Jelly Belly

On Sunday March 15th,  Frank and I took Alex to a visit of the Jelly Belly® factory in Fairfield, CA. The ride is about 43 minutes north of Alex's home. It being a weekend, there would be no formal factory tours, but we were OK with that, allowing us to go at our own pace and stop at whatever struck our fancy.  Upon arrival we first noticed the brightly decorated Jelly Belly® company car.

Upon entering the building we gazed up at Jelly Belly® jelly bean replicas suspended from the high ceiling. We bought our entry tickets and followed the signs for a self-guided tour.

We all had to don official Jelly Belly® paper hats for health reasons since it is a food production plant. Along the well defined path of the tour were stations with videos to watch about the packing operations and jelly bean production itself. Some of the packing and sorting machines were extremely complicated and consequently repeatedly accurate. The huge rotating drums for mixing the jelly bean ingredients reminded me of the kind on cement mixers. The mixing drums were not as complex as the packing equipment. At this stage the cooking process relied more on the skill of the operators knowing precisely when to add sugar, or flavoring, or other appropriate ingredients. It was enlightening to learn of the care taken to create a gooey center and exactly how and when to add the outer hard coating and buff it to a special sheen. 

One lane of the tour had stations to sniff and discern the flavor of a jelly bean by its scent. I sampled a few of those and was impressed. But sniffing a few a few were enough. It was quite warm along that corridor and the smells were starting to nauseate me. I was very grateful we were not touring when the plant was in production. Other aspects of the tour were historical in the roles Jelly Bellys played in the various halls of government. Jelly Belly® jelly beans were a fixture in the White House and a common snack in many cabinet meetings. When debates got tense, a jar of Jelly Belly® jelly beans was passed along during a short break to lighten the mood. They got their start when Ronald Reagan, as California Governor, ate them to break a pipe smoking habit. 

There were many other anecdotal signs along the route. I found them interesting but they did not hold much allure for Alex. Bits of trivia by year touched such topics as the introduction of mint wafers during sugar rationing (1940), the first shipment across the sea to Europe (1982), being the first jelly bean in space (1983), and the introduction of Harry Potter inspired weird flavors (2000).

There were also many, many, many, murals and samples of artwork with Jelly Belly Beams as pixels in a mosaic from presidential, to animated cartoon characters or from famous Hollywood personalities (e.g., Marylin Monroe) to well-known paintings (e.g. Starry Night).

The end of the tour had murals paying tribute to those beans that did not make the exacting standards. These are sold with the delightful name "Belly Flops". After the tour we went for a bite to eat in the snack bar. In keeping with the theme, I had a pizza that was shaped as a jelly bean. I enjoyed it; it was very tasty. I did learn this tidbit however. Jelly Belly® does not currently sell a pizza flavor, but their infamous "Vomit" flavored bean (featured in Harry Potter Bertie Bott's and BeanBoozled lines) was created from a failed attempt at a cheese-pizza flavor. Taste testers found the pizza attempt so unpalatable that the recipe was rebranded as a bad flavor instead. Both these goofs are prime examples of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

After eating, we browsed the store. I bought a sample of the Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Fiery Five collection which features five progressively hotter, pepper-inspired flavors made with real purée: Sriracha, Jalapeño, Cayenne, Habanero, and Carolina Reaper. Ranging from mild to scorching (up to 2 million Scoville units for the Reaper), these are designed as a tasting challenge rather than typical sweet candy.

We then went outdoors for the train ride to the museum. The museum is just a few yards across the parking lot from the factory/store, but why not enjoy a free train ride as well? The red brick building is visible in the background of the second photo. The third photo is from the museum perspective looking back on the factory/store. Yes, the two are an embarrassingly close walking distance away, but we climbed aboard anyway for the fun of it.

Since it was close to Easter on April 5th, there were several springtime displays. I thought the first one with flower sprays and bunnies was artsy and pretty.

I wanted Alex to pose in one of the chairs, flanked by rabbits. Based on his facial expression, he was definitely reluctant at first. He did cheer up shortly, though.

The museum had other artwork to admire. This decoupaged bunny caught my eye. I also liked the jelly bean 3-D renditions of animals of the Chinese zodiac, the rooster and the pig. Notice the detail in the feather colors of the rooster. The pig even has splotches of mud plastered to his side and snout.

Most of the museum was a collection of antiquated or outmoded equipment that had been used in making Jelly Belly Beans in the past. We did a cursory walk by. It was toward the end of the outing and we were tiring. Alex and I took one last train ride back to the front of the factory where our car was parked. Alex seemed thoughtful. We headed home. We were glad we had explored something different for this Sunday's outing. 

Sunol Train Ride

Saturday afternoon, March 22nd, Frank and I decided to enjoy a train ride on the Niles Canyon Railway. The drive to the starting point at the Sunol Station, about 10 miles southwest from our home in Livermore, took less than a half hour. The roundtrip train excursion from the Sunol Station to Niles District and back would last 1 hour and 20 minutes. We chose the trip option that left at 1:00 pm. 

The weather was sunny, gorgeous, and pleasantly warm. We chose to sit in a covered but open air car and were rewarded with a lovely, gentle breeze. Once on route we passed other railcars, railroad crossings, and just the general steep hillsides of the canyon. 

On an adjacent track was an M200 refurbished rail car. Frank, Alex, and I had taken a ride on that vehicle shortly after it had been released for transport in August of 2022. Frank is wearing the hat he got as a souvenir from that ride. The skunk logo is symbolic of M200's nick name. Per my 8/28/22 blog post for that outing, when

 M200 had been used as a commuter bus, its route went past some fish processing yards, ripe with the stench of rotting fish. The name stuck and was adopted as a logo.

When the train's route passed very close to the road, on the opposite side from the M200 tracks, I snatched a quick photo of the railroad crossing signs, too.

The train tracks wound through a canyon. Our perspective from the railcar made it impressively clear just how steep those walls were. The track itself remained fairly level. The elevation at its start in Sunol is 266 feet above sea level. Our ending point in the Niles District of Fremont is about 200 feet lower.

We ended at the Niles Depot Museum, the same area where Frank, Alex, and I went antique browsing earlier this year in February. There was no disembarking in Niles this trip, but we were OK with that. We got to watch how the engine decoupled and navigated to the other end of the train for the reverse trip back to Sunol.

I risked life and limb (really, only my cell phone) by leaning out the window for these shots as the engine trundled by and passed to the far end. I had to snap my shots swiftly because all those other pesky passengers were hanging their heads out the windows as well. Some of my photos are not as level as I would have liked, but I left them crooked lest I crop out too much of the engine.

Our route ran along side the bubbling waterway known as Alameda Creek. In looking it up I learned Alameda Creek is an antecedent stream, which means it is a stream that maintained its original course and pattern despite the changes in underlying rock topography. Like the Grand Canyon, it kept eroding soil to maintain its path as hills rose on either side of it.

We were in the second car of the train on the trip out. On the return trip we were the second to last car from the engine. This vantage point allowed me to zoom in and catch a glimpse of 1423 as it rounded a bend.

Bobber cabooses, especially red ones are Frank's favorite. Bobber Cabooses are known for their wooden bodies, 4 wheels, and single-truck frames. Allowing little stability, they bumped and swayed while in motion – hence the “bobber” nickname.

Here is Frank posing next to 1423, the engine that pulled us for our afternoon ride. In general locomotives have numbers for names. There are a few legendary exceptions like the Wabash Cannonball and the Flying Scotsman but in general they have numbers. The first photo shows off the locomotive; the second photo shows off Frank! He and I had a fun time.

Dreams Reimagined

On the evening of February 27th, Frank and I went to a local singing production at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton CA, a theater in our neighboring town. The show was titled Dreams Reimagined: A Miscast Cabaret. Publicity for the performance hinted at what to expect.

Come see some of your favorite performers sing roles you’d never be cast in! Dreams Reimagined is a bold and heartfelt evening of theater where the usual rules don’t apply. Gender? Age? Type? Forget it. If it inspires them, they get to perform it!

In the theatre lobby, while waiting to be seated for the show we explored some of the costumes on display. I recognized Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Eva Perón from Don't Cry for Me Argentina. I am guessing that the pleated skirt ensemble was from Nine to Five. These songs were not necessarily in the repertoire but the costumes were fun to look at nonetheless.

The only accompaniment to the singers was a piano with a set of drums. The staging was minimal with minor props like tables, or stools, or chairs. However, in one case in particular, a two piece toilet complete with tank and bowl was carried out and assembled on the stage by two people. The singing was highly enjoyable and the vocalists were powerful and clearly very talented. Our seats in Row D out of K rows on the main level were just perfect for sound and visual. A projected image displayed what song (or songs when two were counter-played with each other) were being performed. The majority of songs I knew, but for those lesser known, both Frank and I found this projection helpful.

Here is a complete list of the songs from ACT I and ACT II. In some cases the male and female roles were the opposite of the norm and, impressively, this mis-casting worked! Afterward I comment on a select few I liked in particular.

• The woman who sang You'll Be Back from Hamilton was excellent in her mannerisms, sarcasm, and intonations. She was a great runty king who tickled the audience as much as the royalty on broadway. 
  
  
• The "girl" who sang 16 Going on 17 from The Sound of Music came on stage in a mini skirt, a low-cut cleavage-revealing top, black mesh stockings, and toting two beer bottles. The presentation was hilarious.
  
  
• In the aria duet from The Phantom of the Opera, a woman played the phantom in the half mask and a man played the soprano Christine. I waited with bated breath and damn — if he didn't succeed spectacularly in hitting that final high note spot on!
  
  
• A quartet of four women did a medley of hits as the Jersey Boys. I thoroughly enjoyed their crisp harmony and walking motion like the original four guys performing Sherry,  Big Girls Don't Cry,  Walk Like a Man from the musical and real life Jersey Boys.
  
  
• I never would have imagined to counter-sing Winner Takes It All from Mama Mia against I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables but it worked. Both have themes of dashed love.
  
  
• Even the songs I had never heard appealed. Micheal in the Bathroom from Be Chill was sung with such angst I could really feel that terror and struggles of teen years. This song benefited greatly from the toilet bowl prop. Here is a sample of the lyrics from the song Michael in the Bathroom. Complete lyrics are at this link.

I am hanging in the bathroom at the biggest party of the fall.
I could stay right here or disappear and nobody'd even notice at all.
I'm a creeper in a bathroom 'cause my buddy kinda left me alone.
But I'd rather fake pee than stand awkwardly or pretend to check a text on my phone.

The Firehouse Arts Center is a small venue, created in what used to be a fire station. Our seats on the main level were great.

This 20,000 sq. ft. cultural arts center features a 221-seat theater, a 2,000 sq. ft. fine arts gallery, an 1,800 sq. ft. classroom space, and an hourglass shaped grand lobby that links Downtown Pleasanton to the facility’s 3,000 sq. ft. Parkside patio and adjacent Lions Wayside Park.

If a similar show plays where you live, I would highly recommend attending. Granted the particular performance was a collection of local talent and so can be greatly varied based on singers and venue. My guess is that there must be licensing of some sort, so perhaps there is continuity to some degree. Frank and I were certainly glad we'd gone and feel fortunate that such an experience was available to us so close to home.