Why didn’t we think of this?
Matthew Ridgeway emerged from quarantine in May sure of two things: It was time to buy another boat, and he wasn’t going to spend another minute more than he had to inside.
What had also come to him during his time at home was an idea to put an ice cream truck, of sorts, on the waters of Cheat Lake. He figured the idea was enough justification for the boat and doubled as motivation to be outside more than ever this summer. Ten days before Memorial Day weekend, Ridgeway charged ahead with his plan. Three days later the boat was his. And three days after that, his Mooey Buoy was on the water selling ice cream.
The response has been incredible, Ridgeways says. Pretty much every weekend since the unofficial kick-off to summer, he’s taken to the lake with the help of his wife, Rachel, selling frozen treats to the boating public. Boaters on the lake can track Mooey Buoy through regular social media updates on the vessel’s current location. The ice cream boat also patrols the docks and beaches, making its treats accessible to those on dry land, too.
image courtesy of Matthew Ridgeway
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