Jelly Belly Visitor Center, Jelly Belly Candy Company, One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, CA 94533  Tour information 1-800-9-JELLYBEAN (1-800-953-5592) jellybelly.com

Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California has been named “Best of America” by the editors of Reader’s Digest magazine. Located only 42 miles from Sacramento, the factory offers free 40 to 45 minute tours that include sample tasting of the products and opportunity to purchase the newest items.  Driving into the factory on a recent trip, there were other tasting opportunities available at the Budweiser factory across the road and an olive oil tasting shop.

But most come to enjoy the colorful jelly bean tour and factory that includes a restaurant, gift shop and displays. Guests taking the tour line up in queue and wait for a guide to issue a paper hat which must be worn as they are lead upstairs above the factory floor where glass windows allow views below.  A seasoned guide describes the process of making the candy and TV monitors show videos about production. Picture-taking is not allowed on this portion of the tour, though they are permitted elsewhere.

After the tour is finished, guests are usually given a small sample package of the candy and sent back to the gift shop to finish by sampling Jelly Belly varieties and flavors.  Guests often say they didn't realize the process for making a perfect Jelly Belly candy bean takes so much time. Each candy bean is hand inspected after it passes several tests for quality and then is packaged for shipping. The numbers of beans produced is amazing and the variety of flavors is extensive, with the red, very cherry bean being the most popular.

If you are still hungry after consuming the candy or are saving your treats, Jelly Belly Cafe serves Jelly Belly-shaped pizza and hamburgers. Enjoy the Java Bar for espresso drinks, then wander over to the ice cream counter for ice cream cones at an outdoor patio and picnic area or indoor table seating.

Fairfield, California isn't simply about jelly beans, however. The city is the seat of Solano County and includes not only new shopping malls and chain restaurants but a beautiful downtown region stretching along the historic Highway 40.  Be sure to drive through the downtown to see the sign, shops and county buildings.

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