Holley

We enjoyed our stay at Spencerport. It was a bit of a walk to the showers, and you had to go through part of the shopping district... not something you want to do in your robe and slippers.

This morning, we rotated Wild Blue and went all the way across the canal... time for a pump-out. With that crappy job done, we headed west; under two more lift bridges and a whole 13 miles to Brockport.



Brockport is an interesting town, very cruiser-friendly. It is $6 to stay on their dock with power and water. They also have “free” bikes... well, you can’t keep the bikes, but you can use them for free. And if you’re heading to the grocery store, they have a couple wagons you can use to haul your stuff back. Pretty cool!


We walked around Brockport, but it was too early to stop for the day. Another 5 miles and we were in Holley. The cruising guide describes Holley as quiet and a rural setting. We describe it as very inviting. There is a recent wood dock, with power and water... free. A beautiful park-like setting, and restrooms/showers that are very nearby.


The bridge tender/dock master recommended Sam’s Diner as a lunch stop. We got on our bikes and pedaled the 5 blocks or so to Sam’s. The booths and tables were full, so we sat at the counter. I have to be honest... Sam’s puts the Newark Diner to shame. A great menu, reasonable prices, and a dinner show! Well, kinda... from our seats at the counter, we could watch the guy working the grille. Absolute diner-poetry in motion! Never a wasted movement, he would flip a burger with one hand while dropping bread in the toaster with the other. Great coordination so all the orders from any given table were ready at the same time... none of this under-a-heat-lamp stuff here. And the food was good! The dessert - a waffle strawberry shortcake sundae was a great way to top it off... and it was huge! Yeah, this kicked Abbott’s butt, too.

We waddled out to our bikes and decided to work off some of those calories. We read about the nearby waterfall and set off to find it. We rode down a scary gravel path... not scary in the Disney-movie-the-trees-have-faces kinda scary, but more the whoa-this-is-steep-and-the-gravel-is-loose-I-hope-I-don’t-crash-this-bike kinda scary. The other scary part: we knew we were going to have to go back UP that steep hill on the way back.


It was worth the thrill ride - the waterfall was gorgeous and there is a nice park right at the base of it. And a perfectly good, but still steep paved road to get back out on the other side.



We breathlessly pedaled back to the boat, and put chairs out in the shade. This is the first day in a while that hasn’t been steamy hot. We put Izzy on her leash and let her roam out in the grass by our chairs.


Since this place is relatively secluded, Joan offered to give me a haircut... I am overdue. She got out her clippers and scissors and went to work. With my cut just about done, a couple city workers came by and wondered if they could get an appointment? Maybe we could earn some bucks along the way... no, probably not... there is that licensing situation.


With the afternoon passing, I slid into the v-berth for a nap while Joan read. When I got up, I turned on the computer... there was a post from the dock masters wife where we stayed last night, suggesting we try the produce at Lori’s Market Basket here in Holley. It was almost 5:00, we had no idea how long Lori’s was open, so we got the bikes down and picked up some fresh fruit and tomatoes. How’s that for “local information”?


And now, we’re settling in for the evening. One boat went by today... should be a very quiet night.

And here’s one more look at a lift bridge. Not a draw bridge, the whole bridge lifts up. See that stairway on the right side of the bridge tender’s house? That’s where the walkway on the bridge winds up when it is lifted.


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Added on edit:

I was out walking Izzy this evening when a lady walking a dog came up; she said, "This must be the famous Izzy?" Joan looked at her and asked, "Are you Barb?" Yep, the dock master's wife that I mentioned earlier in this post. And, she came bearing gifts: white hots. Not being familiar with the hotdog-ology of this area, we didn't know the difference between a red-hot and a white-hot. Barb brought us a package of white hots so we could experience the local cuisine. She had never been on a C-Dory before, so we gave her the tour of Wild Blue.

It was so nice that she thought of us. We continue to meet the nicest folks along the canal.