Just head down the Springy Banks rd. Roll on past Settlers Landing and Boys Harbor. When you go far enough turn left and head on down to Sammys beach. Rode and drove that route many times but still can't tell you the names of the roads. Sammys was " the beach " when I was growing up. That's were Mom took us kids in the afternoons when Dad got back from his shift at Promise Land. He was tired and needed to rest so us kids needed to be out of the house. So Mom packed up the lunch and a small cooler and off we went.
We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with sand. Kool Aid was the order of the day, usually a bit warm but still wet anyway. Mom took a book or magazine. We kids had old inner tubes that we got from the garage. The garage, that is all we called Olympic Heights Service Station. Mr. Rosen was a good friend of Dads and would fix us up. Sometimes they were car inner tubes and if we got real lucky a truck or tractor tube. I remember the smell, look and feel of those tubes. The valve stem would stick you in the butt if you weren't paying attention. There were always several patches on the tube. Square ones and oblong ones. They were glued on and stuck up just a little bit. We floated,flipped and paddled those tubes all over the place. Mom would yell for us to come back,we were going to far out into the bay. " Do you want to get run over by a boat ? " Don't you have any sense ? " " Get in here ! "
There were some small dunes just past the parking lot. The lot wasn't paved but that ground was as hard as any pavement. There was room enough for six cars or more. After that you just had to park alongside the road. If that was the case when we got there, Mom would usually just turn around and head for hands creek (pronounched crik ). Mom didn't like crowds and if there were more than six cars there, you can bet it was crowded !
Up in the dunes were three or four outhouses. The town boys put them there and took care of them. They doubled as dressing rooms. They didn't smell too good and usually had those big green horsefly's in there. Those fly's were vicious ! Most times there was a roll of paper in there for your convenience. Was better than nothing but only used in a true emergency situation. Not pleasant.
Coming down from the dunes you first walked across a stretch of seaweed. This seaweed was washed up there and dry as a bone. It was mostly a black color and stretched like a ribbon along the shoreline. Then you hit the sand. A nice fine grained sand with just a hint of color to it. This was the area to put your blanket down. Beach towels were a bit of a rarity. We mostly brought an old blanket and the towels from the bathroom. Having a regular beach towel was a luxury ! Mom did have the ultimate luxury though, a beach umbrella. She didn't bring it often because it was so heavy. Wooden pole with real canvas covering. The metal rods that made up the frame could easily have doubled as girders.
We spent a couple hours down there almost every day while school was out. Other Moms would be there and we played with the other kids. Skimmer clams could be had if you went offshore a little ways. An occasional chowder clam could be had too. The bottlefish,as we called them, would nibble at your toes while you drifted on your tube. Horseshoe crabs both living and deceased were plentiful. I hated stepping on them. They would move and just scare the beJesus out of me.
How many hours I spent on that beach I couldn't begin to guess. I have many fond memories of the time there. It was a special place to go. Just Mom and us kids and a few others. We pretty much had a private beach. I often walk on that beach in my memories. I can see it clearly and enjoy the sights and sounds there. And yes, in a strange sort of way I kinda miss those outhouses too. Things were simple and straightforward back then. Just the way I like it.
I used the name Sammys because that is what we called it. It's true name is Sammis beach,after a family named Sammis. Oh, and beach plums grew there too. Right in front of the parking lot. Some good, Bub. Yes,Yes.
We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with sand. Kool Aid was the order of the day, usually a bit warm but still wet anyway. Mom took a book or magazine. We kids had old inner tubes that we got from the garage. The garage, that is all we called Olympic Heights Service Station. Mr. Rosen was a good friend of Dads and would fix us up. Sometimes they were car inner tubes and if we got real lucky a truck or tractor tube. I remember the smell, look and feel of those tubes. The valve stem would stick you in the butt if you weren't paying attention. There were always several patches on the tube. Square ones and oblong ones. They were glued on and stuck up just a little bit. We floated,flipped and paddled those tubes all over the place. Mom would yell for us to come back,we were going to far out into the bay. " Do you want to get run over by a boat ? " Don't you have any sense ? " " Get in here ! "
There were some small dunes just past the parking lot. The lot wasn't paved but that ground was as hard as any pavement. There was room enough for six cars or more. After that you just had to park alongside the road. If that was the case when we got there, Mom would usually just turn around and head for hands creek (pronounched crik ). Mom didn't like crowds and if there were more than six cars there, you can bet it was crowded !
Up in the dunes were three or four outhouses. The town boys put them there and took care of them. They doubled as dressing rooms. They didn't smell too good and usually had those big green horsefly's in there. Those fly's were vicious ! Most times there was a roll of paper in there for your convenience. Was better than nothing but only used in a true emergency situation. Not pleasant.
Coming down from the dunes you first walked across a stretch of seaweed. This seaweed was washed up there and dry as a bone. It was mostly a black color and stretched like a ribbon along the shoreline. Then you hit the sand. A nice fine grained sand with just a hint of color to it. This was the area to put your blanket down. Beach towels were a bit of a rarity. We mostly brought an old blanket and the towels from the bathroom. Having a regular beach towel was a luxury ! Mom did have the ultimate luxury though, a beach umbrella. She didn't bring it often because it was so heavy. Wooden pole with real canvas covering. The metal rods that made up the frame could easily have doubled as girders.
We spent a couple hours down there almost every day while school was out. Other Moms would be there and we played with the other kids. Skimmer clams could be had if you went offshore a little ways. An occasional chowder clam could be had too. The bottlefish,as we called them, would nibble at your toes while you drifted on your tube. Horseshoe crabs both living and deceased were plentiful. I hated stepping on them. They would move and just scare the beJesus out of me.
How many hours I spent on that beach I couldn't begin to guess. I have many fond memories of the time there. It was a special place to go. Just Mom and us kids and a few others. We pretty much had a private beach. I often walk on that beach in my memories. I can see it clearly and enjoy the sights and sounds there. And yes, in a strange sort of way I kinda miss those outhouses too. Things were simple and straightforward back then. Just the way I like it.
I used the name Sammys because that is what we called it. It's true name is Sammis beach,after a family named Sammis. Oh, and beach plums grew there too. Right in front of the parking lot. Some good, Bub. Yes,Yes.
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