Beginning of July - Vacation II (3 of 3)

Saturday morning we drove into the White Mountains toward Clark's Trading Post, an odd place that offers train rides, bear shows, and acrobats, among other attractions.

We kicked off our visit with the train ride, which departs to calliope music and a story about the "Wolf Man" who lives in the mountains.  The kiddos were excited.

Sure enough, we soon met the Wolf Man!

He turned out to be perhaps the highlight of Madeline's whole vacation.  She was very proud that "I wasn't scared of the Wolf Man!" and in fact announced that "I want to be a Wolf Man when I grow up" -- only without the beard and eye patch.

After the train ride came a bear show.  You can see one of the performers resting in the background of this shot.

The bear show was fun!  And afterward we had lunch.

Next, Madeline panned for gemstones -- and found some!

Then we exercised Oliver before the acrobat show ...

... which was also impressive (the show, that is -- not so much the baby exercise, which was cute more than impressive).  Madeline tried afterward to emulate the women who did spun and tossed tables on their feet.

The next day, we went to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.  Oliver approved of this plan.

We saw lots of neat creatures, ranging from a tiny saw-whet owl to this impressive mountain lion -- all native to New England.

And, along the way, we hopped off the wooded path for lunch ...

... and garden romping!

Afterward, it was back to the wooded path, where our next stop between animal enclosures was this cool playhouse.

Oliver enjoyed his occasional opportunities to join the rest of us and walk!

Then we finished up and, at dinner, Madeline explored her letters some more.

The next morning we headed away from the mountains and toward the coast.  We stopped off for lunch at a New Hampshire lobster pound.  The kiddos were excited ...

... but the lunch was disappointing.  Certainly no match for Rhode Island seafood.

The next stop was better.  Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts offered a great place for kiddo romping.

Madeline and I raced from picnic table to picnic table, then found a quarter in a hollow tree.

And from there, it was smooth sailing on home.