Eating Ice Cream While Traveling

Travel Memories are Made When: I Devour Ice Cream!

26/7/2013

What's my travel motto? I Scream for Ice Cream!

Courtesy: letsmakerobots.com

Ah, ice cream. The most beautiful food in the world! Like all self-respecting children, I grew up loving ice cream and now, as a super important grownup, I still make time for ice cream in all my travels.

For reasons unknown, my early childhood years were dominated by maple walnut, as repulsive a flavor ever I tried. Did everyone else have parents are cruel as mine?

Things perked up considerably with the arrival of the Ice Cream Barn.

The Nova Scotia Ice Cream Barn Phenomenon

Port Hood Ice Cream Barn - Google Street View

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While Ice Cream Barns dominate the rural Nova Scotia landscape, they seem to be an unknown phenomenon elsewhere in the country. Consisting of a humble red or white baby barn that has been rigged with enough electricity to support several chest freezers well stocked with Scotsburn Dairy ice cream, an Ice Cream Barn is always a welcome site when I go home to Nova Scotia.

(To find my favourite, be sure to drive from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia along Highway 366, as opposed to the main highway. Along the way, you will encounter the tiny community of Tidnish, whose lone general store boasts an “inside ice cream bar” that has a dirt cheap “happy hour”!)

Amazing Ice Cream Around The World

The Tasty Treat: Nova Scotia

While it’s nothing short of criminal that the Ice Cream Barn phenomenon hasn't spread around the world, this doesn't stop me from seeking out great ice cream when I travel. From plain vanilla (and suspect refrigeration) at the Mangochi Ice Cream Den in Malawi, to decadent little scopes of pamplemousse atParis’ Bertillon, to strawberry goat’s milk ice cream from Cape Clear Island’s Cleire Goat – I’m always game to try a scoop!

I love to seek out fancy homemade ice cream in small communities, from popular brands such as Cow’s Homemade PEI ice cream (in the fancy decorated cones!) and Roselani’s in Hawaii to scoops of roasted marshmallow and a scoop of rhubarb ginger on Ontario's Wolfe Island. I’m not too snobby to go for popular franchises – Laura Secord, Ben & Jerry’s, and Baskin Robbins are old friends of mine. I've even toured the Ben & Jerry’s factor in Vermont and can highly recommend the experience!

No Ice Cream? No Problem!

When ice cream isn't available, I made sure to seek out equally delicious alternatives. Hawaiian shave ice was an eye opening discovery! While delicious no matter how it’s prepared, I fell head over heels in love with Ululani’s Haleakala flavor (coconut, leche, and sweet cream). In Las Vegas – an ice cream worthy destination if ever I saw one – I sought out frozen custard from Luv-It’s. The lemon flavor was a great choice, but required fast action to catch all the drips! Ironically, I’ve never had gelato in Italy, but I’ve found some great sources much closer to home. I love the fruit flavors at Picton’s Bean Counter Café and Ottawa’s Pure Gelato (chocolate-orange-Toblerone please!)

Life is too short to diet on vacation! Do you have any secret ice cream places around the world?

My favourite ice cream barn flavors: Tiger, Cherry Vanilla, Cotton Candy, Orange Pineapple, Bubble Gum, and my absolute favourite flavor in the world: Moon Mist! An “out of this world” combination of banana, grape, and bubble gum. Please, I beg of you to try it out! I also beg Scotsburn to bring back their peppermint ice cream!

As always, I welcome and encourage your comments. What's the strangest ice cream flavor you've ever tried?

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16 Comments

Phoebe (Short Road to Happy) link

26/7/2013 08:48:45 am

Kelly's Ice Cream in Cornwall.. add that to your list of delectable ice cream venues! Judging by your love and my love of ice cream, I think the two of us would be trouble if we got together.. so maybe it's best we plan to avoid one another haha :)

Vanessa

26/7/2013 10:22:55 am

Kelly's of Cornwall is duly noted! Perhaps best we don't show up in Cornwall at the same time - we'd eat them out of stock!

Bennett - The Further Adventures of Bennett link

26/7/2013 06:20:54 pm

Kelly's is a massive shout! Childhood memories abound from those ice creams :)

27/7/2013 05:37:54 am

I shalln't rest until I get to Kelly's!!

Christie link

26/7/2013 10:31:25 am

The best gelato of my life was in Corniglia, Italy (part of Cinque Terre) after climbing up what Wikipedia tells me was 382 stairs in the blazing sun. Nothing like exhaustion to make things taste better!

26/7/2013 01:17:06 pm

I never had gelato in Italy!! I was in Finale Ligure, Italy, not far from Cinque Terre,and my hostel was also at the top of a huge set of stairs. I certainly deserved the gelato, I just never had it!

Micki link

26/7/2013 07:57:15 pm

I KNEW there was a reason we liked you guys so much! We've been known to plan entire trips around ice cream. Oh, and make sure you try dondurma, the stretchy ice cream, when you go to Turkey. Getting dondurma from a vendor in Turkey was worth the trip! :)

27/7/2013 05:39:02 am

I can't wait! We're doing a food/market/picnic themed tour in Istanbul, so dondurma is on the list (as is Turkish coffee!)

Meagan @ Life Outside of Texas link

26/7/2013 11:29:45 pm

Now I'm craving ice cream! Texas is famous for Blue Bell ice cream (it's available in other parts of the country, as well - not sure how popular it is elsewhere though). It's the brand I grew up eating. I always loved going to my grandmother's because she always kept some Neapolitan in her freezer.

I've tried green tea ice cream at a green tea farm in South Korea - not bad!

27/7/2013 05:41:14 am

Neapolitan is such an underrated flavor! I have never tried Blue Bell - but I've also never been to Texas. I'll be sure to keep an eye open for it next time I'm in the US.

I've also had green tea icecream. I don't mind it, but I think I'll stick to my usual flavors.

Jo link

28/7/2013 11:45:46 pm

In Sydney gelato rules. In the Eastern Suburbs it's gelato Massena and in the inner west on Norton street, it has to be Bar Italia

29/7/2013 09:32:51 am

Making note of this Jo, for critical future reference!

Jenna link

29/7/2013 03:34:18 am

Fun post, I always had maple walnut at my grandma's house :) I enjoy seeking out ice cream too, but the shaved ice in Hawaii is my FAVORITE!! So delicious!

29/7/2013 09:34:40 am

I think we need to find a gourmet version of maple walnut. Surely someone out there is doing homemade vanilla ice cream with swirls of real maple syrup and chocolate covered walnuts. Anyone??

victoria staight

22/6/2014 02:51:32 pm

I love ice cream, I was born to eat it everyday. OK I don't
I do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ice cream. Big meal, the desert oh ya, TRIPLE CHOCOLATE. My Dad always said, no matter how much you eat, there's room for ice cream. My favourite place to have a double scoop is Jay's ice cream on Main St. in Milton, On