I began this blog series because we travel a lot and we like to work out - even when it is raining and even while on vacation. Some hotels offer small work-out centers, but when you rent a house or stay with family, there is another way. Some recreation centers will offer out-of-towners a one-week pass (for one or for the family). Two such examples are Corolla Light Resort in Corolla, NC and Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY. Today, we'll discuss Clark Gymnasium - now known as the super swanky and very updated Clark Sports Center, in upstate New York.
Like all sport's centers, you'd expect and get a work out center - but Clark Gymnasium has taken it and made it bigger, better and over-the-top! The Clark Sports Center has a fabulous fitness center, sparkling clean restrooms, HUGE locker rooms, meeting rooms, vending and lots of events planned over the seasons. Some out-of-the-box varieties I saw were: movies on the lawn, youth and adult races, and mountain bike races. Of interest to parents would be great after-school programs (we saw the kiddos coming in!) and several kids camps - if you lived in Cooperstown, Clark Sports Center seems to have plenty of action for all ages.
But we don't live in Cooperstown - we were vacationing there. And secondly, you have to know my family - we love the outdoors, we dislike screens (except as a necessity) and love to laugh, play and push our own personal limits. We don't really participate in competition sports, sticking more with biking, camping, kayaking, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc. And we LOVE swimming. A lot. It drizzled one day as we were visiting Cooperstown, and we headed over the gym to use our Guest Membership weekly pass.
We were super excited to check out the pool at Clark Sports Center - but alas, the pool was closed for the week, for annual repairs. Double and Triple whammy: a bowling league took over the alley, the rock-climbing wall didn't open until school let out (we homeschool and weren't going to wait around all day) and we almost turned and left. Until my precocious son asked, "What games do you have in your activity room?" (Poor deprived lad -- no video games at home, he is starving!!) I said, "No, we're not going to waste our day on video arcade games." And reception said, "Well, they aren't really arcade games, you cannot play them unless you keep pedaling." I hesitated and said, "Keep talking."
Clark Sports Center KNOWS how to keep kids moving. I absolutely LOVED the Activity Center - we were there for two hours. By the time we left the Activity Center, we played a pathetic game of Racket Ball (guess we need some practice!) and the kids tried the Rock Climbing Wall but they were so EXHAUSTED from all the activity -- they couldn't even get to the top (they excel at this at WISC, in Williamsburg)! It was such a treat to thoroughly exhaust them in such fun and unique ways. Here are the highlights of our day!
The X-Box games wouldn't play unless you pedaled the bike. It felt really "chill" to the boys as you kind of recline when you play but it stalled every time you stopped pedaling.
A Wii MotionPlus, PlayStation Move, or Microsoft Kinect -- never figured out what it was. The kids didn't care. They DID compete (they're boys!) in track and field, bowling, tennis, and the high jump (absolutely hysterical - wish I got it on video)!
A basketball game with weighted heavy balls that lit up a different chute, every time you sunk the ball - all timed and challenging.
Three heavy bags - with lights on the "feet", "body," and "head," so you could 'fight' or box and only hit when it lit up - again, all timed and challenging.
A silly sensor game for babies (projected onto the floor) that the darling husband and I absolutely loved. You popped bubbles or stepped on hornets for points. We could play together and man did we work up a sweat!
This will be an annual treat for us, when we go to Cooperstown - and for anyone who has rented a Vacation Rental By Owner or is staying at accommodations without a workout center, in Upstate NY!
Pricing: $75 for the week with the Fitness Center (kids were $25 each)
124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown, NY, 13326
http://www.clarksportscenter.com/members-and-guests/guests/
(607) 547-280