I am most inspired by ordinary people who had a great idea and ran with it. Today, even though the creative entrepreneurs may be gone, the fruits of their labors live on.

Welcome to York County in southeastern Pennsylvania dubbed the “Factory Tour Capital of the World,” where visitors can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of some of America’s favorite products, all started by moms and pops of yesteryear.

Martin’s Potato Chips Factory tour

Let’s roll the calendar back to 1938 when Harry Martin Jr. asked his mother for Utz potato chips (the only ones around at the time) when they took their produce to sell at the market. “I’ll make them for you so we don’t have to buy them,” said Fairy Martin. So, she started making her own chips to take to market and set up her own potato chip stand. Martin’s Potato Chips were born. By 1942 Harry Jr. took over the business. In 1971, tired of making chips, the Martin family retired and sold the factory. 

Today, the Martin’s Potato Chips Factory produces 1.5 million bags of snacks per month, from hand-cooked “kettle cooked” potato chips and Bar-B-Q Waffle Chips to butter-flavored popcorn.

The factory gives free tours Tuesdays by reservation only at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. The tour lasts 45 minutes, and visitors should call 1-800-272-4477 to make reservations. A factory store is located on site. Visitors must wear closed-toed shoes on the tour and a hair net. Cameras are permitted, and the tour is accessible to those with disabilities. And best of all, there are always free samples of “hot off the line” potato chips!

The Martin’s Potato Chip Factory is located at 5847 Lincoln Highway (US Route 30) in Thomasville, Pa. For information, call 800-272-4477 or visit www.martinschips.com.

Wolfgang Candy Factory tour

As early as 1893 members of the Wolfgang family learned the fine art of candy making and in 1921 formed the D.E. Wolfgang Candy Company in York. Through the years family members traveled to local football games, special community functions and farmers markets selling their hand-dipped chocolates and other confections. Four generations later, Wolfgang Candy is still owned by the family and manufactures and sells millions of pounds of seasonal candies for schools, clubs, churches and other fund-raising groups.

Free chocolate factory tours allow visitors to see, smell and taste the 50 kinds of candies the company makes and packages for sale. Tours are 45 minutes long and are given Mondays through Fridays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The factory and store are located at 50 East 4th Avenue in York. For information, call 800-248-4273 or visit www.wolfgangcandy.com.

Hope Acres Fully Robotic Dairy Farm tour

In 1935 Horace E. Heindel bought his first farm in York County. In 1970 he started dairy farming at Hope Acres. Today his son and grandson own the 2,100-acre farm and have 180 dairy cows.

Hope Acres was one of the first farms to introduce robotic milking practices to the United States, and visitors from all over can witness this most fascinating marriage of technology and nature. In fact, tour guide Kelly Waby said she gives tours to 11,000 visitors each season.

On the 75-minute tour, visitors are guided through the dairy barn where cows are pampered with backscratchers and waterbeds. When they need to be milked, the cows have been trained to enter the robotic milking station. A robotic arm scans its tag, cleans the udder and milks the cow. If there is a problem, the farmer is alerted on his cell phone.

Tours conclude with a free scoop of Hope Acres super-premium grade ice cream at the Brown Cow Country Market.

For information, visit www.hopeacres.com or call 800-293-1054. The farm, which is open for tours from March through November, is located at 2680 Delta Road in Brogue, Pa. Navigation systems have a hard time zoning in on this location, so be sure to call and get specific directions before heading out. Tours are accessible to those with disabilities.

The Shoe House

When entrepreneur Carleen Farabaugh was looking for a place to open an ice cream stand, she never thought she’d wind up in the sole of a shoe house, but that seemed to be her destiny five years ago. Now she’s affectionately known as “the woman who lives in the shoe,” but that’s OK with her. She’s proud to continue the legacy of Mahlon Haines, affectionately known around the York area as “The Shoe Wizard.” In 1906, Haines peddled shoes in York in a horse-drawn wagon. He went on to build a shoe sales empire in central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland that at its height included more than 40 stores. He died in 1962.

Haines is said to have built the house in 1948 as an outlandish advertising gimmick. It is a wood frame structure covered with wire lath and coated with cement stucco. It measures 48 feet long, 17 feet wide and 25 feet high. The interior consists of five different levels and contains three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen (in the heel) and a living room. The master bedroom is in the toe of the shoe.

Although Haines never lived there, this giant structural advertisement was originally used as a guest house. In the first year after its completion, Haines invited newlyweds and elderly couples to stay for a weekend and live like “kings and queens” at Haines’ expense, complete with maid and butler service.

Farabaugh is the fourth owner of the house. She said she felt Haines “tapping me on the shoulder” as she toured the house to buy it. Today she sells ice cream in season and gives tours of the house, which is “completely livable.”

The Shoe House is located at 197 Shoehouse Road in York, Pa., near the Hallam exit of U.S. 30.  For information, call 717-840-8339 or visit www.Shoehouse.us. It is open through May by appointment only and from June through August on Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour is $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children. Children under 3 are free.

The Yorktowne Hotel

The historic Yorktowne Hotel reflects yet another remarkable story of a can-do spirit among the locals and is the perfect place to stay on your trip to York County. Built in 1925, the Renaissance-style hotel, which stands 11 stories tall in the heart of downtown York, opened debt-free after 265 volunteers teamed up and sold shares worth over $1 each to nearly 1,200 investors.

Over the years, The Yorktowne has played host to presidents, first ladies, hall of famers, comedians and governors from all over the United States. Today it continues to be the facility for locals, businessmen and tourists.

Twenty-foot high ceilings, ornate chandeliers and wood paneling welcome you as you enter the lobby. The hotel has 121 oversized rooms and luxurious suites, appointed with traditional furnishings and colorful floral designs. It has two restaurants, the Commonwealth Room, which is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. The OffCenter Grill Restaurant is the hotel’s upscale dining alternative, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

The Yorktowne Hotel is located at 48 East Market Street in York, Penn. For information, call 800-233-9324 or visit www.yorktowne.com.

For information about the York area, visit the York County CVB, 155 West Market Street in York, call 1-888-858-YORK or visit www.yorkpa.org.