There are many elements that can be combined to produce the "perfect road trip," but they can all be made extra special by including a factory tour. Watch it Made in the USA includes one of our all-time favorite factory tours, the Pendleton Blanket Mill in Pendleton, Oregon. It's an "E-ticket" experience, full of mammoth 10-foot wide electronic looms, yarn spinning machines twisting and strengthening the fabric, and a near-overwhelming cacophony of sounds. If that's the kind of attraction you like, too, Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg's book provides hundreds of suggestions for factory tours in nearly every state in the United States.

The authors feature tours that are either free or have a minimal cost and appeal to nearly all ages and interests. Whether you have a hankering to see RVs being built in Ohio, Steinway grand pianos being crafted on Long Island, the largest paper recycling operation in Springfield, Oregon, olive packing at the Graber Olive House in Ontario, California, or Mack Trucks rolling off the line in Macungie, Pennsylvania, this book is an insider's guide to the wonderful world of American manufacturing.

The authors have also prepared lists of factory tours organized by region and product category. One itinerary is the "Sweet Tooth Tour - West Coast," a three day pilgrimage that starts at Cerreta's Candy near Phoenix, pauses for some delicious "complimentary tastes" at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Las Vegas, and ends up in Fairfield, California, for a tour of the Herman Goelitz Jelly Bean factory.

One caveat—the availability of tours changes all the time, and visitors should always call ahead to verify details. But even though some tours described in Watch It Made in the USA no longer exist, the book still makes an excellent traveling companion.

Mark
6/02