The Creemee Passport
Summer 2026
It could turn out to be my sort of summer. There’s a thing called a Creemee Passport in the state of Vermont.
Here’s how it works:
You apply for and get the Creemee Passport. It is personalized (or you can expedite the process by requesting a no-photo, generic version), and they promise it is printed on “thick, stamp-friendly pages.” It costs $10 and the money goes to charity.
Included with the passport is the Creemee Locator, identifying the locations of 153 creemee stands throughout the state. (Many, by the way, are located in the Upper Valley.)
Transport yourself, alone or with others, to a chosen creemee stand and receive a passport stamp. Each creemee location has its own unique stamp.
Choose a flavor (purists usually require maple), delivery mode (cone, cup, etc.), and any desired extras like sprinkles. According to the website, the passport might get you a free perk or two, including an “upgrade,” whatever that may be.
Enjoy your creemee.
Repeat. Often.
Of course there are official rules:
Do you live on the New Hampshire side of the UV, hankering even now for something from Mac’s Maple in Plainfield, New Hampshire? (photo, top). I refer you to rule #12:
“Out-of-state creemees may be recorded but marked as ‘foreign travel.’”
The website refers repeatedly to encouraging “Vermonters” to grab their creemee passports and get out to explore their local communities. I have not formally applied yet but surely they would not refuse to issue passports to their near neighbors???
Ready? Go.
For more information and photos of the actual passport, click here.
And from a fun fact-filled article by Sabrina Choudhary of the Food Network, including her education on all things creemee when she moved to Vermont as a child (here):
Why is it spelled like that?
“No one really knows. One theory is that the treat got its name because it’s creamy (duh) and the spelling was a fun way to attract customers. Another is that the word evolved from neighboring Quebec’s term for ice cream, “creme glacée.” “Creemee” might be a portmanteau or simply a mispronunciation of “creme.” Or maybe the origin of the creemee is a mystery beyond our understanding.”
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On a different note: Main Street Museum on Bridge Street in White River Junction, VT will be holding an Indoor Deaccession Sale (yard sale) on Saturday, May 23 from noon to 5 p.m. Art, art supplies, office stuff, things you never knew you wanted. Preview during Friday’s Piano Night.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, Next Avenue, Image Magazine, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.