Selma’s has traditionally been a popular stop in Afton for cyclists and motorcyclists, ith a large garden and large ice cream portions. For a biker, regardless of which direction their journey will take them, the coffee, cocoa and cones are a fine bit of fuel for the coming climb out of town. (The climb is more considerable for those going south, but going back towards Hudson or Woodbury isn’t exactly flat either!)

It went through some flux starting in 2007, when longtime owner Laine McGee sold it to Joe Farrington. He was adding a pavilion, which created new regulatory requirements for the 19th century building. His death later in the year started a process of ownership changes. In 2008, it was purchased by the owners of the local Panino’s restaurants, and began to serve the sandwiches alongside the traditional ice cream parlor treats. However, this spring the restaurant didn’t reopen.

Now, it’s owned by a bank after a foreclosure sale. There is no word on the bank’s intentions with the building or business.

With Selma’s closed, one of the best bets for cyclists coming through Afton is now the Afton Bean. It’s 2 blocks further up St. Croix Trail, but before any popular turns to go towards Stillwater, Woodbury, or other points north for those going northbound; southbound, there aren’t any typical turns for 3-4 miles.

As such, it’s always nice to see new rest stop opportunities open up along the route. Yesterday, near Raymond and Territorial, just north of University, a great new cookie shop opened up. The St. Paul Classic Cookie Company is just a half-block west of Raymond on Territorial, and serves up a variety of homemade cookies and muffins, and offers old-fashioned cups o’ joe too.

I sampled several flavors of oatmeal cookie there last week, and I will be plotting bicycle routes that go through this stop, particularly when riding with my son. Delicious!