Friday Fun and Chocolate Disappointment

Friday I took the kids and met up with my friend, Whitney, and her son, in Salt Lake City. We went to The Discovery Gateway Museum and totally had a blast. The kids loved all the hands on activities. They played in a sand pit, pretended to be a news anchor, played with wood, plastic and magnetic blocks. John's favorite thing was the Magformers. I guess I know what he wants for Christmas. We ate lunch on the roof-top, next to a helicopter (after we ate, we got to talk while the kids played). We spent three hours there and could have spent longer.
The kids begged me to take them to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a treat. The kids were excited as we crossed the street to store. It didn’t take them long at all to pick out something they wanted. Two ice creams (in a cup) and one Rice Krispie treat with chocolate and caramel on it. I asked the lady behind the counter what they had that was gluten-free. She turned to another employee and repeated my question, “What do we have that is gluten-free?”
He snorted, looked at me and smirked, “Water.” He then turned his back on me and went on with whatever he was doing that was more important than helping me.
I bought my kids their treat, hearing only a little whining from Jo, who seemed to feel she ought to be able to pick out more than one thing. I squashed that idea. Her one treat alone cost me three dollars. That was all she was getting. Then I sat with my friend and our kids and watched them all eat their treat. And I got angry.
Most chocolate is gluten-free. Rice Krispies and marshmallows are gluten-free. Most ice cream is gluten-free (not counting the obvious ingredients, like cookies). Nuts are gluten-free. Was it true that there was nothing in the store that would be considered gluten-free? I don’t know. I do know, though, that the employees there are uneducated about gluten-free foods and could care less about helping a customer who needs to eat gluten-free.
Next time we go to the Gateway, my kids and I will find another place to get our treats. Somewhere that cares.