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Take A Sweet Trip To California's Jelly Belly Factory

Become an informed consumer while still on vacation! Check out Jaunted's newest series of the Best Factory Tours the world over.

Former president and California resident Ronald Reagan famously offered Jelly Belly jelly beans to all his White House guests. Make your home a model of that hospitality at the Jelly Belly Factory Tour in Fairfield, CA with a sugar-rush-sized tour which ends in mouth-watering goodies.

On weekdays visitors can watch real Jelly Bellys being made on the factory floor; weekend visitors get an unintentionally funny production video of the same process from the back of a miniature train. Take in the sights on a miniature train, and just as the whines for tasty treats from the caboose get to be too much, you get dumped off in the factory store where multi-pound bags of "Belly Flops," or jelly beans that failed quality control but in non-dangerous ways, are foisted on visitors at rock-bottom prices. As long as you don't particularly care what flavor you're getting, you can enjoy a bag of Belly Flops for minutes of satisfaction.

Jelly Belly has a similar visitor center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin but since no jelly beans are actually manufactured there, the tour is somewhat less exciting. (But the Belly Flops are still delicious.)

Related Stories:
· Factory Tours [JellyBelly.com]
· Cozumel Dive Resort Near Tequila Factory [HC]
· Car Factory Tours [Jaunted]

[Photo: TripAdvisor]

Tags: Movie Set Travel / New England Travel / Joaquin Phoenix / → All Tags

Movie Set Travel: Reservation Road

We remember this week's pick, Reservation Road, way back when it was a mere book, so we're pretty curious as to what to expect with the film. It's the story of two Connecticut families whose lives clash unexpectedly over a tragic accident.

Joaquin Phoenix is back with his Johnny Cash seriousness as Ethan Learner, with Jennifer Connelly as his wife. The plot promises it all: "rage, revenge, love and hope"--we'll see what it delivers.

As this was shot all over Connecticut, we'll offer you some unique things to check out in Fairfield, a picture perfect destination this time of year.

Where To Stay: The Inn at Fairfield Beach -- A five-minute stroll from Fairfield Beach, the inn is cozy with just 13 rooms. Each one is light and airy with cathedral ceilings, fireplaces and views of the Long Island Sound. Think floral bedspreads and tea kettles and you've got the vibe of this hidden and homey hideaway.

Where To Eat: Barcelona Wine Bar -- It might feel a little like stepping back into the 70s when you enter Barcelona Wine Bar, because they still have the kitschy wallpaper and bar stools. But rather than snap you out of the time warp, everything else completes the retro vibe. Check out the outdoor patio for some fresh air while you snack on chorizo with sweet and sour figs or cod croquettes with saffron aioli.

Where To Walk Around: Fairfield University -- Grab your elbow patch blazer and stroll the grounds of Fairfield University on a fall day. Don't miss landmarks like Bellermine Hall, an English manor style mansion originally built in 1920 and perfectly updated in 1982.

[Photo: Jerry Wehler]