Great Escapes: Unwind With An Ice Cream Cone

I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream!

Last weekend's warm weather sent residents out in search of cool, sweet treats and, accordingly, lines grew at local ice cream shops. As the spring gives way to summer and the temperature goes up, what better way to cap the day than with a walk and some meditative licks of an ice cream cone? (Why not? You'll have walked off the calories!)

If you're driving along South Main Street in Clawson stop in Dairy-O for ice cream. The small ice cream shop has a wide variety of flavors including butter pecan, blueberry, banana, coconut and cheesecake. They also offer a sports team special— get 20 percent off for a minimum of five players. New to the shop are Spiderman and Dora treats for the kids. If you're not into ice cream, Dairy-O also offers shakes, malts, slushes, flurries and more.

In Berkley, there are two ice cream favorites: and . Clark's has new flavors including Thin Mint Cookie, Turtle Pecan and Pomeberry (a mixture of pomegranate, blueberry and chocolate chips). Frosty Freeze is serving up Spiderman and Dora popsicles for the kids in all of us (in addition to its usual offerings). Check in on the shop's Facebook page before you go to find out what's new at Tasty Freeze. 

When looking for a cold, sweet and delectable escape in Royal Oak, you must visit . An institution in the city, families have been visiting the Coolidge Highway ice cream parlor for generations. Ray's ice cream may also be found in downtown restaurants and specialty stores. The extensive menu has more than 40 flavors and no one should feel guilty about dropping in for a scoop (or two!) and enjoying the indulgence. Favorite flavors like Superman and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough are on the menu or you can be a bit more adventurous and try a new flavor like Fat Elvis or Detroit Club Coffee.

In Ferndale, you can get ice cream at the Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins, Coldstone Creamery, even McDonald's. But when Ferndale Patch posed the question "Where do you go for ice cream?" to its readers, nearly all who responded said: . Treat Dreams owner Scott Moloney is a mad scientist, basically. His flavors range from the normal to the interesting (purple yam) to the down right wrong (salt and vinegar). Treat Dreams also carries vegan ice cream for you non-dairy people out there.