I know it doesn’t feel like spring yet; but no matter what the temperature is, it’s always ice cream weather. And we have been in an ice cream mood lately. In the past month, I’ve made a few trips to our local favorite, and we’ve also tried out two new places. One of which I am excited to share with you today!
I’ve asked my readers in the past, “What ice cream shop should I visit next” and one of the more popular answers is Dairy Cream in Windsor Locks.
Dairy Cream is a local, stand-alone ice cream shop located just across the road from Bradley International Airport on Route 75. They open seasonally starting in March through the fall (usually closing in October). They offer a variety of dairy treats using both soft serve and hard ice cream. The ice cream stand has a very nostalgic feel to it, which makes sense since they have been around since 1954.
When you pull into the parking lot, you’ll see parking spots along the front and side. We visited after school (twice in the last month). Despite it being right before dinner time, they still had a crowd during both visits. It was also cold both times we stopped in. It didn’t deter anyone. They have parking in the rear of shop if you find it busy.
They have several windows for ordering. There are stairs and a ramp leading up to the front.
Above the windows, you’ll find their complete menu. They offer soft serve and hard ice cream. They have a unique menu of hard ice cream! For soft serve, they offer the standard vanilla, chocolate and swirl, as well as some different flavors and a special flavor of the day. They also offer flavor bursts on the vanilla soft serve (so you can turn your vanilla into orange or strawberry or even cotton candy)!
Additionally, they have floats and icebergs, milkshakes, sundaes (with the BEST pineapple sauce, I might add), flurries (with candy mix-ins), Italian ice and take-home options. They also sell hot dogs, chili dogs, chips and soft drinks.
I found their prices super reasonable as well!
For sizes, they have the standard small, medium and large. They also offer kid sizes, which are a perfect size for the little eaters.
When we walked up to the window, this child rushed up and said “I want red, orange AND blue ice cream”. And the man behind the window looked at him with a smile and said, “I can do that”. And did he ever! What a happy boy I had!
If you are wondering, that would be vanilla soft serve with orange, strawberry and cotton candy flavor bursts. And that, is a kid size serving!
They offer picnic benches throughout the parking lot – there are a few located next to the stand and then a row of them by the trees.
We started out at a picnic bench.
And then we moved on to the stairs. He also moved on from his dish to a much needed ice cream cone. Same ice cream, different container! And at this point, half of it was on his coat…
So besides the delicious ice cream, what really makes this place special is the view. This is a great spot to watch the airplanes from Bradley take off!
Because of the tree line, you won’t see too many coming in from the north. We also didn’t sit facing the south, so I am not sure if you can see them coming in from that direction either. You can certainly hear them though!
He was very excited by the big airplanes!
And if the airplanes were not enough, Dairy Cream is also located right near a train yard. There were a few disabled trains that caught his eye behind the fence.
And then by some stroke of luck, we heard the tell-tale sign of a train on the track.
I honestly don’t know if I could have asked for better timing. This child was about to burst from excitement. Ice cream. Airplanes. AND a train. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Clearly, we had an exciting trip to the Dairy Cream in Windsor Locks. I can’t guarantee you’ll see a train go by when you visit, but I can tell you that you’ll probably see an airplane take off and you’ll definitely have some great ice cream!
So, add the Dairy Cream to your list of ice cream destinations this spring/summer!
This about sums it up…
Address:
359 Ella Grasso Turnpike (Route 75) – Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Hours:
Seasonally – Spring through Fall. Follow their Facebook page for an up to date opening/closing schedule.
Open Daily – See their Facebook page for specific hours.
Features:
- Large parking lot with plenty of available spaces
- Parking lot is open to the road – if you have a runner like me, be mindful!
- Cash or credit
- Soft Serve, hard ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and more! Hot dogs also available.
- Tons of seating, in shade and in sun
- Great views of the airplanes taking off from Bradley!
