Frozen custard is nearing its 100th birthday, having been introduced on Coney Island in 1919.
Think of the things you did as a child that were just so exciting and so pleasant you felt the same way each time you did them - the things that never "got old."
Now, think of how many of those things make you feel the same way as an adult.
I'll bet at the top of the list for many, many people is going out for ice cream.
The first Dairy Queen opened in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois. I was never able to experience a true soda fountain; if there were any near where I grew up, I didn't know about them. But a summertime visit to a custard stand? THAT I had the privilege of enjoying over and over and over again.
If you know anyone who doesn't enjoy going out for ice cream, they likely have a serious reason, like being lactose intolerant. Youngsters who express disdain for most anything their parents or grandparents enjoyed "back in the day" leap at the chance to go out for ice cream.
You may not know it, but frozen custard is nearing its 100th birthday, having been introduced on Coney Island in 1919. For nearly a century, folks have delighted at watching children unintentionally paint their faces with the sweet frozen treat.
A moment of silence, please. A trip to the ice cream or custard stand is a happy event -- unless your scoops topple to the ground at first lick. Even if there is a long line, my experience has been that those waiting their turn are friendly.
Stand in line for anything else, and people get irritable; at a custard stand, it's simply more time to decide whether to try one of the selections you've never had before or go with an old standby. You can even ask for opinions from those around you; they'll be happy to tell you what they love.
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My childhood memories include places like the Verona on Delsea Drive, the Dairy Queen on the Vineland Circle, Serene Custard on the Boulevard and the Purple Penguin on Route 40 in Newfield. And I've been fortunate enough to be able to take my own children to many of these places and see them enjoy them just as much as I did.
We're also looking at candy stores and confectioneries in this gallery; sadly, I can't say I recall any true candy stores like the ones shown when I was growing up, save for Giuffras in Millville. You folks who grew up in north Jersey had the advantage in that area, with so many manufacturers and vendors of sweet treats throughout the region.
That's not to say we were completely bereft, though; any trip down the shore was incomplete without bringing back some salt water taffy and, hopefully, fudge.
Here's a gallery of places New Jerseyans could satisfy their sweet tooth through the years. Be sure to have captions enabled to read all about each location.
Can't get enough? Here's a link to a previous gallery of ice cream parlors and confectioners in New Jersey.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.