Anne's Dairy Drive In Orange, MA

 

360 E Main St, Orange, MA 01364

(978) 544-2093

Facebook link  Their FB account is usually updated regarding hours, early closings, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

             This was opening day and we got there about 30 minutes after they opened.

 

  Somebody had been counting down!

 

 

They do get busier.  This was on a Sunday close to opening day so a lot of people came out.

 

I discovered Anne's ice cream place in Orange, MA a few years ago when my wife and I were out gallivanting. There were two ice cream places very close to each other and we had chosen to visit the other place a few times.  On a subsequent trip up to the Orange area, we discovered to our dismay that "our" place was closed.  So we decided to try out Anne's (which everyone, including us, calls Annie's) and we have been hooked ever since.  

Our favorite places depends upon how far we want to drive, with Mr. Cone on Granby Road our closest favorite, followed by Cindy's on Route 202 in Granby.  When we are willing to drive about 40 miles and make an event of it, our favorite is "Annie's".  We also like it there because they have a good selection of food, including fried clams and homemade onion rings.

 

           

         A picture is worth 1000 words.  We shared this clam strips meal and had plenty.

 

A few years ago I took two of my grandsons to the Community Boat House for a night kayaking paddle on the Miller River.  A local sporting goods store, Trail Head Outfitters and General Store, had sponsored one of the events including food afterwards and we helped ourselves to homemade chili, hot dogs, chips, etc.  I felt obligated to go by Annie's after the food so I could buy my grandson the largest small ice cream cone that I have ever seen. And of course it would be rude to make him eat alone so I had one too.  It comes close to being the unpardonable sin, I couldn't finish the cone and had.....to throw some of it away.  

That is how big the cones are, so order accordingly. If you have eaten the seafood platter, you might want to skip the ice cream this time!

A fair number of bikers stop by as they often do at such places during warm weather.  Annie's is a very family oriented place.  There is a big grassy area out back and plenty of room for kids to play.  It is also close to the river with a short "tunnel" under the railroad tracks leading to an area where you can pull your canoe or kayak ashore and walk over for ice cream.

For those interested in paddling, be sure to visit Billy Goat Boats  at the Orange Community Boat House where you can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and paddle boards.

If you want to do some further exploring while you are in the area, continue on to Tully Lake in Royalston.  It is a great lake to paddle (with restrictions against larger motor boats), beautiful picnic sites, some islands to explore, a frisbee golf course, a hiking trail around it, and a waterfall on the backside. Camping is available and if you want to paddle further up the river, you can do that from the backside.