San Francisco, CA

If you ever travel north to Washington State, Check out the Mammoth of the Cascades.

Here is a great article on the stratovolcanic mountain in Washington State know as Mt. Rainier.

Read More Here

If you live, or are planning a visit to San Francisco, you may not be aware that a delicious delight, is manufactured right at your city’s back door.

If you travel east of San Francisco towards Sacramento, there’s a town off the highway called Fairfield, where the gourmat jelly bean, known as Jelly Bellies, is produced. All 50 something flavors for your choosing.

When you get off the highway you will be in a industrial zone with many warehouses and manufacturing centers, I’m assuming.
As you enter the building the company logo is front and center, so you’ll know you are there.

Greeted while waiting for the tour, a worker may approach you and ask if you would like to try a  certain flavor of a “Jelly Belly” jellybean. Which of course you reply, Yes!

You will be led on a guided tour of their factory, and will see the process of these famous little jellybeans being made. From start to labelled and packaged. It’s really quite an interesting tour, with video clips of the history of the company, the jelly belly bean, as well as other candies they produce.

At the end of the 15 minute tour, you can check out their gift and candy shop, to buy your favorite candy, and flavors. They also offer assorted flavors in nice gift boxes. Logo Shirts, caps, the whole nine yards.
If your hungry for more than candy they even have a little restaurant inside, that will serve you up pizza or burgers in the shape of a jelly beans.

Great trip for the kids, with quite a bit of interesting displays of “JellyBelly” portraits of famous people from Ronald Reagan to Elvis Presley.

I was impressed at every turn of the factory tour. Nice place to visit while in San Francisco and I would definitely recommend it for the kid of all ages who loves candy.

If your in San Francisco, and you don’t mind exploring the state of California a little bit, plan a visit a few hundred miles north on Highway 101, to see the famous California Redwoods.

Breath-taking views of over 300ft giant trees, with trunks that span large enough for cars to drive-thru, to build houses and campers out of.

A 31 mile stretch of road runs along side Highway 101, called “The Avenue of Giants” where you can drive-thru some of the thickest Redwood groves, drive-thru Redwoods in your car, and shop in tiny rustic towns. Great trip for motorcyclist, bikers, day-trippers, as well as even runners. I’m sure you could even boat in lakes, kayak the rivers, a definite camper and outdoors-mans’ paradise.

Along the drive up Highway 101, you will drive thru bustling suburbs, and eventually sleepy little mountain towns. You could even drive not to far off the beaten to the Pacific Ocean, it’s so close.

As we were driving from Washington State down into California, we happened to come across an attraction that left us all saying we gotta stop and look. It was another Giant we weren’t quite expecting, that we found along the way. Paul Bunyan and Babe, his Blue Ox. Paul standing tall with his axe, sporting his lumberjack flannel shirt and logging boots.
Nice little gift-shop on site with some history behind the area.
Somebody talking for Paul Bunyan on a PA system, greeting people and saying Hi, to all the little kids. Great stop for a family with kids.
I believe it even had a sky-ride that you could take an aerial view of a Redwood grove.

San Francisco has  a lot of places within a few hours drive that can definitely add to your experiences when in California. These giants of Northern California are one of nature’s finest beauties and more than worth the drive while in San Francisco, if you have some time.