By Hallie Billings
This past holiday weekend, I went to Aptos with my family. It was amazing, all my little cousins and I went in the ocean together and my mom and I took a long walk on the beach, but the best part of that entire trip was getting ice cream.
I know it may sound crazy, but Marianne’s Ice Cream in Seacliff is the best Ice Cream in the entire world!
Marianne’s Ice Cream originated in Santa Cruz and was opened by a man named Tom Baker in 1947 who named the shop after his two daughters, Mary and Annie. Since then they have expanded to Seacliff.
They have a line of people waiting out the door and you take a number and wait your turn. Sunday evening was no different, we arrived and got number 115 and they were serving 92. It is so worth the wait!
Marianne’s offers 105 flavors of ice cream, ranging from Cookies & Mint to Lavender. They even offer some iconic flavors such as 1020 are unique only to Marianne’s. My favorite is Burgundy Cherry.
Burgundy Cherry is absolutely delicious, with real black cherries and a great ice cream base. Another popular flavor in my family is Salted Caramel. The salted caramel has an amazing caramel flavor with the perfect amount of sea salt to contrast it.
Another reason why Marianne’s is so good is because it has a traditional feel to it. I remember going to Marianne’s with my dad when I was around the age of 4. For as long as I can remember, Burgundy Cherry was one of the best ice cream flavors on the planet.
Marianne’s is so good that many stores in the Santa Cruz and Rio Del Mar areas offer Marianne’s quarts. I also found Marianne’s at Mount Hermon, a summer camp where my family and I went for a week this past summer.
The next time you are in Santa Cruz or Seacliff, I highly suggest you go to a little, unforgettable ice cream shop called Marianne’s.
Hallie Billings is an Atwater teen who likes to be involved in community and academic events. She also has a penchant for writing and photography, and this has led her to contribute to the County Times and offer a youth perspective for readers.