SPENCERPORT NY TO HAMLIN STATE PARK ON LAKE ONTARIO…….A 20 MILE TRIP

HAMLIN BEACH STATE PARK LOOKING EAST ALONG THE SHORELINE
Maybe it was because we were leaving in the morning I don't know but by 8 o'clock Monday night we had 6 more adults & 7 children roll in to Kelly’s Mom’s place to say Hello & Goodbye.  Now I can sometimes do pretty good visiting with 2 people but any more than that & I become a shrinking wall flower pretty fast.  But I must say that I did very well for the past 5 days considering my usual demeanor when it comes to sitting around visiting.  I enjoyed our 5 days in Spencerport NY getting to know Kelly’s Mother Gene, sister Becky & husband Norm better.  That Norm’s quite a guy.  Felt comfortable enough with these folks to venture out of my shell a bit:))

I can only recall ever having to use A/C in an RV once or maybe twice in all our Snow Birding years.  Both times in March & I think it was when we were Ranch sitting near McNeal Arizona & hooked up to electricity.   Monday night was the first time ever using A/C with a generator.  Of course we had to drag out the instruction book on how to get the 2 units fired up.  A/C in our other rigs had on & off switches right on the units themselves but the Big EEE is different.  A/C is controlled from the wall thermostat.  Took us (ok Kelly) about 5 minutes with the book to get those 2 puppies pumping nice refreshing cold air.  I had taken a shower earlier but was still finding it hot.  By the way we are really enjoying the RV shower in this rig.  It's one of those spacious corner ones & I have never banged my elbows on anything even once yet.  And the way our floor plan is laid out one does not step out into a teeny tiny closet washroom space any more.  Lots of room to towel off, get dressed, stand on my head & wiggle my ears.  Just loving all this new space.

We were up & ready to go by 8:30.  Said our good-byes to everyone & had the big wheels rolling down Coleman Avenue by 9:45.  What a nice street this is with all it's big mature trees & 50's houses.  You fully expect to see 56 Fords & Chevy's in the driveways.  Our destination this morning was HAMLIN STATE PARK & the route we chose took us through downtown Spencerport & right past Abbotts.  No room to pull over for any of Abbotts delicious frozen Custard.

A BIG WAVE TO ABBOTTS AS WE ROLLED THROUGH DOWNTOWN SPENCERPORT NY THIS MORNING
Hamlin Beach State Park is north of Spencerport right on the shores of Lake Ontario.  Only about 20 miles so took us about half an hour to reach  the Park.  This is one mighty fine & well looked after State Park with endless acres of mowed grass, forested campgrounds & some of the nicest beach area I have ever seen.  Stopped at the campground office & got ourselves a first time ever 50 amp site.  Wanted to be sure we had A/C in case it turned out to be another humid day.   As it was we didn't need to use the A/C.  Oh & for the first time ever anywhere we were asked to produce Pheebe’s rabies certificate which luckily Kelly had on file.  No pull through sites at Hamlin & although we were able to get our 36' backed into a site it was tricky.  Fortunately there is hardly anyone here so I was able to drive into the site across the road & then back straight across to our site. 

Only complaint I have is that some or maybe more than some sites are not level & that is unfortunate because it would be a relatively easy job to get some gravel in & level up the sites.  Definitely an oversight by the Park.  We currently have both rear levelers just about maxed out & that is with wood blocks under them. 

I woke up this morning feeling under the weather & my day didn't get much better from there.  Spent some time sleeping this afternoon but did manage to summon up some energy & we did later manage to get out for a drive over to the beach area.  I just wasn't up to walking from our campsite to the beach.  There are 5 beach areas here & the shore line probably stretches a couple miles ranging from sand to rocky shores.  It is one of the nicest areas I have ever seen with mowed grass reaching right down to the sandy beach.  Large mature & shapely trees give the landscape a very neat & manicured look.  Stone buildings dot the hillside running along the beach.  Nice washrooms & indoor picnic areas. 

 
  
KELLY POINTS TO A JUTTING BLUFF ABOUT A MILE AWAY KNOWN AS THE DEVIL’S NOSE…A MARINERS LANDMARK WITH TREACHEROUS SHOALS & LEGENDS OF SHIPWRECKS, CAVES & PROHIBITION SMUGGLER’S PASSAGES
A lot of work has gone into Hamlin State Park over the years & it has a history.  The park has been here since 1928 & was designated a State Park in 1938.  Much of the work was done by the Civilian Conservation Corp.  In 1944 barbed wire & guard towers were added & the Park became home to German prisoner's of war & about 450 prisoners were once held here.  After the war this area kept was returned to nature but in 2008 volunteers began clearing the old campsite turning it into a historical site & history trail.  Today Hamlin State Park is host to many busy events during the summer season such as Park Day, Summer Rise Celebration, Free Fishing Day,  Day Camps, Salute to America Day & live Band Concerts plus a Triathlon & Marathon Day.

I IMAGINE THIS BEACH WILL SOON BE PACKED WITH SUMMER SWIMMERS & PICNICKERS

 
Hamlin has 6 looped campgrounds.  We are in the section C loop which is heavily forested & are in a nice setting of trees.  No water at the site but water taps along the road near by.  Double dump station & we dumped our tanks upon entering the park simply because we were 'full up'.  About a 7 minute walk to the beach.  Our 50 amp site is $28 a night.  Again we are fortunate to be here during the week & before the summer season is in full swing.  Judging by the size of the huge parking lots in the beach areas I'm guess this is one very busy place in the summer.  Only about 25 miles west of Rochester NY.

NICE OLD STONE BUILDING HOUSING PICNIC TABLES FOR FAMILY GATHERINGS
  
No idea how long we will stay here.  May head out in the morning or we may stay another day.  I'll see how I feel when I get up.  Predictions are for a humid Wednesday.  Checking the weather for Bayfield late this afternoon we saw that area of southwestern Ontario was under a tornado watch.  We thought if something happened to our place at least we've got the Jeep & the rig with us.  Not a preferred way to become full timers but the thought did cross my mind.......

ALONG THE ROCKY SHORELINE JUST A QUARTER MILE EAST OF THE DEVIL’S NOSE
  
  
IN THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PIC CAN BE SEEN 2 TREES JUTTING OUT INTO THE WATER ON THE HORIZON & THAT’S WHERE WE WERE WHEN I TOOK THE PHOTO AT THE TOP OF THIS POST
GROANER'S CORNER:((  In the ascertainment of an excogitation of linguistic proclivity, one might ascribe to the mentation that a phratry exists in which some encyclopedists designedly cultivate a nonplussed ambience hypothecated to befuddle the vox populi.  TRANSLATION: Judging from the words some people use, you'd think they purposely write to confuse the rest of us.