This Greenhouse Restaurant In Nebraska Is The Most Enchanting Place To Eat

If there are two things that say summer louder than anything else, it's flowers and ice cream. They're both sure signs of long, sunny days and family fun, and there's one place in Nebraska where you can experience them both at once.

Drive down Highway 30 through Shelton and you'll see something that has delighted visitors for years...

...The big pink ice cream cone. It sits outside The Chubby Monkey, a sweet little family-owned ice cream shop.

If not for the big ice cream cone, you might be tempted to drive right by this unassuming building. But do yourself a favor and stop in or drive right up to the drive-thru window.

The menu is full of the kind of treats we dream about all year, including cones, sundaes, hot dogs, shakes, and malts. But for the best Chubby Monkey experience, go for a dipped cone. They come in eight impressive flavors: chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, blue raspberry, birthday cake, cherry, butterscotch, bubble gum, and peanut butter. Whoa.

But maybe the most interesting part of The Chubby Monkey is its companion business: an open-air nursery called Bump Up Pot. What greater pairing could there be than vibrant summer plants and delicious, creamy ice cream?

Grab yourself a treat, then walk through the greenhouse and select your favorite plants from a selection of flowers, veggies, and succulents. They even carry fairy garden supplies so you can create your very own adorable fairy garden at home.

Even if you aren't into ice cream, stop by the open air nursery for some of the healthiest, most beautiful plants in Nebraska. The Bump Up Pot owners are experts in designing mixed combination container gardens and in raising plants that will thrive in Nebraska's harsh climate.

The Chubby Monkey is open during the summer months only, and Bump Up Pot has a slightly longer season, opening in the spring. Visit them both at 324 E Highway 30, Shelton, NE. Keep up-to-date on hours, specials, and other news on their respective Facebook pages: The Chubby Monkey and Bump Up Pot Nebraska.

Shelton isn't too far from Grand Island, where you can find another awesome summer experience: the Stolley Park Railroad.