When you think of America, you can’t help but think of ‘Made in America’.  Our society was built on industry and even today you can experience a little piece of that.  Did you know that there are about 564 factory tours in the US, according to Factory Tours USA?  Of course that doesn’t include those around the world, including the Guinness Factory in Dublin, Ireland.  I’ve been there twice now and I still find it fascinating (I don’t even like beer – I know, blasphemy for an Irish Girl).

York County, PA dubs itself as the Factory Tour Capital of the World.  Among those are the amazing Harley-Davidson Plan in York, PA, and the delicious Hershey Factory in Hershey, PA both of which I did visit years ago. There are also woodworking, violin, clock-making and pretzel factories, among others as well.

Today I was in the Gettysburg, PA area and was asking what’s fun to do with kids.  Someone suggested the UTZ factory in Hanover PA, about a 25 minute drive.

We took the easy drive down Route 116 and were there in no time.  They have a nice video beforehand where we learned all about the history of UTZ.  My 3-year old was very interested in the tour.  She was able to stand up on little risers to look down at the busy production facility.  I was totally amazed at the automation and how quickly it goes from potato to shipping box in one area.  You can go at your own pace so if the kids get bored at one point, move a little quicker. She even went back a second time to have a look.

Of course, at the end of the tour you get a complimentary bag of UTZ potato chips.  Who doesn’t like potato chips?

 

I have discovered one of the greatest, most useful websites ever – If This Then That (IFTTT).  It has so many uses on both a personal and professional level.  It takes a little time to set up “recipes” – for example, “If the weather says rain the next day, send a reminder to pack an umbrella” or “If the Capitals win, post it on my Facebook page” or “If my house temp drops below 60, email me”.  The site creates simple conditional statements based on your interests.

The combinations are endless and it has so many great opportunities for travel.  The link above will send you to the road trip suggestions.  So many sites out there are nice but this has real practical applications to simplify and organize your life.

 

Read the Local Newspaper Online or Grab a Hard Copy Upon Arrival

The good ‘ol newspaper is a great resource for discovering local events and happenings.  Nowadays magazines and newspapers are almost all online so you can easily do a scan to see what is happening in the area you will be visiting.  There might be a church or peach festival that might really introduce you into the local culture.  Many of these local events are not advertised in places like the tourism office but are often in the local rag.

Our local paper the Capital Gazette offers a weekend insert with events from all over the Baltimore-Washington area, as well as a daily list of events.

Use coupon sites like Living Social & Groupon to get deals in your vacation area

Getting a discount has never been easier with sites like Groupon, Living Social and sweetjack.  They are great resources for finding deals on everything from restaurants, local attractions, spas and activities.

Many of these sites now have easy to use apps, just log in and use the “current location” option when prompted.  If you have a vacation planned start looking in advance for deals as many of them last for months.  I have recently seen 3 different festival tickets for purchase at half price in Annapolis.

On my latest trip we went to the beach and decided to drive home via Cape May.  I quickly got on these sites and searched for any interesting things we could “buy” and found a whale and dolphin cruise for less than half the regular price.  You have to be aware that they often say the coupon doesn’t work for 24 hours and since we were trying to use it hours later I called the tour company directly and they said they would honor it if I came in that day!  My motto is – “it never hurts to ask”.  We had the best time and the whole family enjoyed something different and seeing so many dolphins.  I really wouldn’t have thought of the tour otherwise.