Friday, November 15, 2013

Ice cream will make everything better....

What is it about Ice Cream that makes you feel like a little kid? As soon as it is brought up in our household, Joe gets a gleam in his eyes and talks about all the different kinds he wants, Tina recites her favorite sundae (kind of like a chant) “Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Peanut Butter”, and Gabe wants to know how long before we stop and get some (every five minutes). Me on the other hand? Well lets just say Ice Cream and I are not close friends except for in small quantities.

After the turmoil of the morning, it was a quiet ride out to Utica. We passed some interesting places along the way....


 
 

 and some that made us scratch our head…





 
A carnival set up right in the middle of a small downtown! Usually you see Carnivals set up in parking lots or fair grounds.  Not on main street!  Some of those rides were really really tight next to the buildings!  I guess you do what you can to make it work.  You wouldn't find me on any of those flipping twirling rides placed between the buildings!
 
 

The day continued to be rainy and by the time we reached the Ice Cream factory we were all feeling grey and in need of some ice cream to make everyone happy again.


 

 

Velvet Ice Cream was started by a 15 year old Lebanese immigrant, Joseph Dager in 1914, when he came to America. Four generations of Dagers later and the company is still going strong.
 

The factory was attached to an old Historic Mill. 

 
They had families of ducks wandering the property.....


 

We went on a quick 30 minute tour of the factory, learning that they only run 1 shift a day, that they use only real cream which is always their first ingredient and they have different labels for some of their ice creams, depending on where they are being sold and to whom. Most of the workers that are there have been for over 10 years and retire with the company. 



After the tour we went to their gift shop and ice cream parlor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




                                         


Gabe had Moose Tracks, Tina had….yup…..Peanut butter chocolate, Joe had a Buckeye (peanut butter candy) Sundae and I had Orange Sherbet! The creamiest Ice Cream and Sherbet we have ever had! 

 
Time to get moving, we had a long way to go to get to Niagara Falls.
 
 

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