May 2014 - Blue Bell and Museum

On Thursday May 15, 2014 we packed up and drove to Brenham, TX. I told my dad that we would be going there and that he had to figure out what was in Brenham that would get me to drive over an hour to get there. He couldn't figure it out, so I pulled out a carton of our Blue Bell ice cream and showed him the address on the carton. It was the great ah-ha moment and I told him we were going to the Blue Bell Creameries!

We got there 5 minutes before the next tour was scheduled to begin. Perfect! It was a little chilly in the factory which would be great in the hot summer. We weren't allowed to take any photos while on the tour, but it was really fun. It reminded me of going on tours at the Jelly Belly Factory in California. It was neat to watch them add the ingredients into the ice cream and mix it up. When the ice cream is put into the carton, the carton spins so the goodies inside the ice cream is evenly distributed.

To make the ice cream sandwiches they cut the ice cream into rectangles and put the cookie part on the sides so quickly that they make about 180 per minute.They also pack the cartons upside down and then put it in the deep freezer (or something like that) and the ice cream creates a seal on the top of the lid. That's why Blue Bell ice cream doesn't have a plastic seal around the lid, the ice cream causes the seal from the inside. Clever.

After the tour every one got a scoop of ice cream. This was definitely the highlight for the kids. 

Grandpa and Andrew both enjoy looking at maps.

The many flavors of Blue Bell, and some are missing! My favorite is Gingerbread House and I've only been able to find it a couple years ago at Christmas time.

Freezer full of Blue Bell and me outside the Blue Bell Ice Cream Parlor and Country Store.

This post is making me hungry!

The kids helped the dairy girl lead the cow to make delicious ice cream. We learned that Blue Bell only uses milk from dairy cows locally in Brenham and nearby areas.

After we got our fill of ice cream and history of Blue Bell, we started driving back home. We stopped for a picnic and enjoyed the nice weather.

My dad wanted to stop by a museum so on the way we visited the Star of the Republic Museum in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park (click here for more info). The Texas declaration of Independance was signed here. The museum building is a star-shaped, two-level, 22,000-square-foot facility built in 1969.

I didn't think my kids would like it to be perfectly honest, but they surprised me and really enjoyed themselves. There was a room full of toys they could touch and play with. There was a table that had cotton straight from the plant so kids could see what it looked like and how it is cleaned and turned into yarn. Another area showed medical tools used a hundred years ago and different spices and herbs used to treat illnesses.

 I spent a lot of time at this puzzle table and couldn't figure out any of them!

I don't think Andrew realized he was gutting a horse.

The kids enjoyed building a cabin together.

28 stars on this American Flag.

I'm really glad we took the time and stopped. My parents enjoyed it and the kids had a great time. They didn't want to leave! Museums are fun, folks. :)

The End.