Cups, cones, sundaes, shakes
Keeping cool means eating great
By Lindsay Sauvageau JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

You can sprinkle it, coat it, top it or just go nuts. You can lick it, spoon it, drink it or throw it over a brownie. You can have it fruity, chocolaty, crunchy, creamy, hard and soft. There are 32 flavors, and then some.

Ice cream isn't just yummy, it's versatile and there are plenty of places in the area to get the kind of fantastic frozen treats that make long-lasting summer memories.

The obvious, service-with-a-smile suggestion is Friendly's. Friendly's has some of the best brownie sundaes in my opinion, plus, it's pretty hard to beat their variety of flavors. I personally enjoy a peanut butter happy ending sundae with Oreo cookie ice cream topped with nuts. In Fitchburg and Leominster alone there are four different Friendly's locations, in Leominster there are two restaurants, one at 482 N. Main St. and another at 24 Monument Square plus there is a shop in the Mall at Whitney Field. In Fitchburg, there is a restaurant (conveniently located next to Cinema World) at 464 John Fitch Highway. There is also a Friendly's in Gardner at 18 Pearson Blvd.

At the same time, Dairy Queen, at 143 River St. in Fitchburg, has practically everything you could think of from soft serve and ice cream bars to sundaes and slushies. Their Blizzard treats are an outstanding blend of your favorite candies and fruits in a frozen swirl of delectable goodness.

If you're out and about buying swimsuits and arm floaties at the mall and you don't quite feel like Friendly's you can also try the Orange Julius in the food court. The best thing about buying a frozen fruit smoothie from Orange Julius is that you can get yourself a chili dog at the same time. I think after a quick pop into Game Stop and Hot Topic, a chili dog is the perfect shopping conclusion.

If you're hungry for more than just dessert, Carol's Dairy Bar, 310 Summer St. in Fitchburg; Jackie's Dairy Bar, 525 Main St. in Leominster; and Kay's Dairy Bar and Seafood, 197 State Road West in Westminster

are all excellent onestop spots for ice cream and good ol' fashioned fried eatin'.

Tweedos Variety in Ashburnham is another great spot for ice cream and anything else you might need during these hot summer months.

A person can make an entire day out of a trip for ice cream if they go to Kimball Farms, 400 Littleton Road in Westford or on Route 124 in Jaffrey, NH. Bumper boats, minigolf, a driving range, a 9-hole pitch and putt course, a country store and portions which can make even the biggest ice cream enthusiast ask for an extra bowl just in case, Kimball's is less like an ice cream stand and more like an event for the whole family. Through Labor Day every Thursday night Kimball's hosts a Cruise Night, showcasing as many as 350 cars ranging from Corvettes to Model As.

The Lancaster Golf Center also has an ice cream stand that's open all year round. Located at 438 Old Union Turnpike in Lancaster, the Golf Center features not just ice cream and a driving range, but an 18-Hole Par 72 "Famous" minigolf course with holes created as replicas of more famous courses like Doral, Sawgrass and Pebble Beach. Plus, they have batting cages and "Bankshot Basketball" with an assortment of curved and unconventionally configured backboards.

Phew.

Now I'm getting hungry, so try one of these great places this summer. Keeping cool is a scream!