Clementon Park

      Monday, July 17, 2023: I grew up in Clementon, Camden County, New Jersey, and I lived there from 1956 to ’74. (My parents moved from Philadelphia, PA to Clementon, NJ in 1950.) Last year, I visited Clementon Park, 144 Berlin Road, Clementon (856-783-0263), and I wrote about it in my blog article, “Early Childhood Places,” June 29, 2022. In that article, I compared the town of Clementon and Clementon Park in the 1960s and early ‘70s to last year. Currently, I planned to mention what I learned about the park on this trip. Similar to last year, the admission included both the amusement park and the water park, and both parks were small enough to visit in one day if you stayed most of the day. (The park provides lockers.) For the few hours I was there, I visited the amusement park, but because it was hot & humid that day, most people went to the water park. Therefore, it seemed like I almost had this part of the park to myself. First, I had to surrender my umbrella—and pick it up again on the way out. (I use an umbrella to protect me from the sun. If you need protection, put on some sunblock.) Once inside, I noticed that park employees were still testing the amusement rides, and it was getting close to an early lunchtime, so I had lunch. The prices here were a bit high and you could not bring in outside food. People on a budget, however, could get their hands stamped for re-entry to the park, get their food in their cars, and either eat near or in the car or go to the nearby exterior picnic area where the park provided tables under pavilions. (Thank goodness! Parking is free.) As for the details about the parks themselves, I covered that in “Early Childhood Places.” Anyway, on the date above, I did pretty much what I did the year before: road a few rides and looked around.