FOODIE FuN Snack Attack FACTORY TOuRS FOR TASTY TREATS A Sweet Time Pennsylvania has an illustrious history of producing scrumptious sweets. 1875 Miesse Candies Using all-natural ingredients, Miesse makes chocolates that delight taste buds in Lancaster and beyond. 1894 Hershey’s Get to know the brand that’s nearly synonymous with “chocolate.” Take a free chocolate making tour and savor a sample at Hershey’s Chocolate World. Then, learn about the history at The Hershey Story. 1897 Martin’s Potato Chips Thomasville Thanks to its proud agricultural and manufacturing legacy, Pennsylvania produces some of the world’s best-loved snacks. Get a firsthand look at how these favorite munchies are made on a factory tour—and free samples just sweeten the deal. SNYDER’S OF HANOVER Known as America’s Pretzel Bakery for more than 100 years, Snyder’s carries on the tradition with an array of snacks still made in Hanover today. Take the free in-house walking tour that combines the company’s history with its state-of-the-art manufacturing. The tour is suited for ages 5 and up. (Reservations required.) HERR’S SNACK FACTORY TOURS Plan a flavorful family outing to Herr’s Snack Factory in Nottingham. The hour-long experience starts with a brief history of the company, followed by a plant tour where you’ll learn how Herr’s makes its chips, pretzels, and popcorn so tasty. Before you go, stop by the snack bar to grab goodies for the road. MARTIN’S POTATO CHIPS Martin’s is famous for its delectable “kettle cook’d” potato chips, still made one batch at time in Thomasville. On the factory tour, you’ll see potatoes come straight off the trucks, sent into the frying room (where you’ll enjoy warm samples), seasoned, packaged, and finally sent out for distribution. Advance reservations are required. UTZ POTATO CHIPS Utz began in a home kitchen in 1921, cooking small batches of potato chips for local grocers. Now the Hanover company produces more than 3.3 million pounds of snacks per week. At the 600,000-square-foot Utz factory, take a self-guided tour through a special glass-enclosed observation gallery that looks down on the production process from beginning to end. JULIUS STURGIS PRETZEL BAKERY Julius Sturgis started as a bread bakery in 1850, but soon made the switch to pretzels, opening the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. Visit the Lititz factory to try your hand at pretzel twisting (using a play-dough mixture), observe bakers crafting old-fashioned soft pretzels by hand, and shop for delicious treats and souvenirs. Gardners Candies In Tyrone, Gardners crafts beautifully decorated candies, including the customer-favorite Gardners Original Peanut Butter Meltaways. 1931 Turkey Hill Dairy Calling all ice cream fanatics! The Turkey Hill Experience tour in Columbia features interactive exhibits and the chance to create your own virtual flavor. 1947 Redstone Candy Company Once a popular spot for socializing in the small coal-mining town of Republic, this historic sweet factory is still well-known for its chocolate egg-shaped treats loaded with fresh nuts. 1963 Snyder’s of Hanover Hanover Sarris Candies Visit this factory, shop, and old-fashioned ice cream parlor in Canonsburg for sundaes and shakes—and to pick up a BashCake: a cupcake-shaped confection filled with chocolate-covered pretzels. TOP TO BOTTOM: EXPLORE YORK (2 PHOTOS) 1994 Romolo Chocolates Generations of candy makers resulted in this family-owned shop and café in Erie, where you’ll find Grandpa Romolo’s Famous Sponge Candy: a crunchy, airy sugar taffy coated in chocolate. 26 visitPA.com
Pennsylvania Happy Traveler Guide 2021: Page 26
