Long Weekend in Solvang | 長週末到美西丹麥小鎮
/During the July 4th long weekend, we drove from San Diego to Solvang, and hit many spots along the route. Solvang isn’t too big, and slow-paced enough for a weekend getaway. Parking is quite convenient and free, even with the long weekend crowd. We stayed at a lodging on a nearby Air Force Base.
Day One
Our original plan was to leave the house by 8 am, but decided to sleep in a little more. By the time we got to our first stop, San Juan Capistrano, it was almost noon.
Sundried Tomato
31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Outdoor seating is spacious, perfect for enjoying lunch in California’s nice weather. Lunch specials are a good deal!
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Ticket: $14 (include multi-media guided tour)
Founded in 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano was the 7th Spanish mission built in California. The multi-media guide has a lot of wonderful explanations of the history of the mission. I hope to visit other missions in California.
Saffron & Rose Persian Ice Cream
What unique ice cream flavors! We picked Faloodeh, Saffron with pistachio, and Date! Pro tip: add some lemon juice!
Griffith Observatory
Wanted to hike here, but my condition wasn’t optimal for strenuous activities, so we visited the observatory instead. The obsera houses the most visited telescope in the world. Come and be a part of Guiness World Record!
Day Two
Solvang is a small town perfect for exploring on foot. Nicknamed Little Denmark in USA, Solvang is decorated with Danish architectures, windmills, and various museums.
Solvang Windmill
A must visit place. Easy to spot, and in close proximity to many popular restaurants nearby.
Solvang Restaurant
1672 Copenhagen Dr #2759, Solvang, CA 93463
People line up early in the morning for the world famous Abelskiver (be sure to ask the locals how to pronounce it). Goes really well with raspberry sauce, but is it worth the hour long wait? You be the judge!
Hans Christian Andersen Museum
1680 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
Hans Christian is the creator of many familiar childhood stories, including Little Mermaid! Museum is on the second floor above the bookstore. Pays a lot of tribute to Hans Christian’s works and his life. The only downside is the museum doesn’t have an elevator or escalator.
Old Mission Santa Ines 1804
1760 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
Compared to Mission San Juan Capistrano, it’s much quieter here. Self-guided tour is provided here.
Lincourt Vineyards
Solvang is also known for wine tasting. Why is a pregnant lady visiting a vineyard, you might ask? UN wondered the same thing too. We had a nice late afternoon stroll in the vineyard, perhaps next time we can bring our babies back with us.
Industrial Eats
UN found this restaurant on Yelp, their Beef Tongue Pastrami is a must order! Pizzas are wonderful too! They also offer fresh raw oysters, but too bad I was not able to enjoy them this time.
Ostrichland USA
Hard to associate a Danish town with ostriches, but if you google Solvang, you will definitely not want to miss this place. I came here with no expectations, but UN thought we would see free-range ostriches roaming in the open pasture. It wasn’t exactly that, but we had a lot of fun. I got scared by the ostriches when trying to feed them, but UN had a blast closely interacting with them. Tip: bring close-toed shoes, or prepare for your feet to get really dirty.
Day Three
We had plans for a few other places to visit on our third day, but we were too hungry. Ended up standing in line for 2 hours for a really popular breakfast/brunch place. Breakfast was meh, a bit disappointed, maybe because we waited too long. After breakfast we headed back to San Diego. We met up with UN’s college friend on the way back. What a relaxing long weekend!
長週末時，我們從聖地牙哥開車到丹麥小鎮（Solvang）。沿途經過一些清單上的景點，趁這次旅行順路參觀。Solvang不大，步調也不快，非常適合長週末來。停車方便，有幾個免費停車場，路上也有許多停車格，即使長週末也很好找到停車位。我們的住宿則是住在附近的空軍基地（Vandenberg Space Force Base），我就不在此介紹。
第一天
原先預計八點前出門，但實在很想睡飽在出門（預料之中），我們到San Juan Capistrano已經快中午了。
Sundried Tomato
31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
室外用餐區空間非常大，完全能享受到加州的好天氣，當然大部分的人都坐在外面用餐。中午有提供套餐，經濟實惠！
Mission San Juan Capistrano
門票：$14（含多媒體導覽）
起源1776年，是西班牙人在加州第七個駐點的mission。透過導覽能學到許多創立過程，希望之後能到加州不同的mission參觀。
Saffron & Rose Persian Ice Cream
好特別的冰淇淋口味！我們選了Faloodeh、Saffron with pistachio、Date，店員推薦能加點檸檬汁！
Griffith Observatory
原先想來這爬山，但這天我的狀況不太適合，所以改為到天文台參觀。這裡有全世界最多人使用的天文望遠鏡，看了你就是金氏世界紀錄一部份！
第二天
Solvang非常適合步行欣賞這個小鎮，丹麥建築、風車、博物館。沿路走走停停參觀這些不同景點，有幾個地方是我們特別喜歡。
Solvang Windmill
必看景點！非常好找，也在許多有名的餐廳附近。
Solvang Restaurant
1672 Copenhagen Dr #2759, Solvang, CA 93463
一大早已經大排長龍！大家都特別來這裡買這裡的著名甜點Abelskiver，配上覆盆子醬還不錯，但至於值不值得排將近一小時的隊伍，不方便說！
Hans Christian Andersen Museum
1680 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
你沒看錯，就是最近許多人在討論的小美人魚也是他的作品！博物館位在書店二樓，雖然不大，但有許多安徒生的介紹。唯一缺點是沒有電梯或手扶梯到博物館，需要走樓梯上樓。
Old Mission Santa Ines 1804
1760 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
比起第一天參觀的Mission San Juan Capistrano，這裡安靜許多。風景是一片葡萄酒園。這裡有提供自由導覽！
Lincourt Vineyards
來Solvang就是要來酒莊品酒。懷孕的我當然不能喝，UN也很傻眼我竟然把這行程排進去。我兩只能在這走走聊天，等下次帶寶寶們來好了！
Industrial Eats
181 Industrial Way, Buellton, CA 93427
UN意外找到的餐廳，絕對要點Beef Tongue Pastrami，比薩也很推！這裡也有一些海鮮生食，可惜我吃不了。
Ostrichland USA
610 E Hwy 246, Solvang, CA 93463
實在是很難聯想丹麥小鎮和鴕鳥有關係，上網查丹麥小鎮必去的景點，這裡是大家必推的點。我帶著完全沒有興奮的心情配上UN以為能和鴕鳥在大草原奔跑的想法到Ostrich World，我們在這玩的很開心。餵食鴕鳥時，我狂被鴕鳥嚇；UN好開心能近距離看鴕鳥。切記：穿包鞋，不然腳會超髒。
第三天
原本第三天還有安排幾個景點作為尾聲，但我們太餓，吃飯勝過看景點。我們去當地很有名的早餐店，排隊人潮湧不斷。不知道是不是等太久，但早餐有點普通，失落感有點強烈。吃完我們就往回聖地牙哥方向開，順道與UN的大學好友見面，結束這長週末。
