Growing up, my parents loved traveling south to the Danish-influenced town of Solvang. Just a half-hour inland from the coast of Santa Barbara, I vividly remember the windmills, walking through shops downtown, and when my mom purchased oysters from a tank to unearth the beautifully unique pearls inside. Those pearls were place in ring and necklace settings and I loved when my mom would wear the jewelry and promise me they’d be mine when I was older. I haven’t been back to the area in sometime, so I was thrilled to return and explore Solvang and a few other surrounding communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley.
Where We Stayed
Our trip started at the Atterdag Inn where we made our home base for two nights. Newly renovated and open this summer as of July 1, the Atterdag Inn offers modern Danish furnishings within walking distance of Solvang’s main street Mission Drive/Hwy 246. This boutique style hotel currently has 8 spacious rooms surrounding a cozy private courtyard in a quiet atmosphere that feels close to everything but away from it all at the same time. Their logo is a combination of the flag of Denmark plus a sunrise that gives the Inn charm that fits in perfectly to Solvang.
Our second floor crisp white room offers silver and red minimalist decor and furniture. The heavenly Serta king mattress was blissful and other amenities included: 50” flat screen TV, a stainless steel compact refrigerator and coffee maker, a dining area, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, and a classic alarm clock. It was a warm weekend and we appreciated all the windows that allowed in the cooler evening breeze. The surroundings were quiet, so evenings were relaxing and windows could stay open through the night. The unique light fixture was the centerpiece of the lofted ceilings. 
Complimentary wi-fi service worked well in the rooms as well as the courtyard where we enjoyed late evenings with wine and great conversation with friends. 
The hotel and staff are very welcoming and helpful. The main office is located at a sister property just a block away, but any concerns or housekeeping needs are addressed quickly and efficiently. A continental breakfast is included with your stay just a short walk at the Danish Mill Bakery. A wonderful added bonus with your stay is the 2 for 1 wine and beer tasting passport that is offered to over 30 locations in the area! Rooms start just over $100 mid-week and about $189 weekends.
Where We Dined
Just about 4 miles and a nine minute drive from the Atterdag Inn, we took the advice from the concierge and dined in the Italian-inspired California farmhouse that is S.Y. Kitchen. Summer nights call for dining alfresco and their patio offers cushioned banquet seating around rustic wooden tables with blankets for when the temperature drops. Refreshing “Mules” were poured a mixture of Vodka, homemade ginger extract, cucumber, lime, and honey and they were amazing. Minestone soup was chock full of sweet vegetables with a broth that absorbed into the crusty parmigiano crisp so well. 
I went for it with the Pollo Mattone, an oak grilled organic chicken, roasted potatoes and spinach topped with fresh pesto. The chicken was enough for two people, my husband loved it as well, especially the crispy skin! He shared his homemade ravioli special that had bright flavor from the peas, tomatoes, and mint and succulent scampi! Dessert included Italian favorites and gelato, but we opted to make another mule our dessert!
Bakeries are abundant in Solvang and with our hotel stay we enjoyed our mornings at Danish Mill Bakery (on Copenhagen) and afternoon treats at Birkholm’s Bakery and Cafe (on Alisal). Both locations serve mouth-watering pastries that are light, fluffy, and delicious and so reasonably priced. 
Normally a chocolate lover, I indulged in the fruit pastries and the cream filled Danish Waffle that satisfies the sweet tooth let me tell you!
Grab a lunch from Al Fresco Picnic in Buellton or Bell Street Farm in Los Alamos to take wine tasting or enjoy a picnic. Salads, sandwiches, soups, and more make for a great afternoon meal that leaves plenty of room for dinner!For dinner, we chose to go with famous, but you won’t have to wear a suit and tie at The Hitching Post II off Hwy 246 in Buellton! This relaxed setting for locals and tourists alike has been a favorite since 1986 and was the restaurant Virginia Madsen waitressed in the movie Sideways! Also starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, Sideways was filmed on location in the Santa Ynez Valley for about 10 weeks back in 2003 with three days exclusively shot at The Hitching Post II. During our dinner we met owner and executive chef Frank Ostini and he talked about his wood fire grilled fare in the “Santa Maria Style” barbeque approach. 
Our seats came with a front row view of the kitchen and that smoking hot grill. Steaks are their specialty and steaks we enjoyed, along with the ribs! Top Sirloin, Flat Iron, whatever your pleasure the entrees will FILL YOU UP! Served with a fresh veggie tray for the table, garlic bread, potato or rice pilaf, and two starters (soup, salad, or Bay Shrimp Cocktail) you will not be leaving hungry! The steaks were grilled perfectly and the baby back ribs were not lacking in juiciness and I did not miss a thick BBQ sauce, they were delightful on their own with some seasoning! Usually too full for dessert we decided to share the homemade peach cobbler.
Vanilla ice cream tops the crispy crust and when you dig into the hot fruity center it makes for a eyes-roll-back-into-your-head moment. Suddenly you forget how full you are and don’t want to share. Weeks later I’m still drooling over the menu and look forward to going back, especially for their Pinot Noirs!
Where We Played
From hot air balloons, to horseback riding, to enjoying some gaming at Chumash Casino, to spa treatments and shopping there is so much to do in the Santa Ynez Valley a few short days begs for a return trip! As a group of four adults without our children, we spent hours perusing the downtown Solvang area as well as Los Olivos because simply, we could.
There are 200 independent and family-owned boutiques, local artisans’ wares, jewelry, apparel and crafts from contemporary to vintage, fine art as well as photographic images are waiting to adorn your home along with glassware, porcelain, sterling silver, wood and garden treasures. Incredibly chic yet affordable women’s, men’s and kid’s clothing, fine leather good and accessories, shoes, boots, and clogs will keep you strolling. Porcelain figurines, handmade lace, ironworks and music boxes excite collectors. Be enticed by myriad choices from rare and best-selling books to a year-round Christmas store!
I didn’t however find that tank with oysters, but mixed among the shops are many wine and tap rooms though we enjoyed visiting some that were a car (or bike ride) away! Blackjack Ranch Vineyards and Winery was our absolute favorite! With an interesting history regarding the 1873 outlaw of the game of blackjack in California and Proprietor Roger Wisted’s dream, he invented, patented, copyrighted, and trademarked “California Blackjack” a game played to “22” points and a Natural is two aces. California Blackjack has been licensed to card clubs and casinos throughout California since 1990 (non-House banked) and it’s success enabled Wisted to plant a vineyard and build a winery as a sole proprietorship, hence, Blackjack Ranch. 
The vineyard and tasting room is located between Los Olivos and Ballard, just north of Solvang, and with it’s history there’s also character. The bar in the tasting room looked awfully familiar on first glance, then we learned it was built from one of the bowling alley lanes salvaged from the old Solvang Bowling Alley. It’s gorgeous and where we tasted some incredible wine, the Chardonnay being our favorite. Blackjack Ranch was also featured in the movie Sideways, the second of six wineries Jack and Miles visited (Monday morning) for a tasting of their Maximus Syrah!
Down the road into Los Olivos we stopped in for a olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting at Olive Hill Farm in downtown off Grand Avenue. The area is know for the best olive oils around, from mild to soft, pungent to peppery it’s a discovery of texture and flavor that gives each an identity of their own. I found myself to love a fruity (cranberry) balsamic vinegar and a jalepeno olive oil!
Did I mention while we wine tasted and sampled oils and vinegars we were on a bike? Renting bikes from Dr. J’s Bicycle Shop through partnership with Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling Tours in Solvang took us on a 5 hour + tour through some beautiful country in the Santa Ynez Valley. The guides were fantastic and knowledgeable of the area and history, and they were compassionate when a few of us needed a break or needed to stop along the way. Tours of the valley like we did includes: professional tour guide, bike rental and helmet, gourmet picnic lunch, wine tasting & souvenir water bottle. Some tours have time for a stop at a lavender farm as well, though we did not. Our “leisurely stroll” turned out to be a 22 mile adventure that led the group down Figueroa Mountain Road to the entrance of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch! Mostly a flat, paved trail with a slight incline on the way over made for a blissful ride back with some wind in our hair and a break from peddling! Because of this bike ride alone we were able to enjoy all that good food and wine WITHOUT guilt!
The four of us are already desperately searching our calendar for available dates to head back down to the Santa Ynez Valley for more! If you’re planning a trip or want to learn more, visit https://www.visitsyv.com/ to create an itinerary!
Most of the activities on our press trip were hosted, gratuities were on our own. All opinions are 100% our own.
Looks beautiful and like a lot of fun! I would love to visit there someday.