On a spring trip to Halibut Point (where I found a Harlequin Duckling swimming in the Atlantic!) I checked the Ice Cream Map on the way home and discovered I could get ice cream without even leaving Route 127.

Dairy Train is a bright pink and purple ice cream shop adjacent to the Rockport MBTA Commuter Rail station. It's in a sort of strip mall (the "Whistlestop Mall") with a bagel shop and a Walgreens, so there's plenty of parking, and it includes a roofed over area with benches and picnic tables, carrying on the color theme.

They have a fairly broad menu with Richardson's ice cream and Hood soft serve. They also have italian ice, sherbets, (non-dairy) sorbet, "hard yogurt", a couple of sugarless flavors, and it looks like at least half of their ice cream is gluten free. They have banana splits, sundaes, and ice cream sandwiches, along with an interesting looking "nut bar" - soft serve, hot fudge, and peanuts, dipped in chocolate. Toppings (including butterfinger and sour patch kids), sprinkles, and "Blend In's" as well as dips (which I didn't try this time.) For drinks, they have frappes, smoothies, freezes, floats, and whatever a "Razzle" is.

Since I'd been out taking pictures all day (and was a little sunburned) I went with something basic: a large Moose Tracks, with chocolate sprinkles and walnuts.

Next Visit

Halibut point is one of the more practical places to do shorebird photography, there's plenty of parking and trails, but since it's just rehabilitated quarry there aren't protected beaches like there are at Plum Island. (In fact, there aren't conventional "beaches" at all, it's just boulders all the way down to the water.) So with good weather and viewing conditions, I'm likely to be back there in the next couple of seasons, and will also likely to be back at the Dairy Train.

My next conventional flavors will probably be Death by Chocolate, Totally Turtle, or Butter Crunch, but if I remember (or check my notes) I'll probably give the Nut Bar a try - unless it's high summer in which case the Mango Sorbet could edge it out.

Or maybe I'll be inspired by the soft serve lamps and just get a dip cone :-)