Camping in Cooperstown

On Friday afternoon we hitched up our camp on wheels to the Outback and drove east for the weekend. With a weather forecast of more normal summer temps and no rain, we looked forward to our mini adventure in the great outdoors. We checked in at Shadow Brook Campground, which is about ten miles northeast of the village of Cooperstown and soon had our site set up:

Shadow Brook is a very nice campground for the most part. The grounds were well kept, the other campers were friendly and the bathrooms were clean, although there are only four showers for the entire property. There is also a stocked fishing pond and a swimming pool.

Our only real complaint regarded our site, which was near the entrance and office, and between two roads - you can see the roads on either side of the camper in the above photo. We were assured by one of the owners that it was the only site available, that it was very quiet and that many people specifically request that site. Wrong, mainly wrong, and probably incorrect; we saw many open sites when we walked around the next day, there was always someone going in and out on the roads, and why would anyone request that site when there are so many other nicer sites?

Once quiet hours started at ten p.m. and campground traffic subsided, the entire place got very quiet and it was nice and dark. The next morning, it did rain a little but that did not deter Aidan from getting his fishing gear and heading over to the pond:

Here is the view of the pond from our site, and those two figures on the opposite bank are James and Aidan:

They fished Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening after dinner and even Sunday morning before we left. We also made a jaunt into the nearby village of Sharon Springs (more about that another day - stay tuned!), Aidan went swimming in the campground pool and we ate delicious homemade ice cream at Tunnicliff Creamery in Richfield Springs.

On our way back to the campground after eating ice cream, we saw this interesting place:

 

No, we did not stop in - I think we were just a little afraid. I looked up the place online later and learned that it opened in 1934, and found an amusing accoung of a visit to the "museum". The only scary part would have been paying the $9 admission price!

We had a delightful weekend. Although we went places and did things, it was on our own relaxed timetable. We would return to Shadow Brook but we would request certain sites (and certainly not site 9). The area is absolutely beautiful with lush green valleys, quaint villages and picturesque farms. And petrified creatures!