Carl’s in Fredericksburg, Virginia

On a trip yesterday to Fredericksburg, Virginia, we stopped by legendary Carl's for dessert! Carl's is a roadside ice cream stand that opened April of 1947 in an abandoned gas station. Five other custard shops opened the same year as Carl's but all of them failed to survive. Until the 1960s, Carl's was called Carl's Frozen Custard. The name was shortened due to a change in the rules regulating the amount of egg yolks that warranted the use of the word "custard." The shop still uses original ElectroFreeze machines, which dispense of the ice cream in large, flat rectangular slabs that are then scooped and twirled into a perfect cone. Even if you aren't a fan of ice cream/custard/soft serve/whatever, Carl's is still worth a visit as one of the few independently-operated, old school ice cream joints in the country. Plus, the neon sign is irresistible.