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Friday Favorite: Motoring

June 3rd, 2011

Mr Chiots and I are very practical and frugal people. We’re also very busy. That means that we don’t make trips out very often, unless we’re in need of something. When we do head out we maximize our trip to get all of our errands done. This saves us lots of time and money. Every now and then however, we play hooky from gardening and work, throw caution and frugality to the wind, jump in our MINI Cooper and go motoring (when you own a MINI driving is called motoring). Wednesday evening was such a time.

We hopped in the MINI, rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof and motored into the setting sun. It was around 8 when we set off, the “golden hour”. That time of the evening when the sun is low in the sky and bathes everything in a golden glow. It was a beautiful evening!

We ended up in New Baltimore, OH at a small ice cream shop. It’s the most wonderful little dive, they make their own ice cream and they pile it high on the cones. I’ve blogged about this place before. This is one of Mr Chiot’s favorite things – good ice cream from little shops off the beaten path.

After savoring our ice cream we motored home, happy and relaxed after enjoying a beautiful summer evening!

Do you have any great little ice cream dives you like to frequent? (I’ll be sure to add them to my Google map so we can stop if in the area).

26 Comments to “Friday Favorite: Motoring”
  1. kristin @ going country on June 3, 2011 at 5:43 am

    The best one in our area closed about a year before we moved back here. The old guy that had been running it for 50 years finally retired. I only went to it once before it closed, when we were visiting A.’s parents, and I sort of wish I had never been. Because now I know what I’m missing. Boo.

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  2. Dr. Dad on June 3, 2011 at 6:30 am

    Hey, you headed up there and did not call me? I would have grabbed granny and gone “motoring” for one of their cones too!

    Reply to Dr. Dad's comment

  3. Gayle on June 3, 2011 at 6:51 am

    We have an awesome ice cream shop that started life as an old general store/post office…then it was an antique store, got really run down and stinky! THEN it was rescued and adopted by a local farm family. They worked and worked to restore that building and NOW, every Monday they are closed so that they can make homemade ice cream that would make you swoon! Many many flavors and a single cone is so generous that I cannot imagine anyone eating more than that. If you are ever in the Gloucester, VA area, I highly recommend a visit to Short Lane Ice Cream Shoppe.

    Reply to Gayle's comment

  4. tj on June 3, 2011 at 7:32 am

    …That sounds like a wonderful evening to me! And you have a Mini Cooper too? I love them! :o)

    …Unfortunately we don’t have any small town ice cream shops around our area. The last one here was a Dairy Queen and it closed years ago. If there were a place near us like what you visited I would be there all. the. time. :o)

    …Enjoy your weekend and blessings too…

    Reply to tj's comment

  5. goatpod2 on June 3, 2011 at 7:34 am

    We like going to Handel’s every once in awhile when we’re in Louisville, Ohio or North Canton, Ohio and sometimes go to the golf course on the way home from Louisville.

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  6. Jennifer on June 3, 2011 at 9:24 am

    I love driving or biking during that magic hour. The light is so beautiful and I feel like I’m in a dream.

    Reply to Jennifer's comment

  7. Gabe on June 3, 2011 at 9:48 am

    We have a couple little local joints that we frequent, but the latest kick is Jeni’s, which just moved to Chagrin Falls (my wife is a big fan).

    When we travel, one of our highlights is seeking out the local ice cream places and having a sample (or two or three…). What better way to get to know an area than through their ice cream?

    Reply to Gabe's comment

  8. MAYBELLINE on June 3, 2011 at 10:24 am

    Dewar’s Ice Cream in Bakersfield, California.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  9. Donna B. on June 3, 2011 at 10:25 am

    Oh this is a fantastic post. ♥ [I love Mini’s! Must be so fun motoring! We have a weekend Jeep that we take our pups in to go on long hikes… it’s sort of our motoring vehicle.]
    I LOVE finding amazing little dives that noone knows about! Well, sometimes’ a LOT of people know about them but that doesn’t matter! Good food is good for all!
    If you are ever around the East Coast again, I live in Northern New Jersey – and there’s a great ice cream place called Cliff’s. [link is to google maps directions] It’s one of those “Best of…” places. I live a five-minute drive away, so it’s dangerous to have so near… But it’s so great. And open YEAR ROUND, which is always a plus… when yer craving ice cream in the dead of winter… hehee!

    Reply to Donna B.'s comment

  10. Diane on June 3, 2011 at 11:08 am

    I had a mini for a while and remember how comfortable it was for motoring around. It was not easy to back out into the highway when parked between two big trucks at the local coffee shop, though :-)
    We’ve been making our own ice cream lately. The latest had cherries and chunks of chocolate.

    Reply to Diane's comment

  11. Marcia on June 3, 2011 at 11:20 am

    Cochrane is but a twenty or so minute drive from Calgary and the home of MacKay’s homemade ice cream. Delicious does not even begin to cover it. In this same great small town can be found my favorite organic café, Twisted Basil.

    Reply to Marcia's comment

  12. Renee on June 3, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Yes, if you’re ever back in the Shenandoah Valley, drop into one of the Kline’s “Dairy Bars”! There are 2 in Harrisonburg, VA. They’re like the one you described – homemade ice cream piled high. They always have 3 flavors – chocolate, vanilla, and the flavor of the week.

    http://www.klinesdairybar.com/

    Reply to Renee's comment

  13. Sicerely, Emily on June 3, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    No favorite ice cream shops. I keep meaning to make my own, but STILL haven’t done it. I love that “golden hour” too. Right now it is the only time (other than the wee hours of the am) where I can get outside and work in the gardens and yards. Emily

    Reply to Sicerely, Emily's comment

  14. Kathi on June 3, 2011 at 4:00 pm

    I drive a Mini too which I have had sine 2004. We have a great tiny icecream shop called peaches and cream in the next town over (Litchfield Ct.) I don’t eat ice cream alot but when I do it’s their blackraspberry.

    Reply to Kathi's comment

  15. Elaine on June 3, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    Molly Moon in Seattle! It’s not a dive but the Wallingford location is cute and the ice cream is great.

    Reply to Elaine's comment

  16. Jennifer Fisk on June 3, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    When you were in Maine last year, did you go to the Giffords Ice Cream shop in Bucksport? Another superb ice cream and piled high. If you ever cross VT near Montpelier you need to visit the Ben and Jerry’s factory store. Just a really fun thing to do.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

    • Susy on June 3, 2011 at 7:48 pm

      I do believe we happened upon Giffords, we found a few wonderful places while traveling around Maine.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  17. Amber on June 3, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    Have you ever been to Honey Hutt? Its in Cleveland (Old Brooklyn), they have a couple of locations now around the area too. They make all their ice cream with honey. SO good. I like the butter pecan, but my husband (and all 4 kids) LOVE the orange blossom. Little bits of orange rind and that orange blossom honey. Ooooh, yummo. Hmmm, I think we all need to go for a walk tonight now, its only 10 blocks or so away from our house! Wont the kids be super happy!!!! :)

    Reply to Amber's comment

  18. KimH on June 3, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    Oh wow Amber.. thanks! My honey & I are gonna have to go try that honey ice cream.. sounds divine.

    In Eastlake,Oh there is Coopers which is on Lakeshore Ave about a mile east of Rt 91.. They make the best ice cream slushes.. I always get the Dreamsicle and my honey gets the Raspberry vanilla.. There is usually a nice long line during the summer evenings..

    Eastlake also has CPs which is on Vine Street.. West of 91.. I dont ever go there but is usually a good line there too..

    Willoughby Hills has a pretty good ice cream place on Route 6 just east of Som Center Road (Rte.91) It has 28 flavors of Soft Serve.. pretty darn good.

    Often we jump on the motorcycles and go to Geneva On The Lake to the ice cream place on the strip about half way down the boardwalk. Im not a huge ice cream fan so I usually go next door and get one of their awesome donuts instead. ;)

    We go motoring in our Triumph TR6 too.. Its been a while.

    Reply to KimH's comment

  19. deedee on June 3, 2011 at 11:45 pm

    This isn’t a special “dive”, but on Saturdays our local Skyline Chili has kids eat free night. We head that way often on Saturday nights! Attached to the Skyline is a little ice cream shop. We always finish with dessert there…. believe it or not, I always choose “birthday cake” ice cream over any of the chocolate variations!!! What has this world come to?!
    A good dive in Anderson,IN is Good’s Chocolate shop. They also serve ice cream:)
    AND…. my mom just got me an ice cream maker, so I’m sure we’ll be putting that to use very soon! Definitely brings back memories from when I was younger! My dad would make ice cream on the weekends during the summer…. One time my mom tried to double the recipe when she was making cherry jelly. It turned out super runny, so that became our ice cream topping:)

    Reply to deedee's comment

  20. Andrea on June 4, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    Hartzler’s in Wooster, but I’m sure you already know it :-)

    When we want to treat ourselves to some good ice cream that’s where we go.

    Reply to Andrea's comment

    • Susy on June 4, 2011 at 4:47 pm

      Yes, that’s our true fave – Mr Chiots LOVES their chocolate shakes made with chocolate milk and no chocolate syrup.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  21. Rachel on June 6, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    Stricklands, but only the original building. On Tripplet circle in akron, right across the street from the old blimp hanger. We love to travel for ice cream too, and New Baltimore is our favorite hard scoop.

    Reply to Rachel's comment

  22. Andrea on June 14, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    If you all make it down to Nashville sometime there’s a couple around here, but Rita’s Frozen Custard & Italian Ice is the best! It’s on the southeast side of Nash in The Hermitage(where Andrew Jackson lived).

    Reply to Andrea's comment

  23. Bertie on June 23, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    There is a little place outside of Sebring Ohio in a little town called Beloit. It’s called Whistle stop pizza. They used to have some really yummy ice cream. My mom and dad said that it is still there, but they haven’t been there in a while. We used to go there often when I was a little girl and I always loved their banana milkshakes. :) It’s off Beliot snodes rd (165) on 1st st (I think it’s also called main st). Right by the railroad tracks. Can’t miss it. There’s not much in Beliot.

    Reply to Bertie's comment

    • Susy on June 23, 2011 at 10:37 pm

      Great recommendation – we know where that is and will stop next time we drive through!

      Reply to Susy's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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