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Day One: DB-Solvang

We finally got a break this week and got to take the “trip” we had been talking about for a while. Dr. D and I needed the break and since the munchkins of the planet are finally back in school, the prices for hotels and gas had come back into reality. So… we decided it’s now or never.

Armed with a map and a direction, we pointed the car up the coast of California about 8PM and headed toward Santa Barbara. We would have stopped to harass Doc, or even stayed overnight, but he was in Boston doing his Harvard talk. So we drove through SB and ended up in Solvang, to get into fairly clean air from the Day Fires that are burning up parts of Santa Barbara County like hell broke loose in the mountains.

Day Two: Solvang – Travel Rule #1: Listen to your friends.

Because of my family history and the fact I grew up surrounded by Nord’s of every variety. I lust for decent Swedish and German food. It is nearly impossible to find in LA. Plus there are “things” I grew up with I find nearly impossible to find without sending back home to get them, so going to check out Solvang was on my list of “things to do.”

We stayed at the Best Western – Kronborg Inn as rooms were in short supply or overpriced. Now while BW isn’t my favorite properties, it appears Solvang is a destination for a lot of people, (esp. over 50 yrs old,) no matter what time of year. So for a reasonable price we got a clean room, free Continental breakfast with decent coffee and free Internet. What no one warned me that most hotel/motels in this town do not have an elevator! For people who have do not have great knees or boundless energy (like me) the several flights of stairs were near torture. We attempted to change rooms to a ground floor, but it ended up being a bigger hassle that it was worth, so I never got to use the pool or whirlpool.  BW has done is mandate all hotels install free internet access in all their rooms. Some BW’s have just wired access, but this property had wired and wireless access- only problem was the wireless access of the hotel next door was better than the one we were staying in! So I camped out on the patio and checked email and uploaded photos outside, while Dr. D used the wire.

Downtown Solvang is exactly as “friends” told us: 95% total tourist trap. However in every tourist trap there are always a few gems, the game is to have fun finding them. So on the morning of Day 2 we scouted the town thanks a little recon’ we did with a map and a guide (Warning PDF 18MB!) and picked out where we wanted to eat and shop. First on our list was to check out the Mission Santa Ines on the East end of town. While not Danish it is part of the California Missions and a historic site. The mission also operates a school and retreat for groups. We took a time to walk around, Dr. D played with his new DV Camera, shooting some video and I shot some pictures of the Mission and the surrounding area.

 Mission Santa Ines
Solvang, CA

Pano by MWehmeier

We had lunch at a New Danish Inn Restaurant on Mission Drive, where one of the locals recommended Danish Smorgasbord. A decent lunch is available for less than $10. They have a wonderful staff and the food is real Danish faire. We sampled our way through the meatballs, sausages, salads and vegies reminded me of home.

First on the hit list of the endless shops was the Nordic Knives. I am always looking for a decent chef’s knife of one type or another. Dr. D. is always looking for the perfect pocket knife, and his last couple Swiss Army knives have been so-so. So we entered this little shop to be pleasantly surprised to see both sides of the walls of the place completely lined in knives! Nordic Knives carries nearly everything from utility knives for cooking and working people- to collectors knives and swords. If you don’t see it– ask. They will find it for you. Also they have a sharper on site. The also sponsor the Solvang Knife Show every year.  I found a Wusthof kitchen utility knife and a hard cheese knife, I could not find without a drive into LA. Dr. D found a replacement for his Swiss Army Knife and a new Wusthof Sharpener. They’re prices were reasonable for the value and if you needed a knife set– the deals were spectacular. FYI you can order knives online or call them.

We headed down the street and trying to walk off lunch and saw the endless wine and tourist shops. The Theater is interesting, but I had no desire to see Hamlet or Dames at Sea for the up-teeth time. FedEx trucks were everywhere. Every time I attempted to take a picture of one of the hokey windmills, there was a FedEx truck parked right in my shot line.

Interesting thing is while Solvang is supposed to be Danish– all the Scandinavian groups were represented. I found some Swedish Dala Horses embroidered on ribbon, cruised the endless available B&G plates, and Hummel and B&G figurines, and Orafors Crystal. Since most wasn’t new to me, I cruised through at warp speed. The one thing I found disturbing was the several “quilt stores” in town, where most of the quilts were imported and not great quality. Pity someone doesn’t put in a decent quilt and needlework store on FIRST FLOOR so the countless geezer-ettes could shop away. (I’d have checked it out!)

The real find in town was totally unexpected: The Solvang Shoe Store.  At the corner of Copenhagen and First, sits what rarely exists in today’s mall infused marketplace. The Solvang Shoe Store is a full service store with fitters who aren’t rushed, if you’re buying. The stock is plentiful and where can you pick out and try on every style, size and WIDTH of Dansko, Bastad, Romika, Sven, Ugg, Clark and Echo shoe in the current line? No where in LA I can assure you. Prices are not cheap, but the sale shoes are a bargain! We carried several boxes out the door and they graciously offered to order Dr. D. a specialty shoe and ship it at no charge. Know anywhere in LA that does that? Me either.

We shot pictures and video of the wine country around the area, and decided by 6 PM we needed a break from the walking around and retail therapy. It was fun. We ended up at Olson’s Danish Bakery for a cup of coffee and cookies, a tub of butter cookies to take home and share– may-be.

After going back to the hotel for a break we ended up deciding to go out to the Chumash Casino Resort and Hotel. The casino,  hotel and spa are located between Solvang and Santa Ynez on Hwy 246. The facility is about 3 miles East of Solvang. The Tribe has done a wonderful job of keeping the casino environmentally low-key to the area, by having it set off the road and spares you the blazing Las Vegas style-in-your-face neon.  We arrived about 9 PM and were surprised that the place was packed. It appears in this area it is the only late night entertainment, or named entertainment. This is your local full service Tribal operated casino. The food was affordable and good. The entire staff was pleasant and friendly. We ended up having dinner at the Willows and checking out the gambling. Using Auntie Roberta’s slot machine theory we found the machines were “friendly,” if you know what I mean?

Chumash Casino Resort and Hotel is definitely well done, but with 110 rooms getting room is not always easy. It would make a nice mid-week get-away, especially if I could get to the spa.

Day 3 Escaping Solvang – Heading North – Travel Tip #2 – Keep your friends hints in mind...

We headed out of Solvang (B on Map) knowing we needed to escape the tourist trap and go for a ride. After a day and a half in Solvang we had our fill of faux Danish-ala California. So we loaded up the car and headed toward the Hitching Post in Buelton which Doc and everyone recommended. I had a lust for their Roasted Garlic and their menu was a real taste treat. Too bad we couldn’t eat there. Turns out they were totally packed with a group for lunch that day. I even volunteered to bus tables to get a seat. Oh well, I left drooling at the smell of the beef and the roasting garlic. May be next time. I should have learned they do reservations online if Doc knows about the place and swears by the steaks. (grin)

We ended up eating a quick lunch over at Anderson’s.  It was not my first or even third choice, but we were heading up to the beach– and in order to get some time there, lunch had to be quick. The Monte Cristo was pretty good and the coffee was fresh.  We didn’t complain.

Next on the list was a ride on Hwy 1 over toward Lompac (C on Map) to see the landscape around Vandenburg AFB.  For several of us who watch every rocket launch of the Minuteman, Delta II, Atlas V, Titan IV, Delta IV, and Minotaur class rocket from this base like school kids, this turf is hollowed ground.  Vandenburg is one large forest preserve, with rockets and airplanes all over the place. The Deer Crossing signs really do mean you will probably see a couple– and we did. We got an opportunity to see a few things, but had to check the cameras in the trunk. 

A few things I did learn is that there are public viewing areas for both the Northern and Southern Ranges, which makes it possible to come up and actually view the launch as near onsite as the pubic can get. Only problem is that for security reasons, you have less than 3-4 days notice. The next Delta IV class rocket is scheduled for around November. But there are no guarantees that launches will occur when so you need to stay on top of the notifications, especially if you’re driving any distance.  Also sportsfans, base tours are still available. However in the 9-11 world the rules have changed. Guided public tours are conducted between 10AM- 12 Noon the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. But they can be bumped if security conditions and mission permitting. To find out the details you need to contact the base Public Affairs office from this link. You will be prescreened for security and the base requires 2 weeks to process your tour pass. We did get to snap a couple pics of the tracking stations. It was enjoyable… and time to move on…

Next we headed up to Pismo Beach (D on the Map) The best way to tell you is to show you. So feel free to click on the Tabblo to see the photo page of the beach and the rest of the evening.

We spent several hours at the beach. Doug found a Sand dollar– and we got a nice break walking around in the sand torturing my all ready sore knee. Dr D. and I got out the cameras and spent time taking pictures and shooting video. Dr. D’s been working on his refining his skills shooting his new Canon Optura 50 DVD Camera. Then we headed up to San Luis Obispo and ended up staying overnight at the Madonna Inn.

The Madonna Inn is a “unique place.”  To say “the Madonna Inn offers 109 rooms, uniquely decorated with a special theme and color scheme, no two alike” would be a complete understatement. The words “over the top” and “how pink can they make the place” come to mind. The history of the Inn is about as unique as the people who own it. Alex and Phyllis Madonna built their Inn their way.  Everything is built to order, top of the line, normally American made, or the best of the best. If it were to be AAA rated this Inn would be a 4-star property. My only two complaints are there are no elevators and Internet access is $10 a day.

We had dinner at the Gold Rush Steak House, which other than being PINK, was completely reminiscent of the folk’s place back home. Only difference is our dining room was larger and definably not pink. Other that– the Aged Beef was out of this world. The staff was friendly, prompt and everything a guest could want a good wait staff to be. The Rib Eye Steak at $26.95 was in my opinion– “Perfect.” The menu offers a wide selection of choices which are both hardy and prime. Oh one more thing… you can make reservations for dinner online.

More about this later…. I’ll finish this entry later weekend. I need to answer some emails from people about the Fire.

Tags:  Solvang, Chumash Casino Resort and Hotel, Solvang Shoe Store, Olson’s Danish Bakery, Nordic Knives, Kronborg Inn, Day Fire, New Danish Inn Restaurant , Madonna Inn, Canon Optura 50, Gold Rush Steak House, Pismo Beach, Vandenburg AFB, Vandenburg Tours