"So that's how they do that!"  My five year old daughter (perhaps the world's youngest chocoholic) was staring wide-eyed during a tour of Harry London's Chocolates.  She had just learned how cream filling gets in the chocolate's center.  With her love of sweets and our mutual interest in cooking, a behind-the-scenes tour seemed like a good idea.  Now we're hooked.

If your family has a particular interest, or if you're looking for low-cost entertainment, factory tours fit the bill.  Many of the businesses are family run and started in a basement.  It's inspiring to experience the results of one person's dream and hard work.  Some families have even designed vacations around factory tours.

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appeared in Cleveland Family, March 2005