While in California about a month ago, we spent a weekend driving the Pacific Coast Highway, which is always one of my favorite activities to do when visiting the state. Usually we visit the Bay Area and drive from there down to Cambria, but since we started our trip in Los Angeles this time we drove the highway north to Cambria. Because we took this route, we finally had the opportunity to stop in Solvang which I have been wanting to do for years, and it didn’t disappoint!
Solvang is a little Dutch town about 2.5 hours north of Los Angeles. The town was founded by a Danish community who traveled from the midwest to escape the winters in the early 1900’s, and it still has a heavy Dutch influence today. Most of the architecture reflects a traditional Danish style, and many of the shops and restaurants in the town are influenced by this as well. If you are a Bravo fan and more specifically a Vanderpump Rules watcher, you may have seen the girls of the show visit this town. While I do love the show, I wanted to go to the town prior to it being shown. After being in the town, I can only imagine the ruckus the cast caused there.
We only had time to spend a few hours in the town, so we tried to make the most out of our time. We decided to eat lunch while visiting, but Adam and I are too picky to try one of the Dutch-inspired restaurants. Instead we settled on Fresco Valley Cafe which was a casual, American-style cafe. The cafe offered standard meals such as salads, sandwiches, soup, and even espresso drinks. The service was quick and the food was delicious. If I ever visit the town again in the future, I would go back here again to eat.
After lunch we walked around and I spotted a shop called Jule Hus, which is a year-round Christmas shop. I love Christmas and Christmas decor so I had to go in. The store is filled with Christmas decor and ornaments, many of which are in an Old World European style. I bought an ornament that is a little set of white and navy Danish clogs with Solvang written on it, and I also bought an authentic
painted egg from Slovakia. Some of the ornaments may lean a bit to the kitschy side, but when it comes to European decor I sort of like that. The store ranges in price, but many of the ornaments are so affordable. My total for two ornaments only came out to $13.
After visiting Jule Hus we continued to walk around the streets of the town. There are tons of other shops to visit and quite a few bakeries and candy shops as well. We didn’t visit any other places, but instead walked around and admired the architecture. I have always loved European-style architecture so an entire town featuring it that is located in the US is like a dream come true for me. In addition to the buildings being in a Dutch style, there are large windmills to give even more character. Since we were only stopping through on our way to Cambria, we did not stay in a hotel in the town but it did seem like there were a few good options. If you are a wine drinker Solvang is also perfect for you because there are plenty of wineries throughout the town, and there is even a brewery for the beer drinkers. No matter the age or interest, I think just about anyone can find something in the town that appeals to them.
Has anyone else been to Solvang? I would love to hear your thoughts on it below, as well as any questions you may have. Solvang is certainly a little treasure tucked away in California, and I would love to find more special treasures like that in the country. If you have any suggestions, send them my way!
