Memorable vacations at Canoe Point park

I am 15 and have been going up to the Thousand Islands every year with my family since I was born. I would be very sad to see Canoe-Picnic Point State Park close. I have so many memories there and have brought friends up before, too. It is a time for my family and me to be together and to make memories. We fish, tube and swim off the back of the boat. We also take trips to shop, get ice cream and walk around towns like Alexandria Bay, Clayton and Thousand Islands Park. I can't imagine not being able to camp on Canoe Point again.

I was planning to bring my own family there someday to have the amazing experiences I've had. My aunt and several cousins come camping on Canoe Point with us every year. We make friends every year, some from different states. We would probably never have gotten the opportunity to make the meaningful friendships we have made with the people we've met there.

We do so much at Canoe Point that just could not be replaced by somewhere else or stopped completely. We have campfires every night and sit around it and talk and laugh. We hike around the island, because you can get to this little beach and picnic point, and it is just nice to be outside in the fresh air and nature.

We usually go for about two weeks. We stay in a tent the whole time. I can't imagine trying to recreate the feeling of waking up in the morning hearing the birds chirping and water hitting the shore. Honestly, I never thought that closing Canoe Point was something that could happen. It is a cheaper vacation to go on for people, and it is a very family-oriented place.

I guess New York is not what I thought it was all about, if they are going to close the one thing families have to look forward to as a cheaper vacation. All I'm asking is that you please don't close the park. Camping on Canoe Point is the one thing and vacation I truly look forward to every year.

Gina Ferrara

Rochester