Western New York’s Favorite Summer Treats From When We Were Kids

When you think of your favorite treats that you'd get in the summer in Western New York, what immediately comes to mind?

Is there a more nostalgic season than summer? The warm weather and the sunshine can bring back so many memories. If felt like summer vacation lasted forever. You'd wake up with very few responsibilities other than the chores your parents asked you to get done while they were at work. The rest of the day involved riding your bike with the neighbor kids, maybe playing in a pool or a creek, and just being kids.

Then someone would bring out a treat.

They were amazing. More often than not, they were something cold. Whether that's a cold piece of watermelon that had been chilling in the fridge, some ice cream right out of the freezer, or even better, an ice cream bar right off the ice cream truck.

For us, it was when the Schwann's truck would pull in. They were only scheduled to come to our house once a week, but as soon as they did, you always prayed that your parents would get a box of something that you could share with your friends. My mom used to get these things that we called "Push Ups."  I'm not even sure if that's what they were really called but they were like a yogurt treat that was in a toilet paper roll.  You'd push the treat up to the top with a little straw on a disc that fit perfectly inside the cardboard roll.

Do you remember what your favorite treat was?  There's no way I could find all of these pictures, but here are the suggestions you gave me:

• Choco Tacos
• Hot Cocoa Cups from Schwann's
• Freezie Pops (especially the big ones from Wilson Farms for 25 cents!)
• The SpongeBob Ice Cream Pop from the ice cream trucks
• Snow Cones
• Popsicles
• The nutty buddy cones you used to get at the carnivals or the fair that came in a twin cone with a big slab of icy cold real vanilla ice cream, great chocolate, and covered in nuts
• Perry's "Fireball" ice cream from what used to be called Bob's Snack Bar on Lime Lake
• Screw Balls from the ice cream trucks
• Cherry or Butterscotch Dilly Bars from DQ
• Watermelon
• Anything from Mr. Softie
• Charlap's Ice Cream
• "Mickey's Parade" Disney Ice Pops
• Vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries
• Cherry popsicles from Neeland's Dairy in Alden
• Banana Popsicle from the ice cream truck
• Peanut Butter Sundae from Mississippi Muds
• Strawberry crunch bar from Schwann's
• Homemade chocolate milkshake

Did you have one that didn't make the list?  What was your favorite?