Did you know that cheese in its original form is not yellow? Learn the art of making cheese at the Dairygold Cheese Factory in Sunnyside. Dairygold is open for self-guided tours every day of the week, call 509-837-4321.

Step into a Hansel and Gretel gingerbread-style home to watch candy makers in action at the Anacortes Chocolate Factory. Mom and pop owners Tracy and Randy Sager still use the copper kettle and candy stove that was used in the 70s to produce fine candies from Belgium chocolate. Visitors can also view an array of antiques along with a display of old farm equipment along with taking in a meal at the restaurant. Advance reservations are required for groups (groups may also request to take a candy-making class). Call 360-293-8042 or e-mail anacandy@anacortes.net.

Watch workers handcraft candies in Anacortes at Bayside Sweets and Treats. The store makes its own fudge and 130 different candies. Old-style candies such as wax lips and licorice pipes are also offered. For information call 360-293-1267.

Taste samples of smoked salmon and tour the authentic smokehouse and retail store at the SeaBear smokehouse in Anacortes. Learn about different smoking methods and watch the hand-felleting and the traditional smoking of different varieties of Pacific Salmon. Contact 360-293-4661 ext. 3001 or on line at www.seabear.com.

Watch the Candymaker! The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory uses old-fashioned techniques and tools to make a variety of confections. Visitors to the factory watch the candymaker pour hot liquid fudge onto a 900-pound, four-inch thick granite table, and move the mass around with a giant wooden paddle, gradually coaxing it into creamy fudge. The granite table provides a uniform surface for cooling fudge. Located in the Broadmoor Park Factory Outlet Mall in Zillah in the Yakima Valley, the factory is open seven days a week. Call 509-547-5566 to schedule a tour.

Don't miss one of the sweetest tours on the Cascade Loop. Take a refreshing break and visit the candy kitchens of Liberty Orchards. Located just off Highway 2 in Cashmere, continuous tours and lots of free samples are offered! Aplets & Cotlets are a unique Washington tradition. Handmade from a secret family recipe, Aplets & Cotlets and Fruit Festives get their smooth, natural flavor from wholesome ingredients including pure fruit juices and premium nutmeats. Factory tours are offered year-round. For more information, contact Liberty Orchards Company, Inc. at 509-782-4088.

Boehm's Candy of Issaquah is housed in a chalet-style candy shop next to a replica of a 12th-century Alpine chapel, built by the late Julius Boehm in the 1950s. The candy store is open daily, and tours of the candy factory are available in the summer months by reservation. Call 425-392-6652.

Ever visited a farm on a beach? Hamma Hamma Oyster Farm is on Highway 101 between Lilliwaup and Eldon. Call to schedule a 20-minute weekday tour to see the processing plant and shellfish beds, 360-877-5811.

Goose Point Oysters, www.goosepoint.com, in Bay City has oyster-shucking tours that provide an overview of the industry. They soon will be adding a viewing window for visitors on the other oyster operations. The retail outlet and tours are open to the general public and groups. Goose Point Oysters is located on Highway 101, between South Bend and the Willapa Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Office. For more information, please call 360-875-6629.

Learn how mint oil is processed at I.P. Callison & Sons, Inc., located on National Avenue in Chehalis. This one-hour tour discusses the distillation process and offers opportunities for tasting. For more information call 360-748-3315.