any given sundae

Step one of any good summer vacation is ice cream. (Step two: sunscreen, obvs.)

Once we get off the plane/out of the car/ onto land, our first move is to whip out the iPhone and search for the closest creamery with the best reviews. Nothing erases the memories of being crammed in an airplane seat like some cookie dough ice cream with hot fudge.

As we plan out our summer escapes, we've been rounding up the spots we're planning to hit up across the U.S., from our hometown favorite, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, to legendary hang outs like The Four Seas in Cape Cod. Since everyone knows that calories don't count if you're on vacation, there's really no reason not to get in line for a cone or a cup.

Try out these creameries and let us know your favorite place to chill out in the comments.

STEFF YOTKA

Berkeley, CA: Ici Ice Cream, 2948 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705 Homemade cones with chocolate on the bottom. Do we need to say more? Boston, MA: Lizzy's Homemade Ice Cream, Boston, 29 Church Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Lizzy's is pretty much the hook up for classic ice cream with tons of toppings options. Brooklyn, NY: Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, 632 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222 Van Leeuwen does fancy flavors like earl grey tea and palm sugar that will leave your mouth watering. Cape Cod, MA: The Four Seas, 360 South Main Street, Centerville, MA 02632 The Four Seas is famous in Cape Cod for its old school shop and family feel. And you really can't go wrong with a cantaloupe cup on a sweaty summer day. Chicago, IL: Kilwins, 1405 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60610 This old-fashioned shop is a fun experience with the bonus of truly delectable ice cream. Denver, CO: Sweet Action, 52 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 Experiment with vegan jalapeno lime or honey almond orange blossom at Sweet Action. Los Angeles, CA: Scoops, Los Angeles, 712 North Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90029 Everyone in Los Angeles is a Scoops fan. The chain has plenty of locations so that you're never too far from a cone. Miami Beach, FL:Emack and Bolio's,1915 Purdy Ave, Miami Beach Fl 33139 It's all about the intense flavors at Emack and Bolio's. Their Chocolate Addiction is so good, it's dangerous. New York City, NY: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, New York, 65 Bayard St New York, NY 10013 You'll wait on line out the door at this tiny Chinatown spot, but it'll be worth it once you taste the green tea flavor. San Francisco, CA: Bi-Rite Creamery and Bake Shop, 3692 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110 All the ice cream from Bi-Rite is handmade in small batches so that your brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl is super fresh and super tasty. Scottsdale, AZ: Sweet Republic, 9160 East Shea Boulevard Scottsdale, AZ 85260 The best way to cool off in Arizona is with some Sweet Republic ice cream made from local ingredients. Seattle, WA: Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, 1622 1/2 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 Balsamic strawberry and cucumber lemon verbena sorbet are among the flavors at this delicious Seattle spot.