Tish's Blog Our Perfect Girlfriend Getaway: Captivated by Solvang.
The Danish certainly know how to delight visitors. Just came back from what my friend Ginny and I consider “The Perfect Place for a Girlfriend Getaway.” And we do mean perfect.
Solvang charms you even before you get into town. It’s located in the Santa Ynez wine valley — rolling green hillsides with a big blue sky overhead. A bit north of Los Angeles, just outside Santa Barbara. The air smells fresh and springlike. Flowers dot the countryside. Exactly what we needed as we had just left (if only temporarily) a long, cold winter in the Midwest.
As we drove into town, we saw a quaint Danish village, complete with Danish architecture and lots of flower boxes overflowing with blooms. We saw at least 4 Danish bakeries/cafes, a number of very nice looking hotels and resorts, and many, many blocks of unique shops and restaurants. Every one of them was designed in authentic Danish style. Solvang is a delightful place to stroll, browse, shop, dine and relax.
A Bit of Solvang History.
The small community was founded in 1911 by Danish-American immigrants that included farmers, carpenters, educators and artisans. Although Solvang has become a popular tourist destination, the community’s Danish-American residents continue to live and share their Danish heritage. This is not a “themed” community designed to be a tourist trap. It’s a genuinely nice, quaint village that happens to cater very well to curious visitors.
NEXT: Let me tell you more about our visit to Solvang
TIPS:
- North of Santa Barbara. Solvang is about a 2-hour drive out of LAX along the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway. It’s inland from Santa Barbara, nestled in the rolling green hills of the Santa Ynez Valley.Check out the Solvang Visitors’ Bureau Web site and be sure to send for the travel guide.
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Fly into LAX. Midwest Airlines flies into the Los Angeles Airport.Check out schedules and good airfares. Car rental was inexpensive ($91 for a 4-day rental from Thrifty — on the Thrifty site.)
- Finding Your Way. I used my Garmin Street Pilot GPS to guide our car from LAX to Solvang. Very easy. But to be safe, I also printed out a TripTik from AAA online. Not only gave us directions (which, by the way, coincided exactly with the Garmin) but helped us get a better “picture” of the roads and where we were headed.
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Hi Tish!
We, (at http://www.HolidayGolightly.com), love ANY and all-things-winery. We just returned from a Walla Walla Winery Weekend (and how often can you say that?), and definitely want to add to our “Wine Country To Visit” list. It looks like Solvang would be a great pit stop, during a Santa Ynez visit!
Thank you!
A Vacation For Lovers
A little off the topic of backpacking but everyone deserves some romantic getaway.
I haven’t been there myself but reading tish impressions from there I really want to go.
Solvang charms you even before you get into town. It’s located in …
Sounds amazing I’ve even recommended the post and the location on my blog sounds like I’m planning a vacation there soon.
Thanks for reminding me what a beautiful place Solvang is. It’s been years since I visited and your pictures and story has brought back pleasant memories.