Clark's Trading Post

We got up and were at Clark's Trading Post before it opened since we thought we'd spend the entire day there.  It seemed promising.  Perhaps a Disney of the North East.  There was a train, music and a Main Street-ish feel when we first walked in.  That was as far as the Disney resemblance went.

We could go on a Segway (but that would involve wearing a bike helmet that someone else has worn). Pass on the Segway thing.  Those bumper water things would be fun, but you end up soaked.  They would be a hoot at the cottage for us all to have though.  Pass on the water bumper car thing.  Other attractions--the House.  We had a guy who it was basically end of training and time to start doing the tours on his own.  He was very nervous (we were the only 2 on the tour so I'm sure that didn't help).  We entered a crooked room where everything was slanted one way and we were standing slanted another way.  Cheesy jokes that weren't that funny and stories about the crooked family that "lived" there.  Not very exciting and after the "yard" and 2 rooms in the house we were glad that was over.
Maybe the marvelous mansion would be better, or not.  We waited on the porch of the mansion with a Mennonite family (5 boys and 2 girls!) plus another family for it to be our turn.  "Who dare knock at the door of the magician?"  After a speech about how if you get dizzy or are afraid of the dark just scream loud--that won't help but it's fun for everyone else.  We enter a room where you "won't age," and sit down.  Cue music that people synch their Christmas lights to and black lights.  The magician "spins" the room around you.  Wow.  Even my mom is thinking this is not going to be even close to a whole day.

We wander in a few of the shops that aren't even shops.  They are like little history museums.  The guy at the hotel said to get a seat early for the bear show.  It's not for another 2 1/2 hours but there is an acrobatic show in about an hour.  We sit and wait.  Acrobat show is pretty decent and we stay in our seats for the bear show.  Man did it ever fill up quick with not many leaving after the acrobat show and more people standing behind the single row of chairs we are sitting in.
The bear show was really good.  They had some purple-ish ice cream that they fed the bears throughout to get them to do their tricks and such.  You could tell the brother/sister team loves the bears and takes good care of them.  They had them sit in a barrel, swing, roll a barrel, play basket ball... After the bear show the only thing left was a train ride.  Oh boy was that the highlight of all highlights (sarcasm).  It was an out and back ride on a wood burning train.  The whole time we had this WolfMan chasing us in his car mumbling and yelling at us.  We were told to squint our one eye and point at him yelling, "Scram ya old goat!"  At least there were a couple of little girls near us that were really into the whole wolf man thing that made us laugh at the situation.  

We couldn't exit fast enough.  I truly enjoyed the bear show but my expectations were not met with the rest of the trading post.  I guess I've been spoiled by Disney since the majority of other guests seemed to be having a blast at the place.  Oh well.  We continued on our adventure and returned to Vermont.