On the last day of our little Santa Ynez getaway, we spent the day in the cute, little, Danish village of Solvang.
The best way to describe Solvang is as an overcrowded tourist trap filled with overpriced, kitschy knickknacks and amazingly delicious food. We visited during the day on a Wednesday, and even on an off day during the middle of the week it was super crowded.
We started our day at Paula’s Pancakes for a good breakfast! The pancakes are amazing!
And then we went through a stroll through the tiny town, popping into shops and munches on bakery goodies!
I definitely recommend a trip into the Book Loft as the Hans Christian Anderson museum they have upstairs.
Oh! And I think on Wednesdays the Farmer’s Market sets up shop, and wow, everything looked amazing!
Also, be sure to visit the year-round Christmas shop, Jule Hus. Yes, you read that correctly: Christmas all day, everyday!
And my favorite find of the day was the Cinnamon Raison bread loaf, topped with FROSTING from Birkholm’s Bakery! Did you ever eat that stuff as a kid? My mom would buy it for me from the supermarket on special occasions and I loved eating a slice for breakfast, always saving the frosting topped crust for last. Sorry, I don’t have a photo to share. I pretty much devoured the loaf in 2 days.
After wandering around Solvang, we made a stop down the road at Ostrich Land to feed the ostriches and emus!
Feeding them totally brought back memories of the time we fed ostriches in Curacao on our honeymoon. I still kind of regret not riding one when I got the chance in Curacao, although I might be missing a limb today if I had.
Want to do some wine tasting? It’s just a short drive away. I’m a white wine drinker (reds give me insta-headaches), so I recommend Brander Winery for its amazing Sauvignon Blancs (and fattest winery cat ever), as well as Sunstone Winery for their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
And if you’re going to be near Brander, you may as well stop at the cutest lavender farm, Clairmont Lavender Farm.
Staying overnight and need a dinner recommendation? Please go to The Hitching Post II. And make reservations, trust me!
Side note: Doesn’t the painting of the owner of the Hitching Post II look like Kevin Kline on safari?
Did you miss the first part of our trip? We spent the first night in Ojai and then we were spoiled with an overnight stay at the Sunstone Winery Villa.
What a lovely mid week getaway! We have a similar little town here in Washington. Super touristy as well, but still a good time. I love following along on your treks!
What is the town called? The Mister and I are planning a trip up to Seattle, so maybe I can make it as part of the itinerary. And thanks for following along on my trips! 🙂