7 Kid-Friendly Factory Tours

I admit to being a sucker for factory tours. I know they're tourist traps, but there's just something about seeing the place where a familiar product gets made that really appeals to me. And the fact that most food-related factory tours involve products that my kids crave because they only get them as treats makes it easy for me to convince the whole family to come along. Here are six factory tours that we've experienced across the country.

Cape Cod Potato Chips, Hyannis, Massachusetts
This is a straight-up view of the factory, with no real bells or whistles. The cool part is that you get to see the whole operation, from the salting of the potato chips to when they get bagged by a machine, and you get a free bag of potato chips at the end. But there are no interactive elements, and the whole thing is self-guided. Still, it’s pretty neat to be able to eat fresh Cape Cod potato chips while in Cape Cod!

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Waterbury, Vermont
What you get here is a half-hour guided tour, plus a scoop of ice cream at the end. Not bad for just $4 per adult (kids under 12 are free). This is a popular stop for tourists in the area, so it may get crowded during high season. A private ice cream making session can be scheduled in advance on certain days (we didn't try it).

Hershey's Chocolate, Hershey, Pennsylvania
The good news is that this tour is free and features a fun, sit-down ride that takes you through the history of Hershey's chocolate making. The bad news is that you'll need to stand on line to get on the ride, since Hershey is always overrun by tourists. Add on the "create your own chocolate bar" experience, which is pricey but well worth the money.

Turkey Hill Ice Cream, Columbia, Pennsylvania
The Turkey Hill Experience is well worth a visit if you’re in the Lancaster area. Milk a mechanical cow, drive a milk truck, taste unlimited ice cream and iced tea samples, and make your own ice cream flavor, which you then get to take home. Bring a cooler to keep your pints cold during the ride back!

Pez Candy, Orange, New York
Visit the place that dispenses Pez dispensers. Admission for adults is $5, but you get a $2 credit toward anything from the gift shop, so that seems pretty fair. Candy demos are offered on weekdays, and free samples are available all the time. Naturally, the collection of Pez memorabilia that's housed here is off the hook! Be prepared to feel nostalgic.

Jelly Belly Candy, Fairfield, California
This is a fantastic (and free!) guided factory tour, one of the better ones that we’ve been on. Of course, that just meant we ended up spending way more than we should've on candy after the tour. It shows you the whole operation floor and features cute, informative games along the way. On the way out, you get a free bag of jelly beans. And if that weren't enough, you can try unlimited flavors at the jelly bean bar.

Vermont Teddy Bear, Shelburne, Vermont
I highly recommend this tour for your kids — if you can stomach the steep price ($40+) of a Vermont Teddy Bear from the gift shop afterwards (because your kids will definitely be begging for one). A "bear ambassador" walks you around the workstations of the factory, where you'll get to see craftspeople hand-making the bears on weekdays (or their unmanned sewing machines on the weekends). The tour is hands on, with opportunities to touch the fur and stuffing, and you leave with a souvenir bear button. Adults are $4 and kids under 12 are free.

Any great factory tours that I missed? Let me know in the comments section!

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Sonoma with Kids: What to See, Do, and Eat

Sonoma, California

Wine country may seem like an unlikely place to bring your kids, but we saw it more as a spot with good food and plenty of wide open space to frolic. And when we got to Sonoma, that was exactly what we found. Yes, there's plenty of wine (and vineyards, so many beautiful vineyards), but there's also plenty of tasty grape juice for the kids to drink — in other words, something for everyone!

What to Do

Our first stop in Sonoma was Cornerstone Gardens, a super kid-friendy and beautifully manicured garden that had my kids exclaiming at every turn. We loved everything, from the field of pinwheels to the "white cloud" hanging over the prickly pear garden. There was so much open lawn space for the kids to chase each other and do cartwheels on. And after you've had your fill of the garden, there are about a dozen small shops, eateries and tasting rooms to explore on the premises.

Sonoma Plaza is definitely a draw for tourists, but it's got a charming, neighborhood-y feel to it as well. My kids loved playing in the park at the center of the plaza, especially on the playground and by the duck pond, where we spotted several ducklings. I loved the sculptures of deer scattered in one corner of the park. (There's a public restroom there, as well, which came in handy!) Surrounding the park are many charming restaurants and stores, including Sweet Scoops, the homemade ice cream shop that's definitely worth a stop.

Our favorite activity of the weekend turned out to be a one-and-a-half hour, family-friendly bike ride through Sonoma's adorable neighborhoods and vineyard-lined roads. We rented bikes from Sonoma Valley Bike Tours (there are kid-size ones, plus tag-alongs and trailers), then took off from the shop, through quaint residential blocks and past picturesque vineyard parcels. The shop attendant provided us with a map of several scenic route options, and we customized it to our kids' riding abilities.

In Sonoma there's also a small, train-themed amusement park called TrainTown, but its target audience is smaller children (probably no older than 6) and die-hard train enthusiasts, so we ended up skipping it.

And, of course, it's hard to visit Sonoma without considering a winery tour; Sonoma Magazine has some suggestions for kid-friendly ones. Realistically, though, winery tours are just not all that interesting to kids. We took the tram tour at Benziger Family Winery, which might've been lovely and informative, but we were too distracted by our complaining children. Maybe we'll return when they're older and more interested in wining than whining!

Where to Eat

The first restaurant we ate at near town square was The Red Grape, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's pure Sonoma, from the tranquil outdoor space to the cups of 100 percent grape juice that come with the kids' menu. My husband's pizza looked delish, and my handmade capellini was amazing. We could've just sat out under the string of patio lights all evening.

We also had a tasty brunch at the Sunflower Caffe, featuring another gorgeous and Sonoma-esque patio in the back, and Taste of the Himalayas, a tiny eatery tucked into one of the alleys that beckon off the square. Himalayan food (very similar to Indian food) was a nice respite from all the sourdough sandwiches and mesclun salads.

What's Nearby

About 45 minutes north of Sonoma, in Santa Rosa, is Safari West, a truly wonderful animal sanctuary that's open to visitors by reservation only. The 400-acre preserve offers a two-hour safari tour that takes you through the gates of the animal habitats and right up to several species of African wildlife, from giraffes to rhinos to zebra. Our guide, Jessica, was super knowledgeable and affable, answering all our questions and giving everyone on board a turn at the coveted seats on the top of her retrofitted 1950s truck. After the tour, we stayed for the buffet barbecue lunch, which was absolutely delicious. Just go!

And about 45 minutes east of Sonoma, in Fairfield, is the Jelly Belly Factory, a fantastic factory tour that offers free admission. (Of course, we ended up spending way more than we should've on candy after the tour because we felt like we were getting in for free anyway!) This is one of the better factory tours that I've been on, showing you the whole operation floor and featuring cute, informative games along the way. On the way out, they offer a free bag of jelly beans. And if that weren't enough, you can try unlimited flavors at the sampling station. We were all pretty happy with the experience.

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Joshua Tree National Park: Best Hikes and Activities for Kids

We spent spring break in Palm Springs, which was my first time visiting a desert. They say the dry heat isn't so bad, and it's true. It was in the low 90s during our visit, and we were able to withstand it just fine, so long as we didn't stand directly under the sun. Of course, much of our time was still spent in the pool. If you're thinking of vacationing in Palm Springs with kids, plan to do any outdoor activities in the early morning, then jumping into the hotel pool after lunch and spending the rest of the day there.

Where to Stay

We were traveling with my cousin's family and everyone wanted a hotel with a nice pool, since we figured we'd be spending the majority of our time there. We ended up choosing the Marriott Desert Springs Villas I in Palm Desert (a suburb of Palm Springs) because it had not just one, but seven pools, plus access to the pools at the adjacent JW Marriott. With the poolside dining, you really never had to leave the area.

In addition to the luxurious pools, the villa we stayed in was absolutely beautiful, with plenty of space and all the trappings of home (including an in-room washer and dryer set, which, if you ask me, is vacation gold!). I've never been more comfortable in a hotel room. It truly felt like home.

What to Do

One of the big reasons we wanted to vacation in Palm Springs was to check out nearby Joshua Tree National Park. After visiting Yellowstone a couple of year ago, we've been on a national park kick (Zion and Bryce Canyon are planned for this summer), and Joshua Tree seemed like an interesting one to experience. And it did turn out to be an oddly beautiful park, full of weird and wonderful things to see. My advice is to go first thing in the morning (the park opens at 8), do a hike or two, maybe have a picnic lunch, and then get out by 1pm. It starts getting really hot around noon, and there is very little shade.

Our game plan was this: Enter the park from the west entrance, hike the popular and easy Hidden Valley Trail, maybe hike Barker Dam if everyone was still in good spirits, make a stop at Skull Rock (pictured below) for photos, check out the Cholla Cactus Garden, then exit through the south entrance. We managed to do everything except for the Barker Dam. Along the way, the drive through the park is incredibly scenic, with fields of Joshua trees as far as the eye can see (they almost look like people standing very still in the desert), and mountains of rocks and boulders looming in the background. Here's a good map of the park.

The Hidden Valley Trail is the most popular hike, located not far from the north and west entrances, and it's an easy 1 mile loop. What makes it fun are the boulders along the way, which the kids loved to climb. You could avoid them altogether and just stick to the sandy path, but all my kids talked about afterwards with their cousins was the fun rock scrambling, so that's the real appeal of this trail.

By the time we got to the Cholla Cactus Garden it was nearing 2pm and way too hot to hike without shade. So we just wandered up the path for a few minutes, took some photos with the adorable cholla cacti and then turned around. If you can get there earlier, this should be an easy and scenic hike.

Another morning, we visited the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert. I recommend shelling out for the Total Adventure Package, which includes unlimited giraffe and lorikeet feedings, camel rides, and carousel rides. You're going to end up paying for each of these activities anyway, so you might as well buy the package, which saves you a bit of money and lets you do each activity more than once. My favorite was the giraffe feeding, where each person is given three carrot sticks to offer. The giraffes grab the carrots from you with their long, curling tongues.

One attraction in Palm Springs that we didn't get to was the Aerial Tramway. The tram ascends more than 2.5 miles up a canyon and drops you off at Mt. San Jacinto State Park, where there are plenty of hiking trails to explore. Next time!

Where to Eat

I had many highly-rated places to eat on our itinerary (including El Ranchito Taco Shop, Wilma & Frieda, and Smoke Tree BBQ), but because we were traveling with a large group that included five kids, most of the time fast food was all we could manage — mostly In-N-Out Burger, which is always intriguing to those of us from the East Coast. On days when we couldn't get ourselves off the hotel premises, we dined al fresco at the JW Marriott's Rockwood Grill, where the food was excellent.

What's Nearby

As part of our Palm Springs vacation, we spent some time in Los Angeles and Anaheim, both about two hours away. In Anaheim, we visited Disneyland and California Adventure. I actually prefer this version of Disney to the one in Orlando, which can get really overwhelming, really fast. Magic Bands are not yet a thing at Disneyland, and maybe that's a good thing. You don't need to spend a week of your life planning for a visit to these parks, as you would for Disney World (although here's my primer for that, if you're interested). For Disneyland, just read up on the rides and shows a bit so you're not wandering aimlessly through the parks, and head on in for some low-key Disney magic.

In L.A., we spent a day at the Getty Museum, which totally exceeded my expectations. Art museums are always a tough sell with kids, but this one is located on beautiful grounds that encourage exploration and even running (and rolling) around on. There's also the tram ride that takes you up the hillside and overlooks what seems like all of Los Angeles.

And, of course, there's the actual artwork. The Getty Museum houses several world-renowned Impressionist paintings that are exciting to see in person and fun to copy. Whenever we visit an art museum, I supply the kids with sketch pads and colored pencils so they can copy their favorite pieces. It's a great way to get them to engage with the artwork in a memorable and meaningful way, and it keeps them busy for at least 20 minutes so you have some time to relax and enjoy the artwork as well.

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Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara was our third stop on a Pacific Coast tour that started in San Francisco, detoured to Monterey, and wound up in Los Angeles. What makes the view different there from those of the other coastal towns we visited is the dominating Santa Ynez mountain range, which serves as a gorgeous backdrop against the palm tree-lined streets and views of the Pacific Ocean.

What to Do

We wanted to do some kayaking while we were in Santa Barbara, and we hired a great tour company called Santa Barbara Adventure Co. to take us around the harbor. (We'd originally wanted to go out to the open water, but a heavy storm the day before prevented us from doing so.) Our guides were very friendly, professional and flexible, accommodating our requests and tailoring the trip to fit our needs.

Cabrillo Boulevard is the main drag in Santa Barbara, and the best way to experience it is by renting bikes from Wheel Fun Rentals and riding along the shoreline bike path. The rental shop has all sorts of kid-friendly biking options, from tag-alongs to surreys.

We made stops with our bikes at Chase Palm Park for the shipwreck-themed playground, duck and turtle pond, and antique carousel; Stearns Wharf for pelican spotting and ice cream; and East Beach for some wave jumping.

Where to Eat

When one is visiting Santa Barbara, one must eat at Brophy Bros. at Santa Barbara Harbor. Not so much for the seafood as for the view. You simply can't beat sitting on that narrow outdoor deck overlooking the sailboats bobbing in the harbor as you enjoy your clam chowder. It's the quintessential SB experience.

For Cal-Mex, many of the locals recommend family-friendly Carlitos in the downtown area (pictured below), which features year-round alfresco dining (warmed by heat lamps in the winter). But our hotel concierge also told us about Romanti-Ezer, which offers Mexican food with an El Salvadorian twist, and it turned out to be a solid recommendation. The milo burrito (with chicken, beans and plantains) is out of this world, and the staff couldn't be nicer.

Our last meal in SB was lunch at Shoreline Beach Cafe, and it turned out to be our favorite. Snag a table right on the beach and let the kids play in the sand while you wait for your fish tacos and burgers to arrive. So relaxing.

What's Nearby

Before rolling into Santa Barbara, we stopped in Solvang, about 40 minutes north. The city was originally settled by Danes and still boasts a Danish flavor in its architecture and landmarks. Case in point: One of the city's major playgrounds, Sunny Fields, resembles a child-sized Danish village and is a wonderland for kids who like to play pretend.

Also in Solvang is a farm called Ostrich Land, which is dedicated to raising dozens of ostriches and emus on open fields. You can feed the big birds using special handled bowls, but tell the kids to hold on tight — the ostriches and emus have a forceful peck and look more than a little intimidating as they approach you (thankfully, you're separated by a wooden fence). The funky gift shop even sells ostrich and emu eggs for cooking up and enjoying at home ($25 each). Yum?

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