York Co. Factory Tours

Trip Date: June 20, 2013

I usually share my trips in details about the places I and/or my husband visit mostly when we sign up for tours. But since this trip is a series of tours, I thought of just sharing the entire trip in a brief but concise manner.

We had 6 tour itinerary for this trip which means 6 places of visits.

This tour was also offered by the Rill's Bus Company in celebration of the "2013 Made in America Tours Event" in York County, PA, - which is considered the "Factory Tour Capital" of the world.

First stop:

• The Harley Davidson Motor Company in York, PA. - for those who are certified Harley Davidson motorcycle lovers (and even members), I'm sure you would love this. The only thing I am not sure at this time is; - if Rill's Bus Tour will still offer this tour again in the near future. And if they do, you shouldn't miss it :). As you enter the facility, you will be fronting the customer service desk on a lobby, and on your right side would be the Vaughn L. Beals Tour Center where motorbike exhibits of various models and styles are being displayed. You can have your chance to sit on those bikes as well for photo ops ;); In there, you can explore more exhibits that detail the plant's history on through the manufacturing and assembly processes. This is also a good time to spend your time while waiting for the factory tour, as the tours are done by batch.

Tours inside the factory are free and are scheduled at regular intervals from 9AM-2PM Mondays to Fridays. It is a first-come-fist-served basis so going in early is highly recommended.

By the way, before our tour, we were given a free commemorative pin too. Cool! ;)

Before the tour, our group was taken in to sit inside a mini theater and watched a short movie clip, - an introductory video about the humble beginnings of the company, the history and the most recent updates of the company nowadays.

Then, we walked to the next room where we were given safety glasses and an audio before we were allowed to proceed inside the factory floor. A closed-toe, low-heeled shoes are also recommended.

Note: We were requested to leave our cameras since they are not permitted in the factory floor.

It was noisy inside, the reason why they gave us an audio. Its purpose was to hear the tour guide while touring inside. We had a noise-cancelling headphones attached to our audio, so that when the guide talks, we could hear him loud and clear. It was an interesting tour!

Second stop:

• Bube's Brewery - (pronounced as Boo-bees) is a 19th century brewery complex located in Mt. Joy, PA. It is still in its original condition with a modern brewery onsite. Tours include information about beer-making done 100 years ago and to this modern day. Visitors will also get the chance to visit way down the underground lagering cellars called - the catacombs! Bube's Brewery is the only intact Pre-Prohibition brewery complex left in the United States.

Third Stop:

• George's Woodcrafts (Marietta, PA) - is a furniture factory ad a store that has been known for their high quality solid wood furniture for 4 decades now. Visitors can tour the wood shop and witness how furniture are being made from scratch, manually. Here, you can as well experience seeing the strength and beauty of artisan furniture made from the finest hardwoods.

Fourth Stop:

• Sunrise Soap Company (York, PA) - this soap company is worth visiting. It has been becoming famous as a tourist spot for many visitors as they make everything on-site on their visitor-friendly kitchen, such as soaps, lotions, body scrubs, lip balms, bath fizzies, etc..which are made of harsh-free chemicals. You can smell various fragrances inside too! It's a fun tour to experience as you watch a demonstration on how soap is being made, learn more about the high quality oils being used, making it a skin-healthy alternative for sensitive skin. There are a lot of various products already displayed in the store which are available for purchase.

Fifth Stop:

• New Grounds Coffee Roasting Company (York, PA) - fun tour for coffee lovers!! Visitors can watch a demo on how amazing fresh coffee beans are being roasted, then get the chance to enjoy sampling fresh coffee blends in various flavors.

Last/Final Stop:

• Brown's Farm Market (Loganville, PA) - this is a nice place to visit for fresh produce, as well as a great place to grab a bite/snacks in the cafe. They have various choices of baked goods, deli, pantry items, gift baskets and more.

Big Zombie Tour Part-1 (by Atlanta Movie Tours)

No wonder many call Atlanta the "home to Zombieland" in Georgia. But if you are a "Walking Dead" fan or just one of those who are so fascinated with any kind of zombie movie, - then definitely you'll agree, talking about zombie tours.

This tour is a 3-hour experience as you board a luxury coach courtesy of Atlanta Movie Tours, ad you can then get the experience on what it is like to be on the scenes where the zombies walked themselves! You'll be taken to locations in Atlanta where movies and TV series such as "The Walking Dead", "Zombieland", "The Vampire Diaries", etc. were filmed.

Tour guides will be with you all throughout the tour. Best thing is that the tour guides are the actors/actresses themselves that are/were part of the TV series "The Walking Dead". They can even entertain the group by giving interesting scoops and exclusive behind-the-scene stories about the series and movies where the best zombie hang-outs were filmed.

By the way, it is highly recommended to book your tour and get your tickets online at the Atlanta Movie Tours website (atlantamovietours.com), because tickets sell so fast! Also take note that only small children that can be seated on an adult's lap are free of charge.

Instructions will be given regarding the meeting place, time, etc... which will be reflected on your e-tickets.

First part of the tour is a quarter mile walk at a slow pace but fairly ADA accessible. The rest of the tour will be on the bus with some various stops on some areas for photo ops and breaks.

Some expected highlights of the tour will be your visit to the hospital where your favorite sheriff, Rick Grimes woke up from coma, a visit to the goat farm where they filmed the episode "Vatos" of Season 1 of the "Walking Dead", and the CDC building (Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center) where it was blown up in the final episode of Season 1, - the truth is, it wasn't really blown up, - camera trick, yeah! Sorry for the spoiler alert guys, but it still won't hinder anyone to visit these locations yourself, right? 

Then, a photo op from the Jackson St. Bridge with the tour group and the tour guide at the end of the tour.

Entrance to the Goat Farm. This scene on the photo was filmed on the "Hunger Games-Catching Fire" from the scene of District 12. If you're lucky enough, you can still find some fake coals that was used as props reflecting the effect of the coal district in the movie.

The King County Sheriff Station. On the further end on this building (not shown) was the location where Rick shot a police officer who became a zombie.

The hospital where Rick had woke up from a coma. This was also the scene where lot of dead zombies were lined up on the ground (those "zombies were actually man-made dummies).

This was the spot where Rick crossed the railway entering Atlanta on a horse.

The department store still with the chains on the doors to keep the zombies out. It was in this store where the group was trapped in.

Our tour group photo at the Jackson St. Bridge

It will be quite of a unique experience to try this tour. Very entertaining!