Ice cream is a dessert that is liked and enjoyed by almost everybody from all age groups and walks of life on this globe. The very mention of the phrase ‘Ice Cream’ can bring a smile and joy on most faces, especially the younger generations- the so called kids and teenagers. The senior citizens also make up a large chunk of the daily consumption of ice creams in the US. When it comes to ice creams the US stands out as being home to many world famous ice cream brands and the best part about this country is most US ice cream manufacturers have priced their ice creams so low that if you are a foreign tourist from another country you will find the pricing Shockingly low. Yes we mean it! You will find the ice cream prices so dang cheap in the USA. Anywhere in the world, the real ice cream lovers would want to try out their best flavors from their most loved ice cream brands round the year irrespective of the season, even fierce winters should not stop them from getting a taste of it!
Summer is the high season that generally attracts people to try out these frozen desserts, that good feeling of having something very cold inside the mouth on a scorching hot day is surely the reason why summertime is the best for ice cream eating sprees. Ice cream is available in hundreds and thousands of flavors and US as a country is known to have the best tasting ice creams in the world. Most US families take time off during weekends to visit a nearby parlor for unforgettable ice cream experiences, having an ice cream with kids and relatives at a favorite ice cream parlor is a nice way to spend quality time with family and there’s no better way to happiness than having an ice cream with family.
For the perfect Ice cream themed vacation in the USA we have some very best destinations for taking guided factory tours that will be educational for both you and your entire family. These factory tours will throw a lot of light on how ice cream is manufactured from scratch at the factory right from the ingredients they use to the sophisticated machinery used.
Ben & Jerry Water Bury, Vermont
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is easily one of the best brands for ice cream in the US, named after its founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The highlight of this 30 year old company is it promises to source milk from farmers who don’t use growth hormones on their cows for its ice cream preparation. The Ben & Jerry factory is located in Waterbury, Vermont and the guided tours last for 30 min and are held every half hour, tickets are available everyday on a first-come-first served basis. During the tour you can see the production room through the glass structures, watch a short movie about the journey of Ben & Jerry and finally you can head to the Flavorroom to taste the flavor of the day. For amusement there’s a playground area where you can take an ice cream themed picnic with your kids.
Our recommendations of best Ben & Jerry flavors: Chunky Monkey, Chubby Hubby, Cherry Garcia, Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vanilla Dough.
The entry costs $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and is free for kids under 12. A special $21 package includes a tour, a coupon for a pint of Ben & Jerry and a factory tour T-shirt.
Goody’s Chocolate and Ice Cream in Bend Oregon
Photo courtesy: onlyinyourstate.com
This is based in Bend, Oregon, founded in 1984 and is loved throughout the USA for its home made scoops of ice creams. Take a guided factory tour of its ice cream and chocolate museum to learn how the ice cream, sorbets, ice cream bars and chocolates are made from scratch. The best part of the tour is you can sample 6 spoonful flavors of your choice which is included in the fair you pay for the tour. The whole tour will last for 15 minutes, open Monday to Friday between 11 pm to 4 pm, only costs $2 for admission and free for 3 year old kids and under.
Our recommendations of best Goody’s Chocolate and Ice Cream flavors: Strawberry Lemonade, Key Lemonade, Key Lime Pie, Coconut, Blueberry.
Graeter’s in Columbus, Ohio
Graeter’s is located in Columbus, Ohio with headquarters at Cincinnati and is the most loved ice cream brand by people in the US state of Ohio. Graeter’s is known worldwide for its unique French pot technique for ice cream making that makes limited quantity of only 2 gallons at a time for ensuring a rich creamy flavor to its ice creams. You can take a guided tour with your family between Tuesdays to Fridays (9 am to 3 pm) and admission is entirely free for all age groups!
Our recommendations of best Graeter’s ice cream flavors: Black Raspberry, Peach and Chocolate Chip
Boulder Ice Cream in Boulder Colorado
Photo courtesy: pinterest.com
Boulder Ice Cream is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado and can be accessed from 9 different states of the US including California, Missouri and Texas. The unique thing about Boulder Ice Cream is it only use milk from cows that aren’t treated with any hormones and its factory utilizes only 100 % wind power. The company has future plans to convert its entire line of 150 ice cream flavors to be organic.
The tour is completely free for people from all age groups operating between Wednesdays to Saturdays (10 am to 1 pm) and includes a free 2-ounce sample of an ice cream of your choice.
Our recommendations of best flavors: Mexican Chocolate, Island Coconut and Espresso Chocolate.
Berkery Creamery in Penn State University
Berkery Creamery is a producer and vendor of ice cream, sherbet and cheese. Falls under the Department of Food Science in the College of Agricultural Sciences of the Pennsylvania State University and is the largest university creamery in the United States. Penn State’s program is notable for teaching ice cream making art to many commercial ice cream manufactures including Ben & Jerry. Currently Berkery Creamery is not offering any guided tours for the public but you can have a look at its production room through its lobby in the creamery’s store, the lobby is open daily between 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Our recommendations of best flavors: Water melon sorbet, Coconut chip ice cream and Black Raspberry frozen yogurt.
