CityView Magazine

26 May 2022 Meredith Gronski's Instagram page is full of outdoor adventures with the goal of making lifetime memories. FEATURE W ith hashtags #growingupgronski and #icecreamSunday, Meredith Gronski's Instagram page is full of outdoor and ice cream adventures with the goal of making lifetime memories and enjoying the sweeter things in life as family. Meredith and her husband, Mark — along with sons Andrew, 15; Lucas, 13; Ben, 11; Samuel, 9; and Joshua, 7 — have been exploring whatever state they live in since the boys were little. Searching for homemade ice cream has been part of every family outing. And during their travels in North Carolina, the family has discovered more than two dozen ice cream shops. ey are as close as Gillis Hill Farm in Fayetteville and Yarborough's Homemade Ice Cream in Sanford. Others are a bit farther out, such as Homeland Creamery in Julian, which is southwest of Greensboro, and Two Roosters Ice Cream in Durham. "It started when the children were little,'' Meredith Gronski says. "It was easier to get out of the house on weekends than have them stay in or watch TV. We started exploring the corners of the state when we were in Missouri that we found interesting like the world's largest whatever and finding good hiking spots for day trips." Gronski says an aernoon snack in their house is a must, so when the family headed home from their day trips, a search for homemade ice cream became part of their routine. "Our travel destinations are almost always day trips within a two-hour radius, but we always end with ice cream,'' she says. "It's become our thing to do and a snack we all enjoy." Day trips to the beach or to state parks are Making memories The Gronski family's adventures have them enjoying the sweeter things in life BY JAMI MCL AUGHLIN some of their favorite places to go in North Carolina. "We love Kilwins Chocolates in Wilmington. We are there a lot when we go to the beach," Gronski says. eir quest for ice cream has also taken them to Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream in Angier, which was their favorite during the early part of 2020 when the business offered a drive-thru that served more than 100 homemade flavors. Other destinations include Walker's Soda Fountain in Mount Airy, Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery in Raleigh, Kalawi Farm in Eagle Springs, and Candy Edventure in Swansboro. All these spots are a far cry from Missouri, where Gronski and her husband, Mark, started their family. e Gronskis met in 2000 when they both worked at the Washington University campus bookstore in St. Louis. ey started dating at the end of 2001 and were married on the campus in 2004. ey moved from Missouri to North Carolina in 2016. Gronski says her brother and his wife were already living in the state. Gronski came to Fayetteville in 2016 when she started the occupational therapy doctoral program at Methodist University, which was the first entry-level OTD program in North Carolina. "We are very proud of the program," says Gronski, who is now director and assistant professor of the program. Her husband is clinical director of behavioral health at Cape Fear Valley Health System. eir oldest son is a freshman at Massey Hill Classical School. e other four attend Capitol Encore Academy. e boys have grown up with weekend road trips being a part of their lives. "My favorite memories of day travels with my family isn't a specific instance,'' says Andrew. "My favorite part of our day trips is how much fun my brothers and I had as we Meredith and Mark Gronski, along with their five sons, have been exploring whatever state they've lived in since the boys were little. PHOTO BY TONY WOOTEN

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