Top 10 Workplace Tours

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Jelly Belly Factory

    

American whistle factory tour

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Crayola Experience

The Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania was one stop I had been secretly excited about showing our kids. Not only did the boys learn about how crayons and markers are made, they got to explore the world of crayon art in a myriad of ways.

A life-sized dry erase car, doodling in the dark, and a host of other activities. There were plenty of take-home gifts including a four pack of exclusive crayons. We also got to see the world's biggest crayon, which is blue, which is fitting.

The Crayola Experience was cool, but a bit too crowded and expensive. No parking close to the museum for a big rig motorhome, so if you go, find another parking place nearby and drive your auto over.

Kettle Chips and Transformers

On our way up Interstate 81 we made a quick stop at the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory in Mt. Jackson, Virginia. These kettle fried chips are quite tasty, come in some unique flavors and are healthier than the average chip company. They fry the potato slices in a combination of peanut and sunflower seed oil, so if you have a peanut allergy these chips are not for you!

We had read that visitors can watch the chips being made and taste fresh samples. This is true on days when chips are being made, but we were not fortunate to come on a day when the machines were rolling. Call ahead if you want to see the chips being made. Otherwise you can purchase some freshly made chips at the visitor center and they are tasty! We got the sample pack and we all found some flavors we liked. Patsy and I thought the Chesapeake Clam flavored were the best.

The next day we had lunch at the McDonalds in Front Royal, Virginia for our 35th state with a golden arches stop on this trip! Wow. The little guys were excited about the Transformers toy, and we went for a hike in Shenandoah, National Park after to work off the extra calories and energy!

Bibles and M & Ms

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Tabasco Factory Tour

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Tabasco ice-cream?!?

Sloss Furnaces

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Huge furnace!

Toyota Factory Tour

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No cameras were allowed inside the plant

Blenko Glass Factory

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Knigge Farms

Our cheese loving family of seven had a blast touring a working dairy farm near Omro, Wisconsin. The Knigge Family Farms was one of the best "factory tours" our family has taken so far!

Mr. Knigge, the founder of the farm, gave us the tour himself. The unique aspect of this dairy farm is that is all robotic. The cows wait in line to get milked by this machine which holds the promise of a treat for the lovely Guernseys. Then it uses lazers to line up the milkers withe udders, cleans the cow, pumps the milk, stores the milk and then opens the gates for the next lovely lady.

The happy cows of this Wisconsin dairy also live in a temperature controlled barn that mists the cows when it gets over 75 degrees and they eat a wonderful diet of mixed grains, corn and grass.

At the end of our tour we each got a package of string cheese made from the milk given by the bovines we saw in action! Very tasty indeed.

Eating good in Wisconsin

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Spam Museum

By Patsy

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Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold

My wife has always had a fond affection for the look of Black Hills gold. The tricolored, delicately formed leaves are "pretty and shiny," according to Patsy. She loves the intricate nature of the works. So we took advantage of the the free tour of one of the factories where the jewelry is made, Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold.

According to their website, the tour is quite fascinating! Take a memorable FREE Factory Tour to see and learn how this historic jewelry is made. Discover the ancient process of lost-wax casting and how diamonds are cast in molten gold! As one of the area’s only "on the floor" up close & personal jewelry tours, you're guaranteed a fun and fascinating vacation experience!

We did enjoy the tour and our guide was very nice. It was quick but had some nice hands-on opportunities. My favorite part was learning how they "recycle" every bit of gold, even filtering the water where the employees wash their hands to catch the gold specks. Gold is currently $1500 or so an ounce, so it makes sense.

We did buy Patsy a small necklace with the signature leaf on it. Overall she seemed quite happy with the tour, and we all learned a little bit about jewelry making!

Good Times in Missoula

We spent Father's Day Weekend in Missoula, Montana and we really enjoyed the small city. Who knows, we may even settle down here someday! First thing we did was visit the Big Dipper. I had heard about this ice-cream joint on Facebook, primarily for its Huckleberry Ice-cream. Patsy and I were the only ones who truly enjoyed this flavor, although Brendan did say he liked it as well. It sort of tasted like raspberry and blueberry flavors combined together.

Next on the Missoula list was to visit their fully restored and functional carousel, called a Carousel for Missoula. This beautiful piece of history is very affordable, kids ride for 50 cents each, but also quite fun because it is so fast. Blake and Tanner enjoyed the old-time feature of trying to pull the rings out of a dragon's mouth that is hanging close to the edge of the carousel. Both boys got some rings, but could not get the "gold ring" which would have earned them a free ride. Still each boy got to go twice on the carousel!

Right next to the carousel is a very large playground called Dragon's Head, aptly named for the dragons' heads that adorn the structures. Our boys have played in playgrounds all over the United States and while they said they have seen a few cooler playgrounds than Dragon's Head, it ranks up there at the top of all the ones they have seen. While we were downtown we saw something we had never seen before - two guys were river surfing! Hmmm, interesting.

On our way out of Missoula we stopped at the Smokejumpers Visitor Center. Smokejumpers are forest service fire fighters who parachute into remote areas with gear and supplies to fight fires where normally it could take days to hike into. Smokejumpers have been around since 1939 and their training facilities are in Missoula. At the visitor center they have several displays, some informational movies and a tour of the training facility lead by a guide. It was very interesting and free!