Simple JOYS

For the Birds

BALD EAGLE WATCHING SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS is annual event, held at Flock Food Truck Park in downtown Alton near the banks of the Mississippi River, brings together birders of all ages for festival fun. Although it may seem the weather is too chilly to have an outdoor party, the timing is all about when eagles (as well as other magni cent birds like white swans) ock to the region.

Southwest Illinois comes alive at the turn of the New Year with events dedicated to spotting and celebrating the United States’ national bird, the bald eagle. is entire region of the state is one of the prime winter nesting sites in the Midwest for American bald eagles, and this season’s bird-watching kicks o on Jan. 6, 2024, with Eagle Fest.

Eagle Fest — complete with live music, food trucks, re pits and s’mores kits — also has its own star guest, Liberty, an American bald eagle accompanied by her handler from the World Bird Sanctuary for a live eagle meet-and-greet.

Travelers can also head out to spot eagles independently. When driving along the Mississippi River, remember to look not just up but also down, as eagles o en plop down on the ice waiting for sh to jump. Board one of the shuttles leaving Gra on and Alton, two river ports with brick-lined historic downtowns just 17 miles apart, for guided sightings to learn more about the birds and why this area is prime for nesting.

Bald Eagle Days at the nearly 8,000-acre Pere Marquette State Park, the largest in Illinois, o er eagle-sighting options, including sessions to learn about the birds’ habits and how to track them followed by a ranger-led observational drive. Flock Food Truck Park: 210 Ridge St., Alton, Illinois 62002, riversandroutes.com; Pere Marquette State Park, 13112 Visitor Center Ln. Gra on, Illinois 62047, dnr.illinois.gov

Jane Simon Ammeson

Starry Nights

CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK COUDERSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

28 e park is open year-round for public night-sky viewing, although the view of the sky shi s with the changing seasons. A glimpse of the expansive, star-studded Milky Way is visible through October, while constellations like the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia can be seen year-round. During the winter, Orion appears with its easy-to-spot band of three stars on the mythological hunter’s belt.

Northwestern Pennsylvania is home to a wealth of areas for outdoor adventure, ranging from the 85-mile Susquehannock Trail to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania (also known as the Pine Creek Gorge) to the Kinzua Sky Walk, a reinvention of the landmark viaduct that provides travelers a glimpse into the structure’s history.

It is also where travelers will nd Susquehannock State Forest, 262,000 acres of remote woodlands in Potter County. Contained within the state forest is the 82-acre Cherry Springs State Park, named for the thick stands of black cherry trees originally found there.

Cherry Springs State Park is known as a destination for stargazers thanks to the low levels of light pollution in the area, with Potter County having some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States. Cherry Springs is on the International Dark-Sky Association’s list of Dark Sky Parks and o ers programs that help stargazers make the most of their visit, even beyond the summer months that most of us commonly associate with stargazing.

For visitors seeking an overnight stay at Cherry Springs State Park, the Cherry Springs Rustic Campground takes reservations through October and has 30 sites without electricity. ( e astronomy eld does o er electrical connections that must be shared when in heavy use.) Campers are encouraged to keep arti cial lights low to preserve the integrity of the area’s night-sky viewing, and camp res are prohibited. 4639 Cherry Springs Rd., Coudersport, Pennsylvania 16915, 814/435-1037, dcnr.pa.gov

Sean Repuyan