There are many aspects of life here that are so unique from other parts of the country, and I want to share those things with my family, and perhaps with you- if you have never been here. I do a collection of posts called : "Living in New England" that highlight quintessential New England sights, events, situations, and experiences.
I know of many people who have lived here in New England their entire lives and perhaps don't realize that some of the events and sights that I will describe don't happen elsewhere in the country. Or, maybe you are originally from New England, but have moved away... I hope these posts will bring back some fond memories for you.
In any event, I wish to share New England with you through the eyes of this Southerner!
I grew up with the iconic ice cream shop that is Dairy Queen. (Texas is home to the largest number of DQ's in the U.S.) It was open almost every day of the year- always there at your beck and call for a soft serve cone, a Dilly Bar or a beloved Blizard (chocolate covered cherry is our favorite! :) When I was a child my father would make a DQ run once a month and stock the freezer we had in the garage with Dilly Bars. He always said he was buying them for me, but I think I was just his cover!!
I wasn't expecting to find any Dairy Queens in New Hampshire, and I have not. We did; however, find some in Maine! I remember my little "taste of home" excitement at the sight of the first one we spied... right up until I read the sign..
I wasn't expecting to find any Dairy Queens in New Hampshire, and I have not. We did; however, find some in Maine! I remember my little "taste of home" excitement at the sight of the first one we spied... right up until I read the sign..
Whaaaat? (I can hear the collective *gasp* coming from all you southerners! Ohhh the horror of a closed DQ!! ;) The Dairy Queen below is in Kennebunk and serves only ice cream- no food. They also give out puppy-cookies to one very happy, little black dog! We have since found one DQ in southern Maine that appears to be open year-round, which is a good thing, cuz when you want an Oreo-Blizzard in January, you want it now, not five months from now! :)
What New England doesn't have in Dairy Queens they make up for in walk-up, seasonal ice cream stands!
These stands are an honored tradition here in New England! Opening day is much anticipated and people flock to the shops throughout their "open" season! The "season" is spring to fall, and larger shops make their own ice cream. Seeing the crowds standing in line to order, you would almost think you couldn't find ice cream for sale at the local grocery stores! The first time we encountered this New England tradition we were just a couple months new to the area and were driving in the middle of nowhere when we spotted a crowd of about 20 people in front of a little shack and said, "They must be having an estate sale!" Only to realize- no- they were selling ice cream!
And, what a tradition it is! Traditions are big in New England- that is one of the many things we love about living here!
This is serious business people!
Stands can be large and famous in an area, or little out of the way stops, like this one!
This little "walk-up only" stand is an exception and is open year round! You have to really want an ice cream cone to walk through 3 feet of snow to get to the window!
I snapped this photo at opening time, usually the parking lot is full!
If this photo had been taken on a "peak" day there would be at least 100 more people standing in line to get ice cream.... I kid you not!
Guess what they sell?!
This charming little Dairy Bar is in Vermont.
Do you have any memories/stories from seasonal ice cream stands or Dairy Queen?! Would love to hear them :)
To read other "Living in New England" posts visit HERE!)
Love this post! In New Jersey, we have the walk up ice cream stands that are only open in the warmer months. There is one that is so popular that sometimes people wait in line in cars to pull in the parking lot! There is always a line of people standing out front and all the local school baseball teams go there after games. It is quite the social hang out!
ReplyDelete-Shelley
Hi Joan
ReplyDeleteI remember being in New England in the summer and being fascinated by these little stands. The "hand scooped" always cracked me up! Here in California there are hardly any dairy queeens or the like so the hand scooped always gave me a chuckle!
Even at -40, DQ is open year round in Canada 😉ps Reece's pieces was my favourite blizzard, but is sadly no longer available
ReplyDeleteMy hubby travels to Alaska for work, and he says that they sell (or eat?) more ice cream there than anywhere else, which I find interesting. And, no, I could not imagine walking through 3 feet of snow for ice cream. I have never walked through 3 feet of snow!
ReplyDeleteBorn and raised in New Hampshire and now a military spouse traveling around the country every couple years, I miss those "hole in the wall" ice cream shops so unique to New England. You'll be please to know that there's a Dairy Queen at the Kittery/Portsmouth traffic circle that should still be open now, it's a drive for you, but may be worth the stop for old times sake. Dairy Queen 174 State Rd Kittery, ME (207) 439-4949
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing little bits of New Hampshire bliss :)
~Melinda
thanks Melinda! Good to know. We are usually zipping past Kittery to get up the road to antique shop!
DeleteFunny you should write about Dairy Queen! I just found a DQ in Manchester on RT 3, and I think it's a year round store! Can't tell you how excited I was, since it is definitely my "go to" reward for eating right during the week!
ReplyDeletethanks Kate!
DeleteOh my, you haven't traveled to Lake Winnipesaukee yet then! I've been going to the Dairy Queen on Union Ave in Laconia for years when I visit for the summer. I haven't gotten a chance to go there this year though :(
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Locator/Detail/120
we have, but actually its been a while and need to make another trip!
DeleteI live down the street from this Dairy Queen on Union Ave in Laconia- very dangerous- I can walk there. They do close for the winter however they re-open in March where you will find a long line of people in Parkas and gloves! Even a snowstorm won't stop them :)
Deletethe Dairy Queen by my parents house (in the suburbs of Chicago) is only open seasonal and they also only sell ice cream!!
ReplyDeleteI love ice cream cake and my birthday is in December so I was never able to have an ice cream cake for my birthday. :o(
There's a DQ in Mnachester I think. On second street I believe.
ReplyDeleteSeems I've been missing the one in Manchester with all the mentions!
DeleteI am a California girl. I can still remember my Mom complaining that the DQ and other ice cream shops only used peanuts (to sprinkle on a Sundae) during the Carter administration. She blamed J. Carter for that the rest of her life! The other state that has many DQ's is Oregon. We've driven up the Oregon coast and nearly every little coastal village has one.
ReplyDeletethat's funny about the peanuts;) and very true about Oregon.
DeleteI believe I saw a DQ in Manchester this summer, now I do know you can go to dairyqueen.com and find one that way as I have done it in desperation of a peanut buster parfait.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a peanut buster parfait Nathan :O
DeleteJoan, re the Peanut Buster Parfait .... you don't know what you are missing. ☺ -Brenda-
DeleteLiving in Virginia, and usually vacation in North Carolina, we love our DQ. The cottage we stay in at the beach is walking distance from the cottage, and it is an after dinner ritual we do every night. In the town I live in, Warrenton, we have our own little ice cream trailer, though they did upgrade to a larger one years ago, Carousel...they also serve food, long lines are norm. They are seasonal, April - October. I'm trying to get as much "Funky Monkey" in while I can.
ReplyDeleteDairy Queen used to have the most delicious hard soft serve in my youth; now it is too creamy, has too much air or something, is white instead of a cream color. Maybe someday I'll find some like it somewhere...
ReplyDeleteI have had that kind of dairy soft serve in Virginia, place was seasonal and it sold what they called 'frozen custard', was what was a french vanilla taste and color. Wonderful, we still miss it!
DeleteWhen did you take the picture at Kimball's Ice Cream stand? Normally the lines are soooo long. It is such a popular place.
ReplyDeleteWe have a local seasonal ice cream shop in central mass on the rail trail and for some reason my bike has a mind of its own and won't let me pass by....LOL
I don't remember when I took it. Yes, it is crazy popular. We've never actually stopped there!
DeleteDo you have Rita's, TCBY? Here in NJ we have lots of DQ's but the best ice cream is CLIFF'S homemade ice cream in Ledgewood, NJ and they are open year round. Cliff's now sells to local small stores. Here in Sussex County NJ there are a lot of homemade dairy bars and there are a lot of local general stores that sell ice cream cones but they sell Hershey ice cream, YUK!!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any of those that I'm aware of- mainly mom and pop places here.
DeleteWe live in northern Vermont. I am a big-city transplant to New England. My husband is born and raised Vermonter. I couldn't image ever going back to a big city. When I arrived, I asked "What's a Creemee???" Never heard of them. Sort of like the "frost heaves!?!" Creemees are our version of soft ice-cream served at local country stores and stands, only throughout the summer. We anticipate their arrival every spring!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you- I can't imagine ever living in a big city again!
DeleteHi Joan! I am from Carlisle, MA. Kimball's ice cream is the best :-)! Coconut almond chip is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love Carlisle! We drive through very slowly to get inspired- so many gorgeous properties, on our way to Concord to antique. Whenever we're stuck on a project we'll say we need to drive to Carlisle to look for ideas! Ironically, we've never been to Kimball's, but coconut almond chip sounds heavenly... note to self;)
DeleteWe went to the Carlisle one for years the one by Rt 4 as well (Littleton road). LOVE their ice cream, didn't mind one bit waiting in line, actually sometimes we took turns.
DeleteYou are not too far from a Dairy Queen ! Broad Street Nashua just off exit 6, coming into Amherst, Nashua, take exit 7 down to exit 6, on the off ramp stay in the left lane, turn left at the light - just past the Mobil on the right is
ReplyDeleteDairy Queen. Think I will go there now, after reading your blog about
ice cream shops, I need a soft ice cream cone dipped in chocolate !
I love Kimball's chocolate almond- full of almonds !
PS I realized the town you live in, when you mentioned in your blog there
are no traffic lights, I truly love your blog !!
Who knew... well I guess you did!! You must be a really good guesser since I can name about 15 little towns without a traffic light around me:)
DeleteThank you about the blog!
Joan, I grew up in Minnesota and the tradition of ice cream being sold only in the summer is prevalent there as well. Minnesota is full of DQ's and it was always a big deal when it opened for the season. At some time during my childhood, a few DQ's opened up that were called Dairy Queen "Brazier" stores. They sold food in addition to ice cream and might be open year-round. At any rate, getting ice cream in the summer was always a fun treat and because it wasn't year-round just made it that extra special.
ReplyDeleteI live in Texas now (and have for almost 20 years) and have almost forgotten about those special summer hours. How fun to reminisce! It's always interesting to see places through the eyes of newcomers and those who have been around for years. I suppose I could have written a similar posts to yours when I first moved to Texas...like the time when I went to get my car washed on a 40-degree day to find it was closed! (As is probably true in NH, you can get your car washed year-round in Minnesota...just close the car wash doors and you can wash it even when temps fall below zero!) The guy at the gas station thought I was nuts wanting to wash my car on such a cold day. And I thought the same of him because it wasn't below freezing! lol
Anyway...fun post! Thanks so much for sharing. Now I'm in the mood for an ice cream cone!
Take care, Julie
Funny about the car wash Julie! Actually ours will close on really cold days, so we have to call ahead. Your story reminded me of how when it's 40/50 in Texas people are all bundled up and here when the days turn to into the 50's after winter you suddenly see convertibles and t-shirts all over!
DeleteThere's a seasonal DQ in Tilton, NH. But the little ice cream shops are SO much better! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh that last picture just gets me good! I can FEEL it.
ReplyDeleteDairy also gets me good, as in, not good, but I would still have a bite or two just to get in on a little action!
Born and raised in Los Angeles, dreaming of life in New England...but surfer hubby says No Way!!
Oh well...I live vicariously through your blog. We WILL have to take a vacation there though, just not when those nasty cut-you-with-their-wings flies are out!
Mildred's has the best root beer floats! Yes, you really must come for a visit!
DeleteI hail from Wisconsin, and while I haven't been to a DQ in years...ours always closed up for the winter. I am curious...here, we have Friday night fish fries...do you have those in New England? Now, I want fish and an ice cream cone! ;)
ReplyDeletenot that I'm aware of Donnamae, but sounds delish!
DeleteFrom Miami....my youngest son attends boarding school in Wolfeboro - I just returned from moving him in and you can bet that I stopped at Bailey's Bubble three days in a row! Put it on your list of 'must try'! Yum.
ReplyDeleteEGR- Thanks! I have a little notebook I keep in the car when I get info on good antique shops, restaurants, etc. for our day trips. I will add Bailey's Bubble to the list!
DeleteI never even heard of seasonal ice cream! Luckily Braum's is about 3 blocks from my house year round! Our snow cone stands are still going strong here in Fort Worth, TX!
ReplyDeletewhen i was young i was more vigilant about keeping my figure so i waited every year until fall when my husband's aunt came to escape the cold weather. (we live in sunny south florida so dairy queen is open all year) she and my mother in law and i would go to dairy queen and i always ordered a dipped vanilla cone! the funniest part is i worked in the same shopping center as a dairy queen & would accompany my friends during breaks but always bought just a banana. there is one near our present home that is always crowded and has drive thru. even though a few pounds doesn't bother me much i never go because i developed lactose intolerance as i aged :-(
ReplyDeleteJoan,
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to live in New England, as a California girl (born and raised) I've romanticized it and this just adds to the charm I imagine. We lived in Arlington, Texas for 2 years and I loved the Blizzard, but not as much as Blue Bell Ice Cream...I thought you might have missed that when you moved. :D Great post.
Karen
Karen, now you did it;) I try not to think about peaches and cream Blue Bell- my favorite;) I will probably dream about it tonight!
DeleteI remember growing up with only seasonal stands...which we would make an event going to. ..And summer was not complete without a (or several trips)...then I remember friendlys and their watermelon icecream with chocolate chips for seeds...Now I hardly ever eat the stuff. ::gasp::
ReplyDeleteYes, lots of Friendlys around... have not been, nor have I ever heard of watermelon ice cream, but sounds good!
DeleteOh Joan--you gotta try Friendly's! Amazing ice cream (My fave is their cookies and cream) and they make their own hot fudge, I believe. (It's super yummy) I think you'd like their story too...started out during the Great Depression as a small ice cream shop and they named it "Friendly" because that's the kind of service they wanted to provide. They have good food too! Give 'em a try sometime!
DeleteIs the ice cream homemade or soft serve like DQ? I'd stand in line for an ice cream - a homemade one! Maybe I should move to Maine and sell ice cream year-round! I love it all year long.
ReplyDelete-Revi
Revi, Predominantly, it is homemade ice cream. Really good. And the servings are HUGE. We learned the hard way to split a "child's" size portion!
DeleteOur local Dairy Queen in coastal N.C. closes for the season. :( Our local seafood restaurants do the same. In other words...if you want to eat WELL here on the coast you better do it in the summer!!! ha!
ReplyDeletethat is so interesting Dianne- I wouldn't have expected the restaurants and DQ there to close for winter. It's always fun to read about different locals.
DeleteWe live in northern Wisconsin and our little ice cream shops and DQs are only open in the summer. Between the locals and the tourists, they are busy places indeed. Just had to add the deliciousness that is the proverbial ice cream cake from DQ... we just shared one for a family birthday!
ReplyDeleteBtw... we also live in a tiny town with no traffic light, and I have loved following your blog!
Love the DQ reminder. I grew up near a tiny town of 500 in MT, but spent my summers in TX with my grandparents. They had a house in town, but every weekend we were at the ranch house, helping with fencing or hauling hay bales. And it was all worth it, because at the end of the day was a stop at the DQ for an ice cream cone...
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard the name Dilly Bar in years! That was my all time favorite as a kid. It was a treat when my Dad would say let's go to the DQ and get some ice cream!
ReplyDeleteWhere I live now (which is 250 miles north of where I grew up in Michigan) we have the exact same kind of mom and pop ice cream shops as you are showing. They open in the spring and close in the fall until the next year. Our DQ left town so we don't have one of those here anymore.
Living in Maryland, we have the best of both worlds I guess. We have seasonal sno-cone stands, and ice cream shops. I love a cherry sno-cone with gooey marshmallow on top, nothing cools a hot day quite like it! We also have a local ice cream shop that makes their own stuff in dozens of flavors. Double dip raspberry truffle in a sugar cone with sprinkles on top, please!
ReplyDeleteUs New Englanders are known for our love of ice cream. More ice cream is consumed here than anywhere else in the country...all year round...When I was in high school we would go ice skating and then straight to Brighams for sundaes...The hands down best ice cream anywhere is Brighams by the way, and the hot fudge, oh boy..unfortunately only available in supermarkets now.....
ReplyDeleteI've seen lines out the door at 10 at night in January at the Cold Mountain Creamery in Wellesley...
just wanted to add I didn't mean to be anonymous, just couldn't figuer out the little publishing thing below
ReplyDeleteLinda
Newton Ma
Well, first of all, I grew up a DQ girl as well, in West Texas. :) Now we live in Atlanta and Bruster's is a regular walk-up haunt for us. In fact, we indulged last night after my son's soccer game and waited in line for 20 minutes. Gotta love it!
ReplyDeleteLove all those sweet ice cream stands...fun post!
xo Heidi
DQ REALLY???
ReplyDeleteDairy Queens are opened year round in Ohio, at least ours has been the past thirty-four years. Like Nathan, I love peanut buster parfaits. There are three seasonal ice cream stands nearby we visit. They are frequented by groups of baseball/softball teams usually as a coach or parents' treat. The new kid on the block are the frozen yogurt shops. Taking the grandkids to a grand opening this evening.
ReplyDeleteJoan,
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh out loud. I have NEVER thought of this as being uniquely a New England tradition. Yes, I have lots of memories of seasonal ice cream. Hallmarks in Old Lyme, CT. has been open for at least 52 years (my age)and is one of my favorite childhood memories. The DQ in Fairfield, CT. closes shop in the late autumn and becomes a Christmas tree stand!!! I personally like two of my favorites where the cows are watching me eat your my cream; Peaceful Meadows in Whitman, MA. (M&M is the best) and Ferris Acres Creamery in Newtown, CT. Oh and did I mention Salem Valley Ice Cream in Salem, CT.....can you tell I like ice cream?!!
Mary
with a sweeter tooth than Ruth
Oh these little treks thru New England are just wonderful! Thank you so much! One of the things on my Bucket List is to visit New England, specifically Vermont. Ever since I watched Baby Boom and Funny Farm all those years ago, I've been dying to get there.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Vermont, and both of those movies, which I also like, portray an accurate picture. Vermont is a beautiful state, but pros and cons to everything in life, like the movies! But we love it here.
DeleteI'm glad to hear that! Can't wait to get there someday!
DeleteHi Joan!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun post especially since I know all too well that some of my favorite ice cream stands close in the fall (being a New England native and all). There are actually 2 Dairy Queens not crazy far from you that are open all year round. Hudson NH and Nashua NH. Now you can get your Dilly Bars year round if you have a hankering! I am partial to the blizzards--so yummy.
You must try Doc Davis in Pepperell MA next summer (if you can't make it before Columbus Day), it has been there since 1939 and it is wonderful!!! They have a humongous umbrella which is fun and whimsical
Fondly-Lisa
Growing up a Missouri girl, DQ ice cream cakes were always my favorite! Now in Tulsa, surprisingly, the nearest DQ is an hour away!
ReplyDeleteFrozen custard is big here in the Midwest. Tulsans will brag on Freckles Frozen Custard, St. Louis folks will rave over Ted Drewes...but anyone from the Ozarks knows that Andy's Frozen Custard is the best cold, creamy treat there is! When seasonal treats like Blackberry "concretes" (think blizzards) and Pumpkin Pie concretes (with a WHOLE slice of pie blended in!) are available, you can expect a loooong line!
Stephanie, I'm from Missouri too and wholeheartedly agree about Andy's. Bar none, it's the best, although I stick with my all time favorite - the Ozarks Turtle....:)
DeleteOh how you have tugged at my heart with this one! ICE CREAM is my downfall! We here in Pa.And close by in Delaware) have Dairy Queens, Brusters, and also the farm creameries that sell their home made ice cream that is TDF! The one closest to us is only open Spring through Fall and like you said has lines and people there all the time. Loved seeing the shots of your local haunts:)
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! I don't think seasonal ice cream shops are unique to New England. We have them here in the midwest as well.
ReplyDeleteBridge
We certainly do! I know one in Grabill, IN right outside of Fort Wayne....right in Amish country and the buggies are parked right outside!
DeleteWe have a Dairy Queen in our hometown and there is nothing I love more than a reese cup blizzard...such a treat!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post Joan. I like the idea of your writing stories of things that are purely New England. I'd enjoy reading them. We have two DQ's in town and they are open all year serving "Hot Eats/Cool Treats". Oh, and there's a small one in the mall too. We love our DQ. There is a very good ice cream parlour in town that serves hard ice cream (my favourite!) and gelato. It's a very busy spot that is open all year too. And, in our little country farming community we have an ice cream shop called Skinny's. No kidding. :) A busy spot all summer plus they have an animal farm, sell hot dogs and coffee and have a drive thru window! It's happening right down the road. And it's seasonal! They will close by our Thanksgiving next month. I do find it's much cheaper to buy my favourite hard ice cream at the grocery store and serve my own cones though. :) I'm addicted! Pam
ReplyDeleteWe moved from Texas to Maine last year and found a DQ in Rockland where we lived. We were so thrilled like you...until we walked up to the counter and saw they didn't have the DQ Dude, steak finger basket or jalitos! WHAT! And yeah--waiting until the snow melts and the flowers bloom for a blizzard is INSANE!
ReplyDeleteIn the Midwest when I was young there was an Ice Cream truck , we called Mr. Softy. They played wonderful music you could hear for blocks. We soo looked forward to that music!
ReplyDeleteJoan, Dan, and Ella: As Lisa (above) mentioned there are DQ's in Nashua on Broad Street and Hudson on Rte 111 (also known as Ferry St). The Hudson one serves food. Three of our favorite ice cream places, at the lake, close in the fall and open in the spring. Jordan's, on Rte 106 in Belmont, NH has a great fall ice cream...apple pie. Sawyer's in Gilford has great ginger ice cream.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is really weird. We are sitting here watching the ball game and checking email and I just said "I want a DQ" and then i opened your post! I think it is an omen, we better go get our DQ fix....
ReplyDeleteWe have really fond memories of a DQ in central Illinois and the Brownie Delight, eating them parked out in the country by a corn field! Be still my quivering thighs...and perhaps that IS the reason I have quivering thighs... :) WORTH IT!!!! Rosie
ReplyDeleteRosie- You'll like knowing that in the 4th photo from the bottom, there is a corn field behind that ice cream stand!
DeleteYes!! And they have seating there too, so we would not be cooped up in the car. There is something about the rustle of corn stalks and fireflies blinking in the warm breezes....so summer-riffic!!! And ice cream just seals the deal for a perfect summer night!
DeleteWhat fun! I love to read your blog. I scroll to check for it first and almost squeal with delight when it is there. After reading a few and finding the one from Texas where I live now, all I can say is we have Blue Bell.
DeleteI love this post!! What defines "happy" more than ice cream. ;) Our small southern town had a joint in the middle of town called "The Pixie" we got ice cream from including everything else you would eat from a burger joint. They used to only have soft serve ice cream in the summer. Sadly, it closed in the last year. :( But, there is another called "Robo's" a couple of miles out of town that is the same. Famous for ice cream sundaes, hot fudge cake and milkshakes. Yum! This post is making me hanker for ice cream. ;)
ReplyDeleteBelieve we have DQ's right across our country (Canada). Some are seasonal whereas others that offer an additional menu are opened all year round. If you ever get the opportunity Joan, try 'one' of their Chili Dogs. (Must watch your cholesterol ... ☺)
ReplyDeleteMessy to eat ... but ..... yummy. -Brenda-
Seasonal ice cream stands - part of life up here too. As well as seasonal take outs - especially fish & chip stands. People wait anxiously for their favourite to open for the season! Where I live in Canada (New Brunswick), the Dairy Queens are open year round, and they all sell food. I had the good fortune to work at a Dairy Queen one summer while I was in university. I ate a lot of Skor Blizzards that summer! This is a fun series. We have a great deal in common with your lovely part of the world, not suprising since we are so close, and share similar weather. ~ Janice
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteStill voting everyday for Evon and today voted while eating a Dilly Bar.
did you sprinkle turmeric on it?! or oregano???!!!
Delete
ReplyDeleteP.S. Oh and also a BIG bowl of Blue Bell!!!!
It's not truly spring in New England until the ice cream shops open for the season! That's the sign of summer. Just so bummed to watch them close for a long winter's nap!
ReplyDeleteJoan - not an ice cream story, but a place that you might want to visit is Vermont Salvage in White River Junction, just over the NH border. Lots of stuff for you creative types! :) Wear a coat if it's cold!
ReplyDeleteWe have been there several times (and you are SO right about the coat- seems we are always there in the dead of winter;) In fact, the transom between the kitchen and the barn room came from Vermont Salvage! I appreciate you mentioning it in case we didn't know of it. Actually, it's not too far from Mildred's Dairy Bar... and now I'm craving a root beer float;)
DeleteYou can also stop by Morano's Gelato on Main Street in Hanover, NH the next time you are in the Upper Valley.
DeleteJoan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post you had. Although I will probably never live in New England, your post makes me feel like I am living there, in great style too. I am a resident of the midwest, right here in Nebraska. Dairy Queen was a regular for us, right along with the delicious Runza sandwiches that were originated in Lincoln, Nebraska. You should try one sometime.
Bobbie Allgood
Ice cream ALWAYS tastes better in New England! Camden Cone (in Camden, Maine) is a long-standing tradition for my family during the summer months. Now my girls are enjoying the tradition :)
ReplyDeleteWho knew Ice Cream stands were only here in New England. I grew up in the town over from Soc's Homemade Ice Cream, in the winter they sell Christmas Tree's :) In summer when all 3 windows are open there can be 50 deep in each line... LOVE!!
ReplyDeletehi Meghan! A lot of readers are also saying it is common in the mid-west too! I think the waiting in lines, 50 deep, shows New Englanders have a lot of patience!!
DeleteHere in Pittsburgh area, we have Dairy Queens, but right around the corner is the Tastee Freez! Which was our favorite as kids!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I also, spent time in New Buffalo MI and they have a very
popular place called OINKS! Which is packed every night through the summer months. The ceiling is studded with hundreds of ice cream scoops, and the shelves house a magnificent accumulation of milk shake blenders, ice cream freezers, and you guess it..pigs!
Hello from Texas! I just came across your blog this week and fell in love with it so naturally I had to read from the beginning. I too am born and raised here - San Antonio to be exact with a few years between Dallas and McAllen Texas. Ironically, I have been doing "blog" research, looking for other former Texan's personal accounts about moving to New England. I was fortunate to spend time in and around Boston and Wellesley areas - and fell in absolute love with the scenery, climate, and green. It was hard to leave. New England feels like home -- or the home I always imagined for myself as a child, and I can't wait to get back there, and would love to raise a family there.
ReplyDeleteSide note: i enjoyed the DQ memory. Most don't realize that DQ is ALWAYS open here because an 80 degree December day is not uncommon.
Hello Texas!!! Loved getting your comment this morning! I totally get how NE feels like home, even when you are a born and raised Texan;) I remember growing up in SA and watching a Ranch-dressing commercial on tv that showed some idealistic little town with the church steeple in the tree tops and perfect houses, and thinking "That's not real." Having never been to NE at the time I didn't realize that it was a quintessential NE view- now I encounter that view all the time!
DeleteOhhh yeah, I remember laying out in the sun growing up on many a Dec/January cuz it was hot!
Regarding raising a family here- see my comment to Jeff below;)
Did you by chance recently start to follow me on IG? Someone in SA did and there was a photo of downtown SA showing Hemisphere Tower (my "much older sister Susan" who you've seen around the blog since you read the whole thing;) worked there when it opened!)- sorry, I digress... that photo is my "exactly" the way I remember SA in my mind's eye- the grey/hot/humid sky and the tower in the distance. It was a classic for me! So, if it was your photo- thank you for the memory!
Oh, and welcome to the blog!!
Yes i just started to follow you within the last few days so it may have been me! I currently live downtown in a high-rise condominium development. It's been interesting to say the least but i'm making the best of it! Thank you for the response!
Delete
DeleteYes, I was a 'ticket taker' at the gates at Hemisphere! What memories! Joanie, being an electrical engineer, Daddy laid out the electricity for the Hemisphere tower! You were probably to young to remember.
How could I not remember that...
DeleteI've been reading your blog for a while now. We moved to NC 3 years ago and absolutely miss Dairy Queens! It was so great to the photo from the Dairy Queen that I grew up going to! I knew immediately that it was the one in Kennebunk Maine!
ReplyDeleteI moved from Kennebunk Maine to NC 3 years ago. Oh how I miss the Dairy Queen! It was so nice to open your blog and see the Dairy Queen from my hometown. We used to walk to that Dairy Queen every weekend when I was young! It used to close for the winter and you knew that spring was here when it re-opend!
ReplyDeletehi Jeff! That is so fun that it is your hometown DQ! That is our DQ of choice- there is also one in a shopping strip in Wells, but it's not charming like this one. How lucky you were to grow up there. We are always saying (when day-triping around NE) "Imagine getting to grow up here!"
DeleteIt happens often when someone leaves a comment that they don't realize the comment goes to moderation and comment twice. I don't usually publish both comments, but I liked both of yours so much I did, hope you don't mind. We haven't been to Maine all summer and are well overdue for a visit, and I'm sure we'll stop in to DQ;) so I will think of you there!
In college, my favorite spot was "Graeter's Ice Cream" and now when I travel to KY, they have one....it is the best ice cream. I think store bought ice cream was a treat growing up and I still connote that ice cream is a treat.
ReplyDeleteWe made our ice cream in the Summer, each taking turns to churn it, fresh peach ice cream. Hmmmm.
Does Ella like ice cream?
pve
What a great post.I'm a native New Englander and know all too well saying goodbye to your favorite ice cream stand until Spring.I love how New England has the change of seasons and all the traditions and rituals that come along with those changes.Fall is my favorite.I'ts such a beautiful time.Thanks for sharing your beautiful home with us!Looking forward to posts with lots of Fall glory!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Nashua and patronized the Hayward's ice cream stand there. (I also patronized the Town Hall Theater.)
ReplyDeleteFor future reference, there are 11 DQ in NH:
http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Sitemap/
RTE 302 AND 16 GLEN, NH 03838
119 FERRY ST HUDSON, NH 03051-4323
1126 UNION AVE LACONIA, NH 03246-2127
715 2ND ST MANCHESTER, NH 03102-5211
THE MALL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 1500 S WILLOW ST MANCHESTER, NH 03103-3220
80 PREMIUM OUTLETS BLVD, STE 353 MERRIMACK PREMIUM OUTLETS MERRIMACK, NH 03054-4766
38 BROAD ST NASHUA, NH 03064-2013
PHEASANT LANE MALL 310 DANIEL WEBSTER HWY F-101 NASHUA, NH 03060-5730
1561 WHITE MOUNTAIN HWY NORTH CONWAY, NH 03860-5156
MALL T ROCKINGHAM PARK 99 ROCKINGHAM PARK BLVD SALEM, NH 03079-2900
585 W MAIN ST TILTON, NH 03276-9700
Best chili dog we have ever had (and I know good chili dogs) was at a DQ on main highway in Palestine, Texas on our way to Atlanta years ago. We have tried them here in Austin and they are just not the same. Small town DQ's are probably the best.
ReplyDeleteAhh, I have been to all of these ice cream places and i just cant imagine not being able to walk up to get my ice cream! Haywards and Brewsters are my go-to places when I'm up at my parents!! Speaking of, I think its time for a trip up there JUST for some ice cream :)
ReplyDeleteThis was a comical post to me....I live in a suburb of North Houston and Ice cream is on every corner...with no wait usually! I'm sure the specialty Ice cream parlors on the East Coast are much more nostalgic than ours here though.
ReplyDeleteKimballs! I miss it so much! Seriously the best ice cream ever and HUGE helpings! We're in SC now and I was so sad not to be able to find any true hard-ice cream stands. Soft serve just doesn't cut it.
ReplyDeleteHello Joan, Ice cream per se is not so much a feature of Taiwan, but there are a lot of frozen treats here. Many stands sell a kind of slush (bing-sha) and there are incredible flavors of popsicle here--green bean (my favorite), red bean, taro, peanut, etc.
ReplyDeleteBy far the biggest treat is called Mango Ice--a huge mound of flavored shaved ice, topped with condensed milk and fresh cubed mango. Everyone has their favorite stand to get this. There is also a strawberry version available, in season.
--Road to Parnassus
Hi Joan... What an awesome post. I grew up in a tiny town in Colorado (Grand Lake) and we had Polly's Candy Kitchen, which still stands today. When I go back and visit, it brings such nostalgic memories. I love all the different pictures you posted.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I just posted a contest to giveaway Jan Shower's new interior design book, Glamorous Retreats. Please let all your friends know and please stop by and enter yourself. :o)
Rebecca
What a great post. having grown up in the Hudson Valley, I have always taken the road stands for granted. You have also made me think, as we contemplate moving South, what we will be missing!!!
ReplyDeleteNice to see Vermont represented. Here, our seasonal stands sell "creemees" (spelled every which way--no standard that I've seen). Some stick with the basic chocolate, vanilla, and "twists" of both; some venture into maple and raspberry and other exotic tastes. But all are beloved, and many become the social center of their small towns during creemee season. May you continue to savor small-town living in northern New England and what's expected to be a vibrant "leaf-peeping" season right around the corner.
ReplyDeleteHi Joan!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you might tell me the color and brand of the white and black paint you used on the exterior of your home.
I trust that you would find the best and most classic combo available.
We are finally painting and I don't want yo repaint the Sherman William Frost white again.
Thanks so much!!
Terri
hi Terri,
DeleteMy painter is here (and has been for the past week and a half;) as I type doing some exterior touch ups. The paint info is on the sidebar under "my paint and stain colors."
The funny story about the white is that I was trying to pick a white and I was going through a lot of sample cans of paint, but they just weren't "the one"- too white, too bright, too too.... My painter had started priming the house (it was initially yellow) and I realized that I really liked the white of the primer the best, so I had them color match the primer! It's a really good soft white. Good luck with your project!
"Collective gasps coming from all you southerners"...so true! We eat ice cream year round. I must say as a child living in Rockland, Maine, I do not remember ever visiting an ice cream stand. How about snowball stands? Stop by for a visit. I am dishing up Mrs. Alice's Apple Muffins. They can be eaten year round!
ReplyDeleteBlessings from Still Woods Farmhouse
Late to the party, but having grown up in Chelmsford MA, I remember back in the 70's when the fiberglass, life size cows outside of Kimballs ice cream were stolen. A ransom note was left behind, if memory serves. They were eventually returned, and I'm not sure if the culprits were ever brought to justice. Ah, yes. Life in a small New England town. Thank you for the memory!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in MA we loved the homemade ice cream stands too! But in a pinch in the winter, there was always Friendly's.
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband was transferred to Brunswick, ME when we were first married, this little ol' Florida girl was shocked to see our local DQ close up shop in the fall to re-open in the spring! We still make our yearly vacation to ME and enjoy a scoop or two at the local ice cream joint, The Mosquito (in Windham) during the season of course.
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party, but did you know there is a DQ right at the Merrimack Outlets? Now you have a couple of reasons to visit...Le Creuset and DQ: can't go wrong! :)
ReplyDelete