Bald Eagle State Park
Bald Eagle State Park
149 Main Park Rd
Howard, PA 16841
814-625-2775
May 12 – 16, 2024
We arrived at Bald Eagle State Park at around 2 PM after leaving Shawnee State Park around noon. I was in site M100, the first (or last? anyway, closest to the end of the loop) site in the loop that allowed pets. (Pennsylvania state parks generally allow pets, but have separate areas set aside for them.) My site was paved and level. There was a lot of construction work being done in the park—a whole new loop with full hookups was being built, and the older loops were being upgraded. My site was electric-only, which was fine by me. As long as I can plug in and fill my fresh water tank somewhere, I’m good.
Monday, our first full day at Bald Eagle State Park, was the only day forecast to be sunny, so we packed our lunches and had a picnic at the beach.
After we ate, we walked along the beach. Past a small stand of trees, we found this small teepee-like structure someone had built of branches.
The weather was lovely, in the 70s with a light breeze. But my van was hot inside—the consequence of having a dark-colored RV with big clear windows in the cab that kept all the heat in. I had a sun-shade that came with the van in the windshield, and the air conditioning turned on, but it was still hot inside. I added “insulated cab window coverings” to my list for “what to get for the next trip.”
Poor Mister continued to do poorly. He was so skinny it was scary. He ate plenty of food but couldn’t keep it down. I planned to call his vet as soon as we got home, but feared the worst. We’d been struggling with his health for a long time and he was clearly on a downward spiral.
On Tuesday, we visited Foster Joseph Sayers Dam, named for a local WWII hero.
There is a small memorial park at the dam, with a statue of Sayers flanked by flags. In front is a large early US flag made of stone set in a gravel field.
While we were there, another visitor asked us if we were there for the flyover. “What flyover?” we asked. We were told that there was a daily flyover of the dam by a cargo plane, and people often came to see it. As we walked around the site, other vehicles arrived, and soon we saw the plane fly over. Just lucky to be there at the right time.
After the dam, we had lunch at the Four Ways Pub & Eatery in Bellefonte. I had a delicious roast beet & feta salad.
Thursday was a rainy day at the campsite. I relaxed at the van, visited J&J in their trailer, took a nap.
Then Friday we packed up and headed home. I had a long list of Things to Do and Get before the next trip, but all in all it was a successful and enjoyable first adventure in my van.