Hopefully I’m not the first to tell you this, but summer has officially arrived in the Lakes Region! All the obvious signs are out there – the lake is busy, the hum of your neighbor’s landscapers is ever-present, and of course, the Fourth of July is here. Growing up in New England, the historical significance of our little corner of the country was never lost on my educators, my mom included.  This is why, when I was probably around eight years old, my family embarked on every young New Englander’s rite of passage, the Boston Freedom Trail. 

Upon arriving at our first stop, Boston Commons, my older brother and I decided on a competition. Whoever licked more historic sites along the 2.6-mile trail would earn bragging rights (whatever that means) (in perpetuity, of course).

Sixteen stops later, my tongue had made direct contact with each historical site, and a couple bonus statues along the way (shoutout Paul Revere). You think this is gross, but at eight years old this was definitely really cool, okay? As I proudly explained my achievement to my siblings, my brother revealed he had not licked a single site along the way. Call it a missed social cue, or just a classic sibling prank, but if a therapist ever tells me I have trust issues, I will have to point to this as the origin story. 

How my brother’s lack of participation escaped me remains a mystery. What I can tell you is that I gained a superhuman immune system that day AND a great alternative for those of you who haven’t acquired a taste for historic brick in the heat of summer.

If you find your hunger for history minimal, check out the New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail instead! This trail features almost 45 stops and covers every corner of the state as part of an initiative by Granite State Dairy Promotion. Best of all, no one will give you weird looks for licking something (ideally ice cream) at each stop! Participants sign up to receive a passport and earn a stamp at each stop along the trail. A completed passport earns you a free Ice Cream Trail sweatshirt!

But just in case 45 separate stops doesn’t sound do-able, you can always try out these Gunstock favorites around the Lakes Region!

Bailey's Bubble, Wolfeboro NH

Jordan's Ice Creamery, Belmont NH

Happy Cow Ice Cream Shop, Laconia NH

NEW Social Club Creamery, Laconia NH

Stillwell's Ice Cream, Alton Bay

(And after all that, if you’re still dead set on checking out the Freedom Trail this summer, take it from me, the Old North Church tastes like cookies and cream.)