One of the best excuses for a summer drive is ice cream! I remember back in the day, going out after dinner with my mom and sister to little wayside places in the woods - our favorite flavors were Mocha Almond and Maple Walnut – no “Moose Tracks” for us! Call me old-fashioned! As an adult I can indulge in variety with frequency because I'm lucky to live in the Hudson Valley which is loaded with amazing ice cream places. Any excuse is a good excuse for a drive and a cone. These days, with the craze for artisanal everything, there are oodles of home-made varieties of hard ice cream in wild flavors to be explored! I'm one of those equal opportunity ice cream-lovers, I like it hand-dipped or smooth and twisty! Both species of dairy goodness (hard and