By Lynn O’Rourke Hayes
From FamilyTravel.com
Whether in our hometown or on the road, a trip to the local sweet shop is often on the itinerary. If you and your family love ice cream, consider incorporating the cool confection into your next holiday.
Little Man Ice Cream, Denver
Visit this Coney Island-inspired creamery for handmade and locally sourced treats, crafted within a 28-foot-tall silver cream can. Fans can also take a tour of Little Man’s 6,000 square-foot production facility and spend time in the tasting room to get a sense of where the homemade magic begins.In addition to putting smiles on the faces of local customers, Little Man has been committed to its Scoop for Scoop program. Since 2008, for every scoop of ice cream purchased, the organization has provided a scoop of rice or beans to those less fortunate in Denver and in developing parts of the world.
For more: http://www.littlemanicecream.com
Sassy Cow Creamery, Columbus, Wisconsin
It’s no surprise that you’ll find great ice cream in the heart of America’s dairyland. More than 70 flavors of premium farm-stand ice cream are crafted using milk from the family’s traditional herd of cows. Lovers of the sweet treat can savor fresh options like Cookie Monster, fresh peach, peanut butter explosion and blueberry pie. Stop in the Farmhouse Kitchen for lunch where dairy-centric menu items include Sassy Cow Cheddar grilled cheese served with a side and white or chocolate milk. Those eager to learn more can sign up for a farm tour to discover what transpires in the state-of-the-art parlor where the cows are milked and to meet the sassy cows.For more: https://sassycowcreamery.com
Memorial Ice Cream, Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents. Among them? Ice cream making. At South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore, the memorial commemorates Thomas Jefferson’s legacy by serving vanilla ice cream based on his original recipe from 1780. Instructions for his version of the cold concoction now reside in the Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress. But you can taste for yourself at the park’s Memorial Ice Cream Shop. According to records, Jefferson helped popularize ice cream by serving the sweet treat at Monticello and the President’s House.For more: www.TravelSouthDakota.com; www.NPS.gov.
Salt & Straw, Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles and San Francisco
Billed as “farm-to-cone ice cream,” the delectable and creative flavors regularly result in lines out the door as patrons debate their new favorite concoction. Launched by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, the pair use local, sustainable and organic ingredients to deliver hand-made, small batches of goat cheese marionberry habanero (a fan favorite), Meyer lemon buttermilk with blueberries, strawberry cilantro lime cheesecake and double fold singing dog vanilla. If your mouth is watering as you read this, know that Salt & Straw delivers and is currently offering free shipping.For more: www.SaltandStraw.com.
Velvet Ice Cream. Utica, Ohio
Located on 20 picturesque acres in Licking County, Ohio, the family-owned Velvet Ice Cream Center at Ye Olde Mill hosts more than 150,000 visitors each year. A museum, musical entertainment, nature trails, a historic 1817 grist mill with a water wheel, a 19th century-style ice cream parlor and a children’s playground entice ice cream-loving families to this Midwestern sweet spot. They’ve been serving up delicious flavors, including lemon cheesecake, spicy caramel and sticky pudding, for more than four generations.For more: www.VelvetIceCream.com.
Lynn O’Rourke Hayes (LOHayes.com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer. Gather more travel intel on Twitter @lohayes, Facebook, or via FamilyTravel.com
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