Arts
- Simply the best of Lodi
- Star watch: Enjoy a movie in style
- Lo (ho, ho, ha, ha) di
- Rhythm of the night
- A season for a festival
- Keeping it cool: Jazz scene popular in Lodi
Food
- Much more than secret sauce
- Edible, incredible Lodi offers food treats for finicky feasters
- List of area restaurants
Recreation
- Take off!
- Par for the course
- Mokelumne River more than Lodi's northern border
- Fun in them there hills
- Nearby nature: Spend a day exploring Lodi Lake
- Outstanding ornithology: Birds just love Lodi
Shopping
- L.O.D.I. spells hidden treasure in antiques
- Dollars and sense: There are plenty of places to shop in Lodi and the surrounding area
- Chocolate lovers rejoice!
- Find the perfect ‘Lodi' gift
Things To Do
- Perfect day includes walking, eating, playing
- Time alone or with family can be perfect
- Lodi's past comes alive
- Museum reveals Lodi's ag roots
- Move over Wonka
- In all directions, fun is a stone's throw from Lodi
- Discover: The big list
Wine
Move over Wonka
From cookies to beer, visitors can learn how things are made on area factory tours
For kids and adults who want a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their favorite confections, foods or beverages, Lodi and the surrounding area have several factories and gift shops to visit.
Area factories within a 45-minute drive of Lodi include the Hershey Visitor's Center and Gift Shoppe, Lodi Nut Co., the Jelly Belly Factory, Spaans Cookie Co., the Anheuser-Busch Co. and Oakdale Cheese and Specialties.
Jelly Belly
At the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, visitors can go on tours that leave every 15 minutes.
Visitors can look down through large windows and see the colored candies in various stages of development on racks, in containers and in machines below as sweet aromas drift through the hallways. It takes a week to make a single Jelly Belly bean.
The visitor center includes a sampling bar, a gift and candy shop, and a cafe open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The factory is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for certain holidays.
Tours last about 40 minutes. The machines don't operate on weekends, but visitors can view the process on video monitors.
The Jelly Belly Candy Co. is located at One Jelly Belly Lane in Fairfield. For more information, call (800) 9-JellyBean, or visit http://www.jellybelly.com.
Spaans Cookie Co.
The Spaans Cookie Co. in Galt is a family tradition that began in the late 1800s. The Spaans family started baking in 1896 and came to Galt in the mid-1900s, according to the company's Web site.
Cookies include many varieties. Sugar-free include lemon chiffon, fudge 'n' chips, peanut butter and chocolate cherry jubilee. Other cookies include classic chewy chocolate chip, coconut krispies, fruit 'n' honey and soft oatmeal. Holiday varieties also are available during each season.
Visitors can browse through the cookies, candies and gifts in the store and may get a glimpse of the 100-foot oven, which can produce 64,000 cookies an hour.
Spaans Cookie Co. is located at 465 C St., Galt. For information, call 745-1974, or visit http://www.spaanscookies.com.
Lodi Nut Co.
The Lodi Nut Co. gift shop offers a variety of flavored and candy-covered nuts. Each season, gift-wrapped nuts are available to go with the holiday, whether it's Valentine's Day, Easter or Christmas. The nuts can make great gifts, party favors and refreshments. Gift baskets are also available.
Lodi Nut Co. began as Stone Nut Co. in 1919, according to the Web site. Theodore Hochhalter bought the company in 1949, and his family remains in charge of the operation. Production departments include retail packaging, macadamia processing, custom dicing and sizing, roasting and shell grinding.
The gift shop is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday during the holiday seasons; it is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday the rest of the months.
Lodi Nut Co. is located at 1230 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi. For more information, call (800) WAL-NUTS or 334-4888, or visit http://www.lodinut.com.
Anheuser-Busch Co.
Beer brewers and beer lovers alike may enjoy a trip to the Anheuser-Busch Co. plant in Fairfield.
Adolphus Busch and his father-in-law Eberhard Anheuser started the Anheuser-Busch Co. in the mid-1800s. Budweiser beer was created in the late 1800s and took off from there, according to the Web site. The beer begins with barley malt, milled rice and water.
Visitors to the plant can see the whole process and taste beer as well. Tours are free and take about one hour.
Tours are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday during the months of September through May; tours are Monday through Saturday during the months of June through August. The store is open until 5 p.m.
Anheuser-Busch is located at 3101 Busch Drive, Fairfield. For more information, call (707) 429-7595, or visit http://www.budweisertours.com.
Hershey Visitor's Center and Gift Shoppe
The Hershey Visitor's Center and Gift Shoppe in Oakdale is a tribute to chocolate. Tours of the factory are no longer available, but the chocolate-making process can be seen in pictures. The gift shop includes an array of Hershey products such as T-shirts, accessories, candy and fresh-baked cookies.
The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Hershey Visitor's Center and Gift Shoppe is located at 120 S. Sierra Ave., Oakdale. For more information, call (209) 848-8126, or visit http://www.hersheys.com/discover/oakdale.