Solvang: A Real Danish Town in America

This year, I started going on vacation. I had been putting it off for several years. And you can't really count Vegas as a vacation, at least if you stay on the Strip and don't explore the region. As you've see from my previous posts, I've been working on a photo project with the El Camino Missions in conjunction with my vacations. 

My second trip brought me to the cute little town of Solvang. For me, this city was a big mystery. I had driven through back in December and discovered a ridiculous amount of foreign visitors from Asia. As it turns out, this city, in the Central Valley of California, is more historically accurate then modern cities in Denmark are, which all of the tourism is based on. 

I had a nice little walk about the town and then enjoyed a burger at Solvang Brewing Company on the main highway/street through town. There was soooo much located in such a small area it is sensory overload for us ADHD folk. 

At the end of the main strip through town, You'll find Mission Santa Ines. It's a real trip to see these historic locations because you almost get a window into another time. 

Below is one of the supports from the original building.everything was made out of rock and adobe. I wonder how the adobe was made so it didn't wash away during rain storms.

The statue below was built in recognition of the famed danish author. This was near the center of town. There was also a huge boulder on display for reasons unknown to me. I took a picture of it, but it wasn't very good.

This area is full of activities and worth a day or more. To the south on the 101 is the Gaviota Wind Tunnels, shown here a few weeks back, as well as Nojoqui Falls, and La Purisima Concepcion which is on the opposite direction of the main road going through Buelton.

If you are looking for some fresh beer in the area, The Solvang Brew Co is in the middle of town, but its just ok. Their imperial red was awesome though. There is also Figueroa Mountain Brewing and a taproom from Firestone Walker both in Buelton, right off the 101 Freeway. Take some time off and take a trip to the town that really shows the American dream, one of the few places left in California.

To read more on Solvang, you can visit the Wikipedia entry here, And to view the entire set from my trip, click here