Y
ou made it through the holidays, a rainy January, a busy February, and now you’re ready for a break. If you’re thinking about a quick weekend away that is genuinely relaxing, we have a suggestion for you: Solvang. Just a little over 200 miles from Monterey, Solvang is an easy drive south on 101. Solvang is Danish for “sunny field” and is located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. The city was founded in 1911 by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish community. Initially, most of Solvang was built like any other western town with commercial buildings sporting false fronts. After World War II, interest grew in the concept of a Danish Village, and facades in the Danish Provincial style were added. The first of Solvang’s four windmills were built in the 1940s. Visitors to Solvang are drawn to the windmills, the statue of Hans Christian Anderson, The Little Mermaid replica, the half-timbered houses, and the restaurants and pastry shops serving Danish specialties. Wine tasting rooms are a relatively recent addition. We spent a warm February weekend in Solvang and found the little
town to be thoroughly charming. It’s a great place to spend one or two nights. It’s not an action-packed destination: think boutique shopping, plenty of delicious food and wine, and strolling the town’s downtown. Solvang is a place where the sidewalks roll up when the sun goes down. And, sometimes, that’s precisely what the doctor ordered! Our one-night visit was a stop along the way back from a business meeting in LA. We arrived on a Friday at 5 pm and checked into the Corque Hotel on Alisal Street. The Corque is a medium-priced hotel with large rooms that would comfortably accommodate a family of four. There are no namebrand hotel chains in Solvang, but there are quite a few boutique options. We took note of the Solvang Alisal Cottages across the street from our hotel. These adorable cottages come complete with a front yard with rope swing, picket fence, and full kitchen and would be great for a larger family. We took a quick stroll after arriving to orient ourselves to the town and realized that almost everything closes at 6:00 pm. Some of the restaurants are open for dinner, but many are breakfast and lunch only. We were in town for “restaurant week,” so we took ad-
The first of Solvang’s four windmills were built in the 1940’s.
The Old Mission Santa Ines, the first European settlement in the area, is a must see.
WEEKEND GETAWAY
Solvang
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by Andrea Breznay 18
montereybayparent.com
MONTEREY BAY PARENT • March 2020
