What’s chewy and sweet and comes in crazy flavors ranging from lemon to buttered popcorn? The Jelly Belly, of course. Make a sweet trip of your visit to northern California by experiencing the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, California then driving an hour down over the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco, where you can delight in hot fudge sundaes in the famous Ghiradelli Square, and after, head east over the Bay Bridge to the Scharffen Berger Chocolate factory in the historically hippie town of Berkeley, California.

If you want to get a little more intimate with your candy experience, there are brilliant small and renowned sweet stops all along the way. Taste the hand-crafted chocolates of Michael Mischer Chocolates in Oakland, where the cocoa beans are grown and produced right in California; visit world master chocolatier Joseph Schmidt’s Confections shop started 25 years ago in San Francisco; or indulge in a dessert by famous pastry chef Elizabeth Falkner at her patisserie cleverly named “Citizen Cake.”

The San Francisco Bay Area is loaded with amazing eateries which makes it the ideal place to visit for a delicious weekend or stay longer to enjoy the many other attractions, unique neighborhoods, and historical landmarks northern California has to offer.

To begin planning your trip, visit:

Fairfield Hotels
San Francisco Hotels
Berkeley Hotels

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What doesn’t New York City have? I’m not quite sure, but the “Big Apple” certainly has enough bakeries, candy shops, and worldly sweets to make your Halloween a truly cultural celebration.

Enjoy the traditionally Greek pastry, baklava, in Mediterranean bakeries and restaurants throughout the city. If you can’t decide which place to stop into, the friendly Poseidon Bakery on 9th Ave and the up-scale restaurant Thalassa on Franklin St. have both received great reviews.

Head East of Broadway to try the delicious Chinese moon cakes available in all of Chinatown’s bakeries. The moon cake, eaten during China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, is a crusted cake usually filled with a lotus seed or sweet bean paste.

Jose Luis Flores, pastry chef at New York restaurants OLA and Calle Ocho, has taken on creating the “ultimate Latin American dessert.” He incorporates tropical fruits and relies on classic Latin American flavors like Dulce de Leche (a sweet milk sauce) to create tastes from back home. For a more relaxed and cheap option, Casa Adela, a Puerto Rican restaurant in the East Village, offers a comfortable setting, cheap dining, and food like grandma used to make it. Enjoy Adela’s flan with a cappuccino for four dollars.

No need to go to Italy for some great-tasting gelato…Italian gelato company, Grom Gelato, has brought their specialty flavors directly to New York. The busy gelato shop brings ingredients straight from Italy to recreate their famous flavors. Though lines can get long, savoring some real gelato is a worthwhile treat, and if you don’t have time, little Italy offers plenty of stops for a quick scoop.

If you’re more in the mood for an American favorite, Magnolia’s is the destination for a good old-fashioned cupcake. Found in three locations throughout New York, you can’t go wrong with a classic vanilla cupcake or try a pumpkin, German chocolate, or coconut one to go gourmet.

If you’re overwhelmed by the options that New York has to offer, there are several food tasting and cultural tours available to guide you on your epicurean way.

To get ready for your trip, visit:

New York Hotels
New York Attractions
http://www.splendora.com/cityguide/new_york/foodie/sweets_bakeries

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