Locating the sweet spot in Clark County

It’s a familiar experience — the view wavy with heat, that summer smell of drying grass, as errant drops of sweetness drip onto fingertips and sidewalks. Summertime is the bastion of cool desserts, from ice cream to snow cones to frozen yogurt. A stroll through a grocery’s glacier wardrobes is enough to satisfy the simple craving for sweetness, but that’s not what we mean when we say “Let’s go for ice cream.”

Clark County has all kinds of frozen and fancy shops to provide both distinctive treats and nostalgia aplenty. Here’s a few snapshots from local places, but if you’d like to skip to the end and have dessert first, check our big old guide.

Megan’s Snack Shack grew out of a nostalgic desire for owners Richard and Megan Blade, who craved the flavors found at carnivals and fairs. They offer up Flavor Burst Soft Serve ice cream, which adds custom ribbons of flavor to ice cream cones.

“It’s a big East Coast thing,” said Richard Blade. “We’re one of the few spots (in the region) that truly offers it.”

They usually offer eight flavors at a time, rotating in different syrups each month, but keep chocolate, cheesecake and strawberry in stock due to their popularity, Blade said. For the summer, Megan’s Snack Shack will feature orange and watermelon, not that it’ll matter to their smallest customers. “(Kids) don’t care about flavors, they just want rainbow colors,” Blade said. “They don’t care what I have, they just want all eight flavors.” Flavor burst is also available in milkshake form.

When the husband and wife team opened Megan’s Snack Shack in February 2015, said Blade, “I wanted shaved ice all year round. Then we started looking at what else we wanted year-round.” That included everything from nostalgic candy to carnival treats and elephant ears. The snack shack also offers shaved ice in the Hawaiian style, made with ice cream at the bottom followed by a mound of shaved ice and your choice of 30 flavors of syrup.

Shaved ice is also the speciality of Tropical Sno, a seasonal spot in Salmon Creek owned by Claudia Ruffalo, her son, Brian, and daughter-in-law, Janae. Starting in 2011, the family’s colorful creations have become a community stop on the way to and from Klineline Pond and Salmon Creek Park.

“A snow cone is more like crushed ice, whereas shaved ice is just like snow, very soft and not compacted,” said Claudia Ruffalo. The flavor of the syrup is also better absorbed by the shaved ice. Tropical Sno will be featuring Root Beer Float and Creamsicle for this summer’s flavor combinations, along with the new concoctions Tahitian Treat, mixing piña colada, guava and orange syrups. The popular choice is caramel apple, while the shaved ice king is blue raspberry, “especially with our youngest customers who tend to order by color,” she wrote.

The Sucker Punch, a green-apple-and-pink-lemonade combination, would be for the daring. This year, Tropical Sno will also be found at Hillsboro Hops home baseball games, adding another summer pastime to the list. The stand is often staffed by friends and grandchildren, open throughout the summer from Memorial Weekend to the third weekend in September. According to Ruffalo, “We are told that once we open, summer can officially begin.”

East-side landmark

“This is a great family spot. With our outdoor seating it’s different from most ice cream places,” said Melissa Maynard, manager of Sheridan’s Frozen Custard. “It’s everything you think of for families and summer.” Sheridan’s offers frozen custard, a cousin of the ice cream that uses egg yolks to create a smoother texture while keeping the treats colder for longer.

A staple of east Vancouver for 12 years, the shop is either walk up or drive through, with a pavilion for customers who like to linger. While seasonal recipes come from the chain’s Kansas headquarters, the Vancouver spot does sometime create its own mixtures, said Maynard.

“A really popular one that we do in Vancouver is the Muddy Monkey shake and the Broadway Joe shake,” she said. A Muddy Monkey is custard, peanut butter, bananas and hot fudge, while Broadway Joe is all about strawberries and blackberries with chocolate chips on top. Customers can also customize their own “concrete,” which blends toppings into the custard. Maynard said someone once tried to get every fruit topping into one dessert.

And of course, the favorite choice of the kids is Dirt and Worms — custard covered in chocolate cookies and sprinkles, topped with gummy worms. In July, Sheridan’s will offer its seasonal choices Blackberry Pie and Strawberry Coconut Joy. Sadly, Maynard’s favorite combination, the Salted Caramel Brownie Sundae, melted away with the month of June.

When you aren’t sure what combinations to get on your cone, Ice Cream Renaissance has your fix with its Indecision. Prepare to receive a peanut butter rabbit with chocolate spots, or a caterpillar made from six different flavors. “It’s always a surprise,” said co-owner Brandon Angelo. Each team member has about four to five different ice cream creations they can create, he said, “and they’re always experimenting on new ones.”

Angelo and Julianne Bucklin have owned the Uptown Village shop since 2014. “My friend Jason (Seymour) and I bought it from the original owners (in 2006) and rebranded it,” said Angelo. “We saw something that was good, and said ‘Let’s make it a community staple.’ ” Angelo and Seymour worked with Bucklin in the early years before the shop changed hands in 2010. “The people that bought it from us asked if I wanted to come back,” he said.

In-house creations

Ice Cream Renaissance makes its own ice cream in-house, sourcing local ingredients when possible, like berries from Salem, Ore., and coffee from Vancouver’s Compass Coffee. In July customers can try root beer float ice cream, marionberry and Nutella flavors, while in August a spicy mango ice cream will appear, featuring habanero cream cheese and mango. “We also always have vegan flavors, like orange and grasshopper, made with organic mint and chocolate,” Angelo said.

“We tried to make it a place where people hang out, with more tables than a normal ice cream parlor,” said Angelo. With board games and late hours,“this is the staple hangout place,” he said. “Friends and family come out on a Sunday afternoon.”

But of course, there’s always room for more ice cream (and other things)! Here’s a good guide to frozen sweetness in Clark County. Be sure to check in with each place for any holiday hours or new flavors.

Summer Sweetness

Big ol’ classics

• Baskin-Robbins — Still offering its rainbow case of flavors, what’s more fun to a kid than being able to taste every flavor using tiny pink spoons? 7411 N.E. 117th Ave.; 7000 N.E. Highway 99; 16600 S.E. McGillivray Blvd.; 8700 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive; 800 N.E. Tenney Road. Hours vary by location. www.baskinrobbins.com

• Cold Stone Creamery — The last one in Clark County, the chain offers its signature ice cream customization on a frozen granite stone. 16010 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Suite 101. Noon to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 360-260-1211 or www.coldstonecreamery.com

• Dairy Queen — Soft-serve ice cream, Dilly Bars, Blizzards, parfaits and more, it’s hard to say no to a quick stop at DQ. Battle Ground: 1602 W. Main St.; Camas: 435 N.E. Third Ave.; Vancouver: 2707 Main St., 4807 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., 7713 MacArthur Blvd., 10507 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., 11815 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd.; Woodland: 1225 Lewis River Drive. Hours vary by location. www.dairyqueen.com

Local lick stops

• Flash Freeze Dreamery — At this Camas parlor, customers can customize their own ice cream, frozen yogurt, custard and gelato with the aid of liquid nitrogen. 155 N.E. 192nd Ave., Camas. Noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 360-258-0646 or www.flashfreeze.net

• Ice Cream Renaissance — 1925 Main St., Vancouver. Noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 360-694-3892 or www.facebook.com/icecreamrenaissance

• Lakeside Country Store — Part tackle shop by the lake, part summer adventure for a big ol’ scoop of ice cream to start or end a day on the water. 3510 N.E. Everett St., Camas. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. 360-844-5618 or on Facebook.

• Little Bavaria Dawg Haus and Ice Cream Shoppe — Next to the Liberty Theatre, this distinctive shop offers both ice cream and German-inspired sausages. 311 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. 360-844-5103 or www.facebook.com/littlebavariaofcamas

• Megan’s Snack Shack — 3414 N.E. 52nd St., Vancouver. Noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sundays. 360-991-3523 or www.meganssnackshack.com

• Savona Coffee House — Offering more than just coffee, customers can get some ice cream to go for a stroll along the Vancouver waterfront. 1898 S.E. Columbia River Drive, Vancouver. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 360-695-0678 or on Facebook.

• Sheridan’s Frozen Custard — 14389 S.E. Mill Plain Road, Vancouver. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Sunday. 360-260-2202 or http://sheridansfrozencustard.com

• Tropical Sno — 2009 N.E. 117th St., Vancouver. Noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday during the season. www.tropicalsnovancouver.com

Fro-yo fancy

• LimeBerry — With more than 15 rotating yogurt flavors and hundreds of toppings, this Battle Ground shop has been a local favorite in the self-serve frozen yogurt scene. 11 N.W. 12th Ave., Suite 111, Battle Ground. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. 360-723-5060 or on Facebook.

• Menchies Frozen Yogurt — Colorful and cute, this east Vancouver shop usually has 12 self-serve flavors which often change, creating flavor fan devotion. 19171 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 360-597-4055 or www.menchies.com

• Smileys Yogurt & Deli — A new place in Washougal, customers can usually find six distinct frozen yogurt flavors along with a variety of sandwiches. 1801 Main St., Washougal. Noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. http://smileysyogurt.com

• Yo 2 Go — It’s all about the fresh toppings at this Hazel Dell option, with 12 rotating flavors for customers to self-serve and accessorize. 13307 N.E. Highway 99, Suite 105, Vancouver. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 360-258-1455 or Facebook.

• Yo Factory Frozen Yogurt — Offering 10 flavors of Yo Cream daily, customers can try more than 60 different toppings, plus nondairy sorbet and no-sugar-added options. 909 W. Main St., Battle Ground. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday. 360-687-8693 or www.yofactorybg.com

• Yogurt Time — A family-owned self-serve shop in Uptown Village, customers can mix and match 40 different toppings .1813 Main St., Vancouver. Noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 360-906-1000 or www.its-yogurt-time.com

• Yo Licous — The self-serve yogurt shop can be found in two Pita Pits, so you can combine custom wraps with customized desserts. 7710 N.E. Fifth Ave., Suite 112, and 11211 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver. Call for hours. 360-992-7482 or 360-604-6000.