funeral.  Enough of that.

I knew there was another way I could care for people.  I could feed them!  And the best place to do that was a Bed and Breakfast.  Thus began the transformation of The Captain Visger House, a process I would describe as magical, painstaking, life-changing…and a few other choice words not suitable for print.

It is here I found my professional calling and my new love: a craftsman named Timothy who helped me restore this phenomenal structure, and who helped to heal my heart once again.

When you arrive, note the six-thousand linear feet of crown molding.  My Timothy put it there, using the profile of what was left from the originals.  I could clog the entire internet with stories of passion and hard work that went into the restoration and rebirth of this place, but there’s no time for that.  You have the Thousand Islands to explore!

So do come in, unwind, relax.  Let me care for you the way the Thousand Islands region cares for me.  We’ll make the journey together.