Trains, Bears and Wolfman

Yes, you read that post title right.

We rode two trains and saw bears in NH and a wolfman, all in keeping with our recent trend of getaways close to home.

The first train ride was unique. Many days we have the same question: What’s for dinner? 

That usually means cooking at home. Sometimes, we eat out in a local restaurant. Every now and then, we find something different, like last Thursday night on the Cafe Lafayette dinner train which departs in North Woodstock, NH, some 90 minutes from Nashua.

Cafe Lafayette dinner train in North Woodstock, NH

Dinner trains go back to when passenger railroads connected the nation. In early days, eating on board meant packing a basket or chancing a meal at locomotive stops along the way. As service stops faded, the dining car became popular. When air travel and the Interstate Highway system limited passenger train service, dining cars became obsolete, which made this dining experience unique. 

Dining on the train

Cafe Lafayette is a seasonal operation from mid-May through October. Our plans to ride it 2 years ago were scuttled when, like most other things, it suspended operation during the pandemic. After finding out that it was running this season, we made reservations, which fill up quickly. 

This two-hour, 20 mile round trip along the Pemigewasset River Valley in the western region of the White Mountains included travel over 3 trestle bridges. The route goes along a spur of the Boston and Maine Railroad laid in the late 1800s to serve the former historic Grand Hotels of the region. 

The five-course dinner was prepared onboard with a choice of appetizers and entrees. There are three 1950s restored vintage rail cars that comprise the dinner train. The 1952 Pullman Planetarium Car, the Granite Eagle is a unique tri-level car with an upper observation dome and surround windows. It was the first dome car to come to New Hampshire, traveling by rail from Kansas in 1995. The 1953 X-CNR Algonquin, a former Canadian National coach with a spacious and open interior is where we dined. The Indian Waters is a restored 1924 Pullman Victorian dining coach with brass, stained glass and deep-aged woodwork. 

Views from Cafe Lafayette dinner train

This wasn't an inexpensive excursion, but then running a train is costly too. The cost is $95/person for main level dining (our choice); $120/person for dome level dining. All seats were near windows with good views.The menu was the same for dome or main level dining, so we economized (a bit). 

We checked out the dome car later and weren't disappointed in our choice as seating was rather limited and a bit cramped there. 

The only downside to this experience was seeing all of the river views with such low levels. There where more rocks than water in most places and no fall foliage just yet.

We enjoyed this unique experience, but will not repeat it. That's because we're always looking for a next new adventure, especially ones within NH.

And, we had a(nother) one the next day in nearby Lincoln, NH, as we stayed overnight in the area after the dinner train excursion. 

It’s not every day you can see trained performing black bears, but we did. Folks often don't visit places within their own state. Despite living inn NH for over 7 years, this was our first visit to Clark’s Bears. This roadside attraction dates to 1928 and is located along the banks of the Pemigewasset River along Route 3 in Lincoln, NH. For over 9 decades, it's been one of the state's best-known family attractions, so we had to see it for ourselves.

Clark's Bears in Lincoln, NH, formerly Clark's Trading Post

Clark's Bears, formerly Clark's Trading Post, is known for its trained bears and for the White Mountain Central Railroad. The attraction's location in Lincoln, NH, is one mile north of the village of North Woodstock, where we rode the dinner train the night before.

Over 90 Years of History

The property was started in 1928 as a roadside stand by Florence and Ed Clark and was known as Ed Clark's Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch. It featured guided sled dog tours for travelers visiting the White Mountains, sold souvenirs and let visitors view the Labrador sled dogs kept on site. 

Within 2 years, the Clarks bought their first NH black bear and began another attraction. Ed and his sons, Edward and Murray, found out that the bears could be trained to perform simple tricks. The bear show started in 1949 and hasn't stopped since. 

This attraction is still very much a family business and generations three through five of the Clark family run it now; 20 of the of 150 employees are Clark family members who work there during the busy summer season. The original Trading Post offered souvenirs, tonic, and maple candy to motorists traveling along Route 3. The four Clark children (Nola, Maureen, Murray, and Andrew) began helping out there; all are now actively involved in the business. 

Meeting bear friends at Clark's bears

Maureen and Murray Clark are the bear trainers, and teach them to drink out of "bear cans" (milk mixed with honey), shoot "bearsketball," balance on a big drum, swing on an oversize swing, and ride scooters and tricycles. Rewards are offered for completion of each task.

The current stars of the bear show are Hildie and Darla, a pair of unrelated 20-month old cubs. The Clarks and their bears entertain and educate audiences with does of wit and humor. During the shows, the bear performers receive constant treats of ice cream, what's not to like?

The attraction will be shutting down for the season within the next couple of weekends. After the show, we spoke with Murray Clark who told us the bears would be relocated to winter quarters before returning next spring. 

Bear shows are held in an enclosed ring and viewers are seated on the lower level in bleacher seating. Trying to photograph through the chain link fence wasn't feasible; however, we posed with bear statues, which was much safer.

The White Mountain Central Railroad

1904 railroad Howe-truss railroad bridge

In the early 1950s, the Clark brothers began salvaging old steam locomotives from the cutting torch and displaying them at the Trading Post. The growing and impressive collection of locomotives, including models by Climax, Heisler, Shay and Porter, led to construction of the White Mountain Central Railroad, a tourist railroad with a standard-gauge track. 

Construction began in 1955 and the first train ride was in July 1958. In 1963, with his two sons and crew, Ed Clark purchased and dismantled a 1904 railroad covered bridge located in East Montpelier, VT, where it spanned the Winooski River and carried trains for the Montpelier and Barre Railroad. The bridge was moved and reassembled to span the Pemigewasset River adjacent to the Trading Post grounds. Today, this bridge is the world's only standing example of a Howe-truss bridge. A truss bridge is one whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridge in the mid to late 1800s.

Once you have a bridge what's needed next is a railroad and so began construction of the White Mountain Central Railroad, a purpose-built tourist railroad with a standard-gauge track. Work started in 1955 and the first train ride was three years later in July 1958.

White Mountain Central Railroad passenger cars, station and GE locomotive

The train ride is powered most of the season by a diesel powered 1943 GE 65-ton locomotive which was built in 1943 by the General Electric Company in Schenectady NY. The Clarks bought this locomotive from the Newport Rhode Island Dinner Train.

Climax#6 steam power locomotive is one of only three remaining in the U.S.

On weekends during fall foliage season the train uses a steam-powered Climax locomotive built in 1920 at Corry Pennsylvania by the Climax Manufacturing Company. Out of 1,000 built, it's one of only three remaining in operation in the U.S. The 50-ton geared locomotive was built for the Beebe River Lumber Company in Campton, NH, and later sold to the East Branch & Lincoln RR. It was used for hauling lumber and then put in storage until the Clarks bought it in 1951.

Wolfman harrases passengers on White Mountain Central RR train

Wolfman, an angry one-eyed, bearskin-clad wild prospector, races alongside the train, is the main attraction along the 20-minute, 2½ mile train ride. According to legend, he's protecting his mine of unobtainium mineral (think about the name, a second). Wolfman yells and calls train passengers, nothin’ but city-slickin’,  yellow-bellied, long-nosed geezers among other things.

The gig is nothing new and Wolfman has been chasing the train for years and they run several times a day in season. He shoots a rifle (loaded with blank powered shells) trying to scare people away. Passengers are encouraged to yell, Scram you old goat which angers him even more as he gets in his car and chases the train  back to the covered bridge. Passengers are told not to worry as Wolfman won't try to cross the bridge as he's afraid of heights and won't cross below the bridge as he's afraid of water.

Museums at Clark's Bears

It's not all bears and train rides at Clark's Bears. There's lots of other treasures too, along a picturesque Victorian Main Street with shops selling souvenirs and snacks, and featuring exhibits about Clark's history with photos of the Eskimo Dog Ranch and bear lineage. There's many Americana treasures, like yesteryear advertising and products, antique fire engines, Mobil gas pumps, and the world's only surviving Moxie Horsemobile.

Main Street at Clark's Bears, Lincoln, NH

We visited the museums along Main Street at Clark's Bears. Entrance to these buildings are included in the 2022 all-day general admission cost of $30 for ages 4 to 64, $27 for seniors and active military, free for toddlers aged 1-3. Here's what's in them:

Americana Museum – collections of American historic items including steam and gas engines, early household appliances, advertising and products. This brick museum on Main Street is full of old-time Americana. It contains vintage treasures from America's early electrical, mechanical, and advertising past such as fully-restored nickelodeons, steam and gas engines and early household appliances. The Clark family were also Moxie fans, the subject of an August post after our visit to Maine, home of the beverage.

1884 Pemigewasset Hook and Ladder Fire Station – this building is a tribute to the history and heritage of firefighting with horse-drawn fire engines, wagons and firefighting equipment made in NH by the Amoskeag Company. As a former NJ firefighter, Grenville was especially interested in these displays.

Avery's Garage – this replica of a Mobil gas station has a lot of early motoring memorabilia, vintage motorcycles and antique automobiles, including a fully-restored 1931 LaSalle Touring car used as a Moxie Horsemobile.

Florence Murray Museum – includes antique games, guns, swords, souvenir china, vintage camera and typewriters, railroad memorabilia, a two-headed calf (really) and more. 

Clark History Museum – this newest museum highlights the accomplishments and history of the Clark family with a photographic history of Clark's Trading Post. In this collage, the top photo shows Florence Clark with some of her sled dogs. In 1932, she was the first woman to ascend to the summit of Mt. Washington using sled dogs.

As with the dinner train, our visit to Clark's Bears was a one-and-done experience. We had two great pre-holiday excursions on this NH road trip and also avoided Monday's all-day rain. 

Labor Day was a much-needed rainy day in Nashua, NH

This was the weather viewed from our apt on yesterday's Labor Day holiday. It was a day of much-needed rainfall that will continue today. We're home (mostly) until the next getaway to visit family members in NJ and PA later this month.