Main Lake Market

July 27, 2016

Main Lake Market, Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

Lake Hopatcong in northwest New Jersey is a popular lake for both boaters and swimmers.  It has several restaurants that boaters can dock at and enjoy.  For years I was amazed that there were no ice cream shops on the lake.

– and then the Main Lake Market appeared.  This shop has two floors. The first  floor offers a deli, boating accessories, expensive fake spilled beverages and expensive sunglasses.  But the top floor is the place to visit  – in addition to selling interesting toys and plaques,  here is  the ice cream source.  Their ice cream is homemade by Jefferson Dairy (I already know how good that is!).  In this case the ‘location, location, location’ adage fits.   A great location and great ice cream – is there a better combination?

Woody’s Ice Cream

July 24,2016

Woody’s ice Cream, Herkimer, New York

Seasonal

Today we kayaked on the Erie Canal – my fear of excessive number of boats was unfounded.  This was the maiden voyage with our inflatable kayaks – we took them from Little Falls to Jackson, and had them run the lock just for us – awesome experience.  The Erie Canal is an amazingly beautiful place.  Nine miles of kayaking had to be rewarded with ice cream.

Woody’s Ice Cream in Herkimer, New York serves Turkey Hill and Hershey ice cream – their soft ice cream is from Upstate Farms.  The shop had comfortable booth seating inside.  I had a pineapple sundae with soft vanilla twist ice cream  – yummy.  When leaving, we overheard a discussion from other patrons that taught us you do not need teeth to eat ice cream – not sure what that was all about, but it gave us a good laugh.

Wemple and Edicks

July 23, 2016

Wemple and Edicks,   Johnstown, New York

Seasonal

Today we rode from Fort Plain to Little Falls on the Canalway Trail along the Erie Canal making several stops to explore the area.   I loved this trail.  The surface was smooth and mostly crushed stone, the scenery is varied and everyone we met was very friendly.  We hope to explore more of this trail in the near future.  After a day on our bicycles, it was time for a treat.

Wemple and Edicks has been in business since 1897 and feels like  a place time forgot -it it a rustic building where even the clock is locked on 11:50.  It was a friendly place with great ice cream – I got  Hawaiian Moon and Banana Nut –  the servings were generous, the price was reasonable  and the shop was charming.  We got a bit of  entertainment when the power blipped off and on a couple of times startling the employees.  There were tables inside and chairs outside on their porch.  We sat on the porch to watch the thunder and lightening show that started shortly after we got off our bicycles.  I recommend that you visit this place.

Alpine Creamery

July 19, 2016

Alpine Creamery, Sparta, New Jersey

Seasonal

Lake Mohawk in Sparta, NJ has a cute boardwalk over looking the lake.  I love getting an ice cream cone, walking to the boardwalk, sitting down and watching the boats, water skiers and swimmers.  Alpine Creamery is the perfect place to get that ice cream.

Our friends John and Doreen call Alpine Creamery a “crack house” because it is so addicting you keep going back for more, and it is a cash only business.  I had Bailey’s and Peanut Butter Oreo – both excellent!  This is an ice cream stand where ice cream is served through a window.  There are plenty of flavors and everything is home made.  There are tables and benches just outside the shop or you can walk across the street to the boardwalk.  Tonight we stayed at the picnic tables – the weather was beautiful and we enjoyed watching hustle and bustle of White Deer Plaza.  I will need to return for another fix.

Applegate Farms

July 10, 2016

Applegate Farms , Montclair, New Jersey

Open year round

Brookdale Park, a very nice park for walking or jogging, looking at gardens, playing tennis and other fun things.  The park comes out near Applegate Farms.  My daughter can jog there from her apartment,  get ice cream and walk home.  I just drove.

Applegate Farms has a great variety of homemade ice cream flavors.  I had Coffee Chip and Caramel Apple.  I was curious what Jimmy Cracked Corn was but I was not feeling brave enough to try it.  This place offers great photo opts.  You can snap a selfie next to a cow statue – or better yet let another patron do it for you so your arms do not look contorted in the picture.

 

 

Main Street Sweet Shoppe

July 15, 2016

Main Street Sweet Shoppe, Deep River, Connecticut

I assume that for 51 weeks a year Deep River,  is a quiet, quaint town.  But I visited it the 52nd week – when hundreds (or thousands) of fifers, drummers, groupies and spectators descend upon this beautiful place to parade, jam and play lots of beautiful music.  A group of us decided to check out  what the town had to offer in the ice cream arena, and to see what Pokemon characters were hiding along the way.

The Main Street Sweet Shoppe in Deep River, Connecticut is a nicely decorated cafe-style place with tables inside and benches outside.  The friendly staff served us Ashby’s and Gifford’s  ice cream – I had Scouts Honor and Peanut Butter Pie – both of which were very good!  We enjoyed our ice cream outside because the shop was quite busy and it was such a warm night.  I look forward to stopping by here on the third weekend of July next year!

Middlebury’s Best Yogurt, Smoothies and Ice Cream

July 17, 2016

Middlebury’s Best Yogurt, Smoothies and Ice Cream, Middlebury, Connecticut

Many Connecticut towns  such as Middlebury and Naugatuck have a special New England charm.  While it is difficult to capture their essence in wordage, it seems to be a combination of housing style, vegetation, terrain and people.  When I am in this area, I always enjoy a stop to visit my college friend Linda – which is even more fun when we include a stop for ice cream!  It is amazing how we haven’t changed in 30 years!

Middlebury’s Best Yogurt, Smoothies and Ice Cream in Middlebury, Connecticut is a small shop with a big selection including frozen yogurt and ice cream with lots of toppings and  many different types of smoothies.  All I really cared about was the ice cream (most of the customers this morning seemed to feel the same way).   I had Ashby’s Amaretto Cherry and at the suggestion of the barista, i had it topped with custard.  I do not know the technical  difference between custard and ice cream, but I know this combination was great – one of the best I have had..  There was seating both inside and outside making for a relaxing and enjoyable visit.

 

Hey Jude’s

July 6, 2016

Hey Jude’s, Rockaway, New Jersey

The scoops gang is at it again.  This time we are visiting Hey Jude’s in Rockaway, New Jersey.  We planned to stop for ice cream and then go line dancing, but somehow only the ice cream happened.

Hey Jude’s is a charming small shop serving Hershey’s Ice Cream.  It has  benches outside and 50s style booths inside.  I had Cappuccino  and Roadrunner Raspberry, Mary Lou had Vanilla and Better Brownie Batter, and I do not know what Pat had.  We hung out and enjoyed our ice cream inside and then ventured outside to people and traffic watch.  Hey Jude’s offers a great place to relax and enjoy ice cream!.

 

Turkey Hill Dairy

July 9, 2016

Turkey Hill Dairy, Yankees Stadium, The Bronx, New York

Everything is more fun with ice cream – even a Garth Brooks Concert that starts really late – just because it is in a baseball stadium, does that allow a rain delay?

Turkey Hill Dairy has multiple locations in Yankee’s Stadium.  The problem with all of them, (and getting any ice cream in NYC ) is that they tell you how many calories are in it. I had delightful, creamy soft vanilla-chocolate twist ice cream with rainbow sprinkles.  I totally enjoyed my 500 to 550 calories.

Field of Creams

Field of CreamsJuly 7, 2016

Field of Creams, Mahwah, NJ

Today my travels took me to Mahwah, New Jersey.  After a delightful walk through the Ramapo River Reservation, my daughter and I set out  for ice cream (and dinner).  Visiting Mahwah for ice cream  had some poetic justice – my father, who I credit (or blame) for  my love of ice cream taught and coached at Mahwah High School for decades,   Too bad that he lives in Florida now and could not join us tonight!

Field of Creams in Mahwah is a small ice cream shop located in a ball huge park.  It is like a snack bar, but much nicer – with everything from crepes to burgers to ice cream – mostly Hershey’s ice cream with one great addition – their own Taro ice cream made from something like a purple yam – there was not enough left for a whole sundae, but we got to sample it- it was really good!  I had a pineapple sundae with Orange Blossom and Cinna-Graham Swirl.  It was very good (the taro would have been better!).    We enjoyed our ice cream in their  picnic table pavilion – we really liked this place!