Tastes of Kenosha, Wis.

By Andrea Sachs/Washington Post

Vacation is neither the time nor the place for deprivation, so on my first morning in Kenosha, Wis., I gorged on a breakfast of blackberries and honey, tutti-frutti, a peach bellini, baby wipes and grass. As you can imagine, I didn't feel so buoyant after this buffet.

Kenosha, 60 miles north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a town of playful indulgences and guileless diversions. Vintage trolleys circle the main commercial area, picking up passengers in no hurry. A lighthouse as red as Rudolph's nose casts a watchful eye over the lake waters. One of the town's most beloved residents illustrated Curious George coloring books. You can't get sweeter than that, unless of course you're filling your cheeks with candy at the Jelly Belly Center in nearby Pleasant Prairie.

The company, founded by a German immigrant in 1869, offers a warehouse tour as sugary as the widgets it produces. At 9 a.m., when the craving for coffee is stronger than the yen for candy, I rendezvoused with anthropomorphic jelly beans and a chirpy guide named Amanda, whose enthusiasm at that hour was set on Sugar High.

The train, which circuited the warehouse floor, stopped at different stations along the route. Though my mind often drifts at the sound of a corporate fact sheet, it stayed put. I was glad it stuck around, or I might never have known that:

Ronald Reagan, a Jelly Belly fan from the governor's mansion to the White House, favored licorice-flavored beans. America's No. 1 flavor is Very Cherry, which supplanted the previous front-runner, Buttered Popcorn, five years ago.

Some of the failed flavors include mac 'n' cheese, nachos, ketchup and mustard.

The newest flavor is candy corn, which means that the company has come full circle: The Goelitz family started the business making candy corn.

If you behave, Amanda will give you a free bag of Jelly Bellys.

At the end of the tour, as in all factory tours, visitors are given one exit route - through the gift shop. A sampling station stood between me and my car. I couldn't be rude and snub it, now could I?

Despite the 50 core flavors, gross-out BeanBoozleds and various confections and special series (cocktail classics, Snapple, sours, etc.), there was no limit on samples.

I stuffed mmphf number of Jelly Bellys into my mouth and bought a few bags of Belly Flops (misfit beans that don't pass inspection) for later.

The guilt from my overconsumption quickly lifted in Kenosha. The town is diminutive in size but generous with its lakefront views. Easy on the eyes and the belly.

I stood at the Transit Center stop and boarded an electric streetcar, a 1951 model driven by a capped conductor. Open since 2000, the 1.7-mile single-track route takes 15 minutes to complete.

“Twenty-five years ago, you'd never have recognized the place,” said the driver. Back then, pollutants released by the auto manufacturers that once occupied downtown contaminated the city. After Chrysler departed in the late 1980s, Kenosha cleaned up. Its spotless waterfront is lined with tidy condos, a picturesque promenade and a sculpture garden set on an apple-green knoll.

“The ride's not official until you ring the bell,” the driver told the only other passengers as the trio moved to disembark near the new Kenosha Public Museum.

Even in its present state, there's no ducking Kenosha's past. At Kemper Center, a leafy campus of historic buildings and an arts center, I imagined the girlish giggles that filled the halls of the former Episcopal boarding school, active for more than 100 years.

Certain figures appeared over and over again. Zalmon G. Simmons, who founded the mattress empire in Kenosha, was one; Donna Wolf Steigerwaldt, of the local Jockey dynasty, was another. I was most interested in hearing about the artists behind Curious George and the pope.

Nan Pollard was an illustrator for children's activities books; her characters included the Beatles, Tina the teenage cutout doll and the mischievous monkey. George, her husband, was a celebrated portraitist who has more art works hanging in Washington federal buildings than any other artist. The gallery sells pieces by both artists.

If you go

Where to eat:

• Wine Knot Bar and Bistro, 5611 Sixth Ave., (262) 653-9580, www.wine-knot.com; Upscale stick-to-your-ribs cuisine, such as duck stroganoff and braised beef ravioli. Entrees from $10.
• Franks Diner, 508 58th St., (262) 657-1017; www.franksdinerkenosha.com; Open since 1926 and featured on Food Network's “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Serves breakfast and lunch but is best known for its Garbage Plate, from $8.55.

What to do:

• Jelly Belly Center, 10100 Jelly Belly Lane, Pleasant Prairie, 1-(800) 522-3267, www.jellybelly.com; Free warehouse tours cover the company's history and candymaking process. Daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also has a gift shop and sampling station.
• Kemper Center, 6501 Third Ave., (262) 657-6005, www.kempercenter.com; Tour Kemper Hall and Durkee Mansion, open weekends April to October from 1 to 4 p.m. Both by appointment only.
• The Anderson Arts Center, (262) 653-0481, ww.andersonartscenter.com) holds exhibits five or six times a year. Current shows run through June 3. Open Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Free.
• Pollard Gallery, 518 56th St., (262) 657-7529, www.rhodecenter.org/pollard; Illustrations and portraits by celebrated artists Nan and George Pollard. Wednesday-Sunday 1-4 p.m. Free.

Information:

• www.kenoshacvb.com