Ice Cream Trailblazers!

Ice Cream Trail! 

Ya'll, I first and foremost owe you a huge apology! I am so sorry that I've been MIA for the past, what... year and a half!?! I started writing this blog after my baby was born, now 20 months old), but I never got around to finishing it. I guess life really got away from me! I love to blog though and I have been dying to share my Ice Cream Trail journey with all of you! So when reading this entry, please remember that I literally wrote it a year and a half ago, so it may be a little out of date, but I promise you, all the ice cream ratings are my own and all the excursions were fun!

Also, to keep you updated. I submitted 5 Ice Cream Trailblazer passports once completed and out of the 223 other people that submitted their passports, we did not win. We did receive a letter thanking us for visiting Maryland's finest creameries. I hope ya'll will take the time to visit too and enjoy them as much as we did!

Also, also, like a P.P.S. There was another Ice Cream Trailblazer passport in 2017, so look out for one in 2018 if you want to participate too!

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This year has been filled with one sweet treat after another. It started with the birth of baby Colin in May and then continued with family camping trips! Then we found out about the Maryland Ice Cream Trail of 2016 and had a great time touring Maryland in search of the best 🍦ice cream🍦, the kind that comes straight from the cow!

I am pleased to announce that we COMPLETED the entire Ice Cream Trail and now I get to rate and review each creamery! Really, there was no bad ice cream, but there were some creameries that I wouldn't personally go the extra mile for again. There were 9 local creameries to visit, so I'll rank them 1-9 and start with number 9!

#9- Broom's Bloom Dairy
Always my number one concern is the bathroom! This Queen does not use a Port-a-Pot, nope nope nope. So Broom's Bloom has one bathroom. There is an indoor, very small restaurant with limited seating offering a full menu for lunch and ice cream. The restaurant is also a store, where you can purchase meats and cheeses. We went in the height of summer and it was very, very busy. The line for food and ice cream was very long and with small kids, that was unbearable! The dairy itself felt very commercialized. The flavors of ice cream were dull; many flavors just tasted like vanilla with add ins. The location was convenient to 95. Outside, there was a huge sunflower field perfect for photography. There was also ample parking and outdoor seating.

#8- Prigel Family Creamery
At Prigel's, there is a Port-a-Pot outside. Strike One. There is a large field for running, perfect for kids and pets, but no seating except in the grass. There is a basket labeled "borrow a blanket" to sit outside. Inside is a small store that sells meats. You can't see the ice cream, so that takes away some of the fun of choosing. Overall, there's not much to do here other than order some ice cream, eat it quickly and drive down the road to use the bathroom.  

Port a pot. Backs to a sunflower field. Outdoor seating only. Toy box outside. Large field with a large rock and weeping tree. Quiet, rural setting. Store sells meat and cheese in addition to ice cream, sundaes, and shakes.

#7- Keyes Creamery 

Keyes is a small creamery but comfortable. While there is only a Port-a-Pot, it's situated in a nice and quiet, rural area. The building backs to a sunflower field. There is outdoor seating only on a deck and there is a toy box for the kids. There is a large field with a large rock and a weeping willow. The small store inside sells meat and cheese in addition to ice cream, sundaes, and shakes.

#6- South Mountain Creamery 

Expanding on both sides of the road, South Mountain Creamery has an array of outdoor features to check out. There are Port-a-Pots and outdoor hand washing stations. There is a small store with veggies, beef jerky, and chocolate milk. There is an ice cream counter display. There is outdoor seating under a tent next to the ice cream building. There is a cow barn across the street from the ice cream building where many baby cows are on "display" and love to be petted. At the end of the cow barn, there is a chicken coop, open to visitors. All around are large fields with adult cows. There is a large cow themed playground and pavilion with additional seating. There were also ride on cars and metal trucks to play with. This creamery was lots of fun for everyone! I only rate it at #6 because of those darn Port-a-Pots!

 

#5- Kilby Cream

Yippee! Finally a creamery with a bathroom. This creamery features lunch sandwiches and ice cream and has other items available for sale. There is indoor seating with a kids chalkboard and table. There is a large, well maintained playground, petting farm, and hay maze. I enjoyed the creativity put into naming the ice cream such as cowconut. Kilby is close to the Plumpton Park zoo and I highly recommend that you make a day trip to enjoy both! 

#4- Woodbourne Creamery at Rock Hill Orchard 

This creamery is easily accessible from Rt 70 and just a short 5 minute drive into town. There is a Port-a-Pot outside along with fields to pick you own fruits, veggies, and flowers. The store inside has fruits, veggies, and homemade jellies for sale. In addition to selling delicious ice cream, floats, and milkshakes, there is a home-made Rosemary Lemonade! It's delicious! There is no indoor seating but the outdoor seating is under a tent, and it does keep the rain out! You can also drive up the road and see the cows on the property and there are cow feeding on the weekends.

#3- Chesapeake Bay Farms 

This creamery definitely took some planning to visit. It's 2.5+ hours away so it became a weekend trip to see my aunt in Salisbury. There is one indoor bathroom. There is a small shop that sells sauces, meats, seafood and other items. At the ice cream counter, you can see the ice cream. While there weren't a lot of flavors, there were delicious flavors. Outside, there are picnic benches and porch swings to eat your ice cream. There are also cows to pet and beautiful flowers which make for beautiful photos!

 

#2- Rocky Point Creamery 

Rocky Point Creamery is in a large building with an indoor bathroom, party room with available indoor seating, and an additional 4 tables in the actual ice cream parlor. There is also plenty of outdoor covered seating. There is a beautiful playground with a real tractor. I was told that the owner builds a new slide on the tractor each year. The creamery backs to three sunflower fields. Inside, the store sells meat and cheese and ice cream sandwiches. The open ice cream counter allows for customers to see the ice cream flavors on display. The flavors were delicious. The location is about 20 mins to Greenbrier State Park, down the street from the C&O Canal, train station, and Point of Rocks.

#1- Misty Meadows Farm Creamery 

Misty Meadows is a family favorite! We've been coming to Misty Meadows for many years and we'll continue to return. While the creamery is only in a small building, this creamery offers a lot of flavorful ice creams and limitless outdoor fun! There is a single bathroom in the building and a small "store" section with homemade blankets, cheese, meats, and strawberry milk for sale. Grammy's Crumbs are made with crushed biscotti and a favorite in my family as is Maple Walnut! The ice cream display counter allows you to "oooh and awe" all the delicious flavors. They also sell lunch foods like hot dogs and soups, and specialty drinks as well. Outside, there is a playground, petting farm (with rabbits, cow, chickens, donkey, miniature horse, goats), pedal cars, informational barns, photo ops, sunflower field, and spider web. There are two 2 person tables inside and seating outside. The location of Misty Meadows is about 20 mins to Cunningham Falls State Park and we don't miss it during our camping trips!

 

 

Thanks for sticking around! It was super "sweet" of you! I'll see ya'll in my next blog entry, and I promise it won't be in another year and a half!

 

xoxo,

Gigi