This is a delicious tale of ice cream and a vibrant community in a Midwest American town, right in the heartland of USA.
Le Mars Iowa USA earnt the title of Ice Cream Capital of the World, in 1994. More ice-cream is produced in this one town than any other town on the planet. Family-owned business Wells Blue Bunny started manufacturing their first products back in 1913.
Most visitors stop into the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor in the main street. There are over 40 flavors to choose from, interactive displays and information about the company, spread over the two-story building. In June every year there is a four day ice-cream days festival featuring car shows, concerts, socials, outdoor movies, carnivals, games, fun runs and bike races, markets and scavenger hunts. It all culminates on the final day with a street parade through town.
Over 50 fiberglass five foot tall ice-cream cone sculptures are scattered throughout the town. They have been painted by different artists and organizations. It is a treat to follow the trail and discover the different types.
I am a big fan of the little free libraries, so this next picture gets two ticks of approval. Little free libraries are great when you are traveling. Pick up a book, read it and drop/swap it at the next one. no carrying around heavy books in your luggage, and others get to read them too.
It is fun to see the ice-cream cone theme to go with the placement, such as the artistic sculpture outside the arts center.
The town also has Alley Art, a public art project started in 2013. These amazing murals can be discovered on 42 buildings throughout 9 downtown alleys and 6 parking lots. Over 115 artists have painted beautiful artworks. Check out the train mural and see if you can identify dairy features disguised as ordinary items.
(Yes, the train does go right through the town. As teenagers we would play fire drill when our cars were stopped on a Friday or Saturday evening by the train passing through the middle of town. Kids today would think we were crazy, but when stopped, everyone would jump out, run around the car and then jump back in before the train passed through. Strange, but it was fun!)
I also truly like the different architecture in town. This is middle America, a town of extended families and new neighbors. Residents sit on porches and greet each other during the warmer months. This is like coming home.