How cute is this?
The Filling Station in Madrid, IA
No, it’s not a picture from Main Street, USA, circa several decades ago. Once a run-down gas station in Madrid, Iowa, population 2,264, this building has been re-purposed into The Filling Station, a quaint little ice cream shoppe located near the High Trestle Trail, part of the 670-mile Central Iowa Trail System. Serving 8 flavors of hard-pack ice cream, 3 flavors of soft-serve, and of course all the other fun ice cream concoctions you can think of, the Filling Station was named one of the Top 30 Independently owned ice cream shops in the state of Iowa by the Des Moines Register.
Bicyclists riding the trails and putting in long miles training for RAGBRAI may want to make a pit stop here for a cool treat. Families: pack a picnic, park your car at the Johnson Family Trailhead at Dalander Park (located right at Highway 17 and the trail), and head over to The Filling Station for dessert (or your main course, if you like!).
Certainly nothing against the chain ice cream stops – oh do they fulfill my sweet cravings every now and then. But what a fun experience this was for our family. If you are in the area, buy yourself a treat at The Filling Station!
Lucy with a double decker!
(And by the way, no worries about the 15 stitches on Lucy’s forehead. They have been removed now and the scar is healing very nicely!)