Hillsborough Hotspots: Maple View

Taking my friends to the Maple View Ice Cream store is like a ritual that one must go through to truly experience the most fabulous ice cream of all mankind. At least, that is the way that I like to think about it.

Going to Maple View is also a way for my friends to get to know me better. I worked there for two years during high school and have gone there with family and friends for ages now it seems.

What is Maple View? Maple View is officially a dairy farm that is located in the rural gap between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. Across from the farm there is a dairy store. This is where people can come to get ice cream that uses cream from the cows that they see right across the road. Isn't that cool?!



They also sell milk (in glass bottles!), local cheese, eggs, strawberries, chocolate treats, meat and soap!



There are also always really fun flavors. My favorites, you ask?

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Mango Sorbet
Orange Dream
Mint Chocolate Chip

But there are also fun ones like Peanut Butter and Jelly (don't wince, it really does taste good!), Moosetracks, Honey Toasted Almond, Banana and so much more!!!

So...
Step 1: You get your ice cream
Step 2: Go outside and choose to sit either on the porch with over 40 rocking chairs, or go out to the field where there are several picnic tables to sit upon.
Step 3: Look at one of the best views in Orange County

See how many cars are there? It's popular!

Step 4: Perhaps toss around a frisbee.

I have been there twice in the past two weeks. Perhaps three. I don't keep count. One with my good friend Whitney Davis! Who was baffled by how far out into the "country" this place was (oh, how I love you!) and then once again with "the gang" as we call it.

I love Maple View because it is so quintessentially so much of what I love about this area. It's gorgeous, simple and everything just moves a little bit slower. It's enough just to go and enjoy good ice cream and look out at a view. It reminds me of warm summer nights, star gazing and carefree afternoons.

Do y'all have anything like this near you? Or someplace that sells local goods?

Until then,
Cara

Swing and poetry

Good morning sunshines!
I've decided it's going to be a good day- I've finally got some energy back in me (even though I woke up at 6:30 this morning, I went to bed last night at like 9:30).

Yesterday I was able to check off one of the things on my summer to-do list! I went to the new Hillsborough public library (okay, it just moved across town- but it's a new building!). So I have "discovered" something new in this town.

It wasn't the best library I have ever been to, it was smaller than most. But, the man at the counter was friendly (even though he went to Duke). What I kept on thinking the whole time is what is a guy who went to Duke doing working at a library as a receptionist? Who knows. Either way, I got a new library card! Exciting! Oh, and I suppose that I got books too!


I'm really excited about all of these books! I read some of Dickinson's poetry last night and this morning and I loved it! Kristen's post yesterday made me realize how much I miss good writing in my life! And although most of the poems have been about our mortality, they are still ,strangely, beautiful.

I also started to read The Beautiful and the Damned, which is on my summer reading list! F. Scott Fitzgerald is amazing.
His words just flow off the page and into my brain. He is so good at creating these awesome images. His writing has come to define the Roaring 20s or what is referred to as the Jazz Age. This extravagant, champagne flowing, luxurious, high society, garden party, trumpet playing, furs and flapper time period.


I love, love, love it. Maybe it is the romantic in me, and even though the point of Fitzgerald's work is to point out the fallacy of this dream period (he was the one telling the world "I told you so" in 1928), I still think it's fun to go along for the ride.

Cool fact: Every year at Governor's island just outside of New York City, in June they have this really big Jazz Age party on the lawn, hosted by Swing Dance Long Island. It is sooo cool. Found out about it when The Sartorialist started to take pictures there because all of the fashion there is incredible.

All these pictures were taken by Scott Schuman and his incredible self and can be seen further here.





Doesn't that look like so much fun??! I am determined to go one day.

Until then,
Cara