travel

Solvang road trip

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / outfits / solvang / travel by

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

Summer travel beauty bag

 in Beauty / Fragrance / Travel  tagged kusshi / laura mercier / molton brown / revive / skin care / travel / travel beauty / travel tips by
summer travel beauty bag skin care kit tsa approved

Summer travel beauty bag from top left: (all tsa approved) / makeup bag / facial cleanser / hair care set / body cream / hand cream / travel brush set / skin care set / sunscreen set /

The summer season is upon us, this means travel plans are underway! One of the big things to keep stocked and ready to go is a tsa approved beauty bag. You don’t want to be caught needing beauty products in travel sizes the day you are packing for a big trip!

I keep my travel beauty bag ready for air travel at all times. As soon as something runs out, I replace it so my beauty bag is ready for my next plane trip. If you are traveling by car you may not need tsa approved travel bottles, but the plus side is that they take up less space in your luggage! Love that!

This beauty bag is the perfect size for storing all of your tsa approved, under 3.4 oz bottles. You can see my full review here. It has a place for brushes, and a few handy pockets which can keep your little travel bottles organized.

I don’t travel with liquid perfume, so scented body cream is my travel fragrance. It also doubles as a way to wear fragrance as well as moisturize your skin after a drying plane ride, and over-airconditioned hotel room. Scented body cream is a must-have in my book! This tsa approved bottle is perfect for a vacation.

Skin care is important while traveling since the change in climate from your hometown can wreak havoc on your skin. I love ReVive skin care products since they always keep my skin even and in check. I highly recommend their travel kit pictured above!

Shop travel size beauty products online:

Also, don’t forget to throw a good, old-fashioned Chapstick in your beauty bag. You will be thankful you have it on your trip; especially if you travel by plane!

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your vacation!

XOXO
Cathy

Long Beach trip recap

 in Travel  tagged art / beach / long beach / travel by

Things to do in Long Beach California

pictured: Alamitos Beach in Long Beach, California

We took a really quick road trip down to Long Beach, California over the 4th of July week. It has been difficult to plan a big vacation because my daughter is taking a summer school class and my other two kids have sports commitments throughout the summer. So, we took an opportunity to take a quick road trip when we saw there was a break in the schedule.

My middle child is looking at colleges to apply to, and Long Beach State University has a program she is interested in, so we decided to take a quick road trip to Long Beach. We spent a full day at the University touring around and eating on campus. It looks like a nice school to put on her list! Of course, in addition to checking out schools, we found a few fun things to do in Long Beach, California while staying in town.

Long Beach is home to a pier which offers delicious restaurants, candy shops, and fun little shops. We enjoyed spending some time there and getting candy apples. Stay tuned for my restaurant recap which will post tomorrow! We also went to a couple of museums and the beach. Here are a few fabulous things to do in Long Beach, California if you are ever in this part of Los Angeles.

Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum

The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum is a small celebration of artwork and culture from the islands in the Pacific, and Oceana in general. We enjoyed seeing and learning about a few traditions from the islands, such as the personalized love sticks young men would stick into the home of a young lady they were courting as a proposal of marriage.

This museum is a must-see when you are in the Long Beach area! You can learn more at their website at pieam.org.

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

pictured: work by Fernando Botero and an outdoor sculpture from the events garden

The Museum of Latin American Art is across the street from the Pacific Islands Ethnic Art Museum, so you can visit both museums in the same day! Love that!

This museum showcases a few collections from Latin American Artists. We enjoyed seeing collections from Yolanda Gonzalez and Fernando Botero. Botero was my favorite. The MOLAA also has special events, and the exhibitions rotate. You can learn more about the MOLAA at MOLAA.org.

Alamitos Beach

Of course, how can you visit Long Beach without going to the beach?! The word “beach” is literally in the name! haha

Near the pier you will find a beautiful beach, which isn’t too crowded, named Alamitos Beach. It is a nice escape from the city, which still has a city view on the backside.

You know I will always plug a great handbag! This tote bag turned out to be perfect for a road trip! It is really comfortable to wear while stuffed with random items, and it can double as a great beach bag. The seams must be pretty tight because I didn’t get one grain of sand inside. Love that!

What was packed in my Long Beach suitcase:

It was a quick trip for only two days, but we enjoyed the attractions we were able to see while visiting Long Beach. Stay tuned for my restaurant recap, which will post on the blog tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

pictured below: work by Yolanda Gonzalez from the MOLAA