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Can there be anything better than
sinfully delicious dark chocolate
just off the production line? Find
out for yourself if you’re
going to be in the San Francisco
area. The Scharffen Berger Chocolate
factory will show you just how the
delicious confection is made. You
will marvel at the many precise
steps—and sophisticated machinery—that
transform the cacao beans into the
almost magical food we know as chocolate.
Factory tours are fun and educational,
and they’re a great way to
take a break during a long car trip.
Perhaps watching one of America’s
coolest sports cars being built
at the Corvette Assembly Plant in
Bowling Green, Ky., is more your
speed. You can witness the engineering
marvel of the chassis and body coming
together and see the thrilling drive
off the end of the line. We’ve
come up with five factory tours
scattered around the nation that
should appeal to any engineer.
1.
Blue Bell Creameries
“We eat all we can, and we
sell the rest” is what Blue
Bell says about its ice cream—take
a tour, see how they make it and
eat some for yourself before it
heads out the door!
Weekday tours. Admission varies
from $3 to free and includes a serving
of Blue Bell ice cream. (800) 327-8135.
Three tour locations: Brenham, TX;
Broken Arrow, OK.; Sylacauga, AL.
http://www.bluebell.com/about_visting.htm.
2. Harley-Davidson
If you’ve ever wondered what
it takes to bring the legend of
a Harley-Davidson to life, the company
has opened the doors to three manufacturing
facilities to give you an inside
look.
Free weekday tours. Children under
12 are welcome in the tour center
but are not allowed on the factory
tours. Visitors under the age of
18 must be accompanied by an adult.
(877) 883-1450. Three tour locations:
Wauwatosa, WI; York, PA; Kansas
City, MO.
http://www.harleydavidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/
Factory_Tours/factory_tours.jsp?locale=en_US.
3.
Corvette Assembly Plant
See first-hand how one of America’s
favorite sports cars, the Chevrolet
Corvette, is born and made ready
for the road. You can also visit
the National Corvette Museum, located
across from the plant.
Weekday tours. $5 per person. Children
ages 7 and older. (270) 745-8019.
600 Corvette Dr., Bowling Green,
KY 42101.
http://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant.com/sch_tour.html.
4.
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Take a sneak peek into the journey
from cacao beans to the delectable
finished product.
Free daily tours. Children ages
10 and older. Reservations required.
(510) 981-4050. 914 Heinz Ave.,
Berkeley, CA 94710.
http://www.scharffenberger.com/factory.asp.
5.
Herr’s Foods
How do pretzels get their brown
color? What makes a great chipping
potato? Find out—and eat some
of the answers—on this factory
tour.
Free weekday tours. (800) 63-SNACK.
20 Herr Dr.,
Nottingham, PA 19362.
http://www.herrs.com/SnackFactoryTours.html.
Nancy Shute is a freelance
writer based in Washington, D.C.
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