How Trout Dreams Came to Be
Maria and her husband made Spring Grove home in June 2025 after spending 30 years in Utah, where they both built careers in education.
Minnesota had been their retirement dream for years. After plenty of vacations filled with state parks, fishing, and exploring, they knew this was where they wanted to land.
What came next was a little less planned.
A fly-fishing shop was actually the first idea. They even had a name picked out: The Hopper Dropper. But a big retail adventure wasn’t quite where they wanted to start. And as Maria puts it, not everybody loves fishing (though they’re not sure why).
Ice cream, on the other hand? Pretty hard not to love.
Starting Small, Dreaming Big
The Best Part So Far
It hasn’t taken long for the cart to make some memories.
One night on Goodview, Maria spotted a group of kids on bikes way down the street. Then she heard someone yell, “THERE SHE IS!” before they took off toward the cart at full speed.
Another hot evening, she took a chance and drove through the campsites at Trollskogen. At first, everyone looked a little confused; the cart didn’t even have its signage yet. Once Maria announced that she was the mobile ice cream cart, the campground erupted. Families had just finished dinner, and suddenly everyone wanted ice cream, popsicles, and candy.
There have been a few other firsts, too, including becoming what employees at Merchants Bank said was their first ice cream cart through the drive-through.
And yes, there was also the time Maria accidentally blasted everyone outside the Legion with the cart’s headlights. She’s since figured those out.
Maria had heard plenty of people around town say they missed having an ice cream shop on Main Street. So instead of jumping straight into a storefront, she decided to start small: a bright aqua mobile cart, a freezer full of treats, and a new side hustle called Trout Dreams.
For now, the cart is stocked with prepackaged ice cream novelties, popcorn balls, candy, fruit snacks, and the occasional little freebie.
Eventually, Maria would love for Trout Dreams to grow into a true scoop-and-sundae shop right here in Spring Grove.
Until then, she’s having plenty of fun rolling around town.
What's Next for Trout Dreams
After 26 years as a teacher, Maria still has plenty of ideas for bringing people together. She’s already testing out games with kids at community events and has plans for even more when Trout Dreams joins Music & Market.
For now, Trout Dreams is small on purpose. It’s a chance to try something new, meet people, have some fun, and see where this little aqua cart can go.
And maybe someday, that dream of an ice cream shop on Main Street won’t be a dream anymore.
