Harrison Lake - June 2014

A weekend without camping?  How can that be?  On Wednesday, I booked a trip for the weekend to Harrison Lake State Park.  There wasn't an overabundance of campsites available when I booked, but there WERE sites available.

Previously, I'd written a post about Harrison Lake, thinking we'd not make a trip there this year.  I really think this is a hidden camping gem, so close to home.
Big campsites - check
Quiet - check
Nature-y activities - check
Fishing - check
Swimming - check

Decent shower house - check (the buildings with just toilets and sinks aren't anything to write home about, but you're not spending much time in there)
Organized kid activities - check
Playgrounds - check
Electric sites - check

Our campsite, Site 77, wasn't the biggest at the campground, but booking only 2 days out, it was nothing to sneeze at.  One of the best - BEST - things about Harrison Lake is that most of the campsites are large.  Making them even larger, there is a TON of space behind the campsites, between the sites on the next campground road.  We had a drainage ditch behind our site, which really limited the use of that space behind our campsite, but Oldest Kid still found a way to utilize the space.

Want to go fishing?  Youngest Kid caught an impressive number of Blue Gill and Sunfish.  Want to go swimming?  The park staff makes sure to tend the beach so you're not dodging goose poop.    Want to talk to your kids about the advantages of having a dam and what it does for the wildlife?  You can do that, too.

There's a neat little walking bridge that connects the North Campground to the dams and to the swimming area and to the South Campground.

Both the staff and the Friends of Harrison Lake State Park are great about putting on programs for park visitors.  Last year's visit, there was a bike rally and all the kids got free bike helmets.  This year, there was an ice cream social.  There are free crafts every weekend we're there during the summer.

While I was on my run Saturday morning, the dog and I went over to the other campground.  As we were making our way back, there was a crane standing on the dam.  I got a picture.  As we made our way closer, I tried to get another picture and the crane decided to not hang around a person and a dog (can't really blame it).  It was a neat moment and my kids enjoyed seeing my pictures.

It was a dam good morning to crane my neck - haha, I'm so punny.

I served the Strawberry Bread and Strawberry Butter to our friends that camped with us and earned rave reviews.  It's still strawberry season around these parts and you have the opportunity to pick your own strawberries to make your own yumminess.

It was a great weekend.  A little bit of rain, but it didn't dampen (get it? another pun!) our weekend at all.  Lots of bike riding and games.  It's time together, and I'm always happy with that.