Located in Santa Barbara County, Solvang is a quaint little Danish town with lots of character and it is also one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. I first heard about Solvang when I was in college where I spent most of my free time watching shows on the Travel Channel, The Food Network and The History Channel. I remember writing down places that I want to visit once I graduate from college. Seeing beautiful places, learning about its history and trying new foods also became my motivation in finishing school. I figured in order for me to do all those, I need to make a decent living enough to cover my expenses. Anyway, I was very intrigued about Solvang especially after seeing photos on the internet and reading some articles about it. I really wanted to see it for myself and get the feel of being in Denmark without leaving the country 🙂 Also, I have to try the famous aebleskiver (pronounced ebel-sku-wyr) . It was a short visit but well worth it!

Here are some photos! 🙂

The name Solvang is Danish for “sunny fields,” perfect for the town with four windmills that sits in the wide, sunny Santa Ynez Valley, 35 miles northwest of Santa Barbara. In fact, “Denmark,” actually means “field of Danes.” “Little Denmark,” Solvang’s nickname, was founded nearly 100 years ago as a repository of Danish heritage. Educators who immigrated from Scandinavia founded the town in 1911 to preserve their culture. Long before it was the village of Solvang, the area was inhabited by Chumash Indians, the indigenous hunter/gatherer/fishermen, who helped to build Mission Santa Ines for the Spanish in 1804. The 9000 acres that the immigrant Danes purchased for their new settlement of Solvang came from the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata Mexican land grant. Although everything in town seems to be imprinted with a Danish influence, Solvang’s roots are inexorably tied to the Chumash and the Spanish. (www.solvang.co)

Solvang is actually just a few minutes drive from Michael Jackson’s former home, The Neverland Ranch.

“Velkommen Til Solvang”

I just love the Danish architecture and it reminds me of the movie, The Prince and Me 🙂 .

Aebleskiver!! Yay!!!

I thought it was pretty cool how they make it. I was watching this lady make this yummy treats until she finished that entire batch! I was seriously stalking her to find out her Aebleskiver cooking techniques! 😉

This is one of the reasons why I came here to visit!

Sooo yummy for my tummy!! Hahahaha! We loved it so much that we actually bought our own Aebleskiver pan! 😀

For some reason I was so amazed at seeing a tree in the middle of the road! : )

Oh life’s cheesy moments! Hahahaha!

Love the place! Love the little shops!

I had to have a photo op with this giant shoe as I am a certified shoeaholic! Hahahaha! Sometimes I wonder if I am related to Imelda Marcos. Nah! It’s just a women’s thing! 🙂

Another cheesy moment! Hahahaha!

…and another one! Hahaha!

I think this is a perfect spot for a photo op except for that trash bin behind us! Oh well! 🙂

The US and Denmark flag.

We wanted to eat at this place but we didn’t have enough time on our first visit. We made up for it the following year though! 😉