Solvang road trip
What I wore in Solvang: statement earrings / striped tee (sold out, also love this tee) / black belt / denim shorts / fall nail polish / black handbag / rose and white sneakers /
Chances are, if you live in California, you have been to Solvang while driving from SoCal to NorCal, or vise-versa. It’s one of those towns you hear about which offers a great place to stop and grab lunch while driving up and down the state. I remember stopping for lunch there as a child on road trips with my mom, and we have also stopped with our kids on the way to Disneyland. This time, we did things a little differently.
We decided to take a road trip and explore the middle of the state a little bit more closely than when we are just driving past. We stayed in Santa Maria and day tripped to all the places we normally drive past, but really deserve more attention. First day trip of our road trip? Solvang.
The city of Solvang is a Danish Village off highway 101 nestled in the northern part of Santa Barbara County. It was originally founded in 1804 when Mission Santa Ines, pictured below, was established; and roughly one hundred years later it became the largest Danish settlement in the United States. The mission is one of the few in California which still has a lot of original walls, fixtures, etc. It is a great piece of California history.
Solvang itself is built mainly with Danish-style architecture and you can feel transported to a small, Danish village while visiting. Although a tourist town, Solvang offers free parking, friendly faces, and a plethora of bakeries, shops, and sites where visitors can enjoy a little bit of Danish life.
We visited the Hans Christian Anderson Museum which is a must-see for anyone who enjoys books. They had historical artifacts and books inside, plus a modern bookstore downstairs. It was really unique and perfect for anyone who loves to read! We tried to visit the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art, but it was closed on the day we visited Solvang. If you want to visit this museum plan your trip on a day when they are open. We visited on a Tuesday, and they were closed.
Walking around Solvang is also a museum in itself as many buildings and windmills are historical. Definitely take a walking tour! We also found the bakeries are all really good and you can easily find Danish treats to enjoy in person, as well as bring home for later. As for lunch places, many of them offer a mixture of Danish fare and American food. We enjoyed Lunch at “Solvang Restaurant.”
If you are from the Bay Area, chances are, you enjoy a good boba from time to time; or everyday! There is a boba place in Solvang which offers Danish boba!
Hygge Boba Tea and Smoothies has a large boba menu which offers your favorite flavors from home as well as a couple of unique flavors keeping in Danish theme. I enjoyed a Danish Pastry boba.
We did patronize a few bakeries, but we found Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery had the largest selection and we ended up bringing home a box of goodies to enjoy. I highly recommend stopping in there before leaving Solvang and filling up a pastry box with delicious treats!
Solvang was in the high nineties on the day we visited, so I wore a comfy tee, shorts, and of course good walking shoes. It was nice ducking into air-conditioned shops when things got a little too warm! haha So, when you visit, check the weather ahead of time since they are little bit warmer than the coast.
I highly recommend spending a day in Solvang instead of only stopping for lunch on the way to SoCal. It’s an amazing little village on the central coast and it is definitely worth a relaxing visit so you can drink everything in! Also, bring your appetite so you can enjoy all the bakeries!
Thanks for stopping by!
XOXO
Cathy
