Why former mayor Don Lane set out to visit 100 ice cream parlors in July

Don Lane, former Santa Cruz mayor and restaurant owner, really loves ice cream. 

As a kid, it was perfectly acceptable in his family to grab a spoonful straight from the many cartons stocked in their freezer. When he opened now-closed Saturn Café in 1979, he proudly imported McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams from Santa Barbara, a scoop that “changed his whole perspective on ice cream,” he said, due to its high fat content and texture, for the downtown Santa Cruz diner’s famous milkshakes and desserts. 

He even has an ice cream cone tattoo on his left arm featuring his favorite flavor, mocha chip. 

So it wasn’t out of character for Lane to decide to embark on a long-held, possibly harebrained dream: visiting 100 ice cream parlors in California in July, aka National Ice Cream Month. 

Lane isn’t after a book deal or social media followers; he simply wants to experience one of his greatest pleasures in abundance.

“When I reflect on my life – past and present – it’s hard to identify anything that has been a better source of frequent, small joys than ice cream,” he wrote on a website he created to chronicle the trip, which includes a delightful ice cream resumé. Along the way, he’s encouraging followers to donate to Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s network of immigrant-focused nonprofits. 

After exploring parlors throughout Southern California, he celebrated National Ice Cream Day on Sunday in Santa Cruz with a public crawl to four spots: Penny Ice Creamery, Gran Gelato Caffè, Mission Hill Creamery, and Marianne’s Ice Cream on Fair Avenue. In honor of Lane’s journey, current Mayor Fred Keeley signed a proclamation to designate the date as Santa Cruz Ice Cream Day, which Vice Mayor Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson presented. 

Before he took off on July 1, Lane spent months researching standout locations in the state, compiling a list of more than 120 businesses. He scoured “best of” lists and articles, looking for recurring names and unusual takes on the format, and used Google Maps’ search tool to zoom in on communities. Artisanal gelato and ice cream were his priority, but he included a few multistore brands with good reputations such Portland, Oregon-based Salt & Straw, which has more than 50 locations nationally, and his childhood favorite, Baskin-Robbins. 

“That’s what I grew up with, and I thought I should go there. That’s part of the whole experience,” he said. 

His primary care physician laughed when Lane told him about the planned ice cream binge, but gave him the all-clear to go ham – with the advice to prioritize a low-fat, low-carb and high-protein diet, and a statin prescription to help keep Lane’s cholesterol levels low. The day before he left, Lane took a picture of his feet on a scale, and plans to take a second photo on Aug. 1 to track his weight. “This is the thing more people ask me or comment about than anything else: ‘How much weight have you gained so far?’” he said with a laugh.

On July 1, he drove south, with a stop on the way down to visit his beloved McConnell’s. He spent three days in San Diego, then 10 days in the Los Angeles area. When Lookout caught up with him on July 16, Lane was heading north through the Central Valley, with planned stops in Bakersfield and Fresno. For 10 days, he’ll use Santa Cruz as a home base to visit shops throughout the Bay Area. At the end of the month, Lane and his wife will visit parlors in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, and finish the trip in Arcata on July 31. 

A typical day looks like this: After a cholesterol-fortifying breakfast – usually oatmeal – and a light lunch – often a salad – Lane hits his first place in the early afternoon with friends or family members in the area. After a protein-packed dinner, they’ll visit two more. 

Unless it’s very busy, Lane likes to give the server a little card that explains his mission, and that often leads to a conversation about their style and preparation. He likes to know which flavors are most unique and most popular, and can’t resist inventive combinations. “I went to a Mexican ice cream shop and they had a mezcal flavor. It was great, and like nothing I’d ever had before,” said Lane. 

During this immersive experience, some observations have percolated to the surface. 

The breadth of creativity and cultural influence has amazed him. At Awan in Los Angeles, he tried a vegan version made with Indonesian coconut milk flavored with palm sugar and Balinese vanilla. At An’s Hatmakers in Del Mar, a server offers a taste of each gelato flavor and explanation of the origins of the ingredients. Lane has stopped at parlors that highlight cultural influences from China, the Middle East, Korea, Japan and many other countries. The quality of nondairy and even savory ice creams was a surprise, he said. 

To Lane, the most wondrous aspect of ice cream is its universal appeal. He has shared scoops with friends and family members of all ages. “The social connection that happens over ice cream is pretty special,” he said. “It’s intergenerational. That wasn’t a brand-new thing, but it became an integral part of what I’ve been doing these past couple weeks.” 

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