School has started for most of us but if you are looking for a quick getaway, Solvang is the perfect choice for the Labor Day weekend or a Fall or Winter getaway. It is just 90-120 minutes away from Ventura County along the coast so the drive is beautiful as well.
Hotel wise, Solvang has many great places to stay but we are a family of 5 so finding a room big enough for the whole family can be really challenging. That is why we loved Solvang Inn and Cottages in downtown Solvang.
For our trip we stayed in the Family Unit Cottage which is a 2nd story unit and features 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a King bed in one bedroom which has a microwave and a fridge. The second bedroom includes two double beds. Both rooms have windows that face Solvang and we enjoyed looking through the window and seeing downtown Solvang. The grounds also include a small pool and whirlpool with a Mermaid theme. The rooms are very quiet and we never heard anyone in the hallway or on the street. The beds in the room are extremely comfortable and we enjoyed a wonderful nights rest after our fun day in Solvang.
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The Cottages are very centrally located in Downtown Solvang by the Wildling Museum, Olsen's Bakery, and Paula's Pancake House, all are right across the street from the Inn.A Continental Breakfast is provided for free at Olsen's and includes a beverage, a roll, Danish Cheese and a Danish.
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The Inn is very close to Downtown Solvang with its nightlife, Solvang Park and the museums featured all over Solvang that we just walked everywhere. If you want a vacation where cars are not required and you can walk everywhere, Solvang is the perfect choice with lots of delicious food and fun and interesting stores.
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So what is there to do in Solvang? Well we found the most amazing park for Katherine (age 7). It is called Sunny Fields Park and it is a Viking Themed Playground that younger kids will fall in love with. It is a wooden structure which features moats, bridges, tunnels, slides, boats and so much more. Bring dolls and puppets and kids can even put on a puppet show at the playgrounds theatre. It really is an amazing park but I do recommend you visit on a cool day and not in the middle of summer like we did. We loved it so much we plan to go back when the weather is cooler. But even with the heat, it still was so much fun. Here is the FACEBOOK PAGE so you can learn more. It also features bathrooms, so it can make a perfect potty break if you are passing through Solvang and the kids will have a blast.
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We also visited Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch, which is across the street from Sunny Field's Park and that was a lot of fun too. It is open 7 days a week from 10am to 3pm and has plenty of parking and is free. Pretty much you can check out tons of miniature horses as they frolick and eat the grass. It is a tame trip and all my kids loved it. We even named a few of the mini horses and the kids loved seeing some of the baby Miniature Horses. Because the ranch is shaded and has lots of trees, this was a fun activity even in the heat.
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As to Downtown Solvang well we had a blast shopping. They have stores for kids, teens and adults. There are TONS of toy stores, tons of stores featuring arts and crafts, Danish and Mexican crafts and so much more. Every store was so much fun to check out and some stores even offer free samples of wine, dips, cookies, pastries and more. There are lots of cute backdrops or large Danish Clogs to grab a picture with.
We also had a blast taking the Solvang Horse Trolley and getting a history lesson on the history and architecture of Solvang, for instance we learned why the city of Solvang has statues of The Little Mermaid all over town and why it is its logo. I highly recomend this tour, the entire family loved it and in fact we wanted to do it again it was so wonderful. It is not free and can get pricey depending on how big your family is but it is extremely worth it and definitely something you don't want to miss.
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While in downtown do NOT miss having a Danish treat of aebleskiver. We were invited to check them out at the Solvang Restaurant which also hosts an outside window, so if you don't have time for a sit down meal, you can pick up some delicious aebleskivers. We enjoyed our first meal in Solvang at this restaurant and it was wonderful. Check out the MENU here! The decor of the restaurant includes handcrafted woodwork and Danish proverbs decorate the interior beam work and the booths are embossed with authentic crests of Danish Villages. Murals of Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales decorate the walls as well as works by local artists.There is even a photo in the front, by the bar of the current owner of the restaurant. The restaurant closes around 5pm and only serves breakfast and lunch. The food is served fast and is very delicious but remember to save room for an aebleskiver as they are a very special Solvang treat.
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If you are looking for a kid friendly and fun restaurant for dinner or even lunch then we also highly recommend CHOMP which is located next to the Little Mermaid fountain at the corner of Mission Drive and Alisal Road. You can choose to sit inside or outside and since it was such a gorgeous day we loved sitting on the outdoor patio. They pipe in some great music and we loved the atmosphere of the restaurant as we waited for our food to be served. CHOMP is diner food. They have some delicious salads, burgers, sandwiches, pastas and milkshakes. They even have mac n cheese for my youngest daughter that she loved. We found the food delicious and the service very fast.
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During the summer Solvang Park features Concerts in the Park on Wednesday nights and after dinner we walked over to the park and enjoyed an after dinner concert. Then we walked over to the PCPA Solvang Festival Theater to enjoy a show at their outdoor theater. This theater hosts shows throughout the year at 8pm for ages 5+. You can see what is playing here!
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If you are looking for a fun quick getaway for the family we really loved Solvang and highly recommend it. Learn more about Solvang a https://www.solvangusa.com/
Macaroni Kid was provided complimentary lodging and meals at the Solvang Restaurant and CHOMP, no other compensation was received. This trip was facilitated by Solvangusa.com who helped arrange complimentary PCPA show tickets ( www.pcpa.org ) to the Solvang Festival Theatre for review purposes.
Other Fun Things to Do in Solvang:
- * 9am-5pm daily Hans Christian Andersen Museum (upstairs from The Book Loft, 1680 Mission Drive); Phone: 805-688-6010. Your contact is owner Kathy Mullins. Free.
- * 9am-5pm dailyThe Copenhagen House (shops)/ Amber Museum Exhibit, 1660 Copenhagen Drive. Phone: 805-693-5000. Free.
- * 9am-4:30pm daily Old Mission Santa Ines, 1760 Mission Drive. Phone: 805-688-4815. Contact Silvia Ramos in office for any special arrangements needed. $5 donation please.
- * 11am-5pm (Wed-Mon) Wildling Museum of Art & Nature 1511-B Mission Dr; Phone 805-688-1082. Contact Stacey Otte-Demangate for info and personal tour. $5 adults; 17 under free.
- * 11am-4pm (Wed-Sun) Elverhoj Museum of History &Art showing Danish history and period rooms and rotating art exhibits. 1624 Elverhoy Way. Phone: 805-686-1211(Free, donations welcome)Contact Esther Jacobsen Bates or Jody Williams for more info and personal tour options.
- *11am-5pm (Sat & Sun or by appt.) Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum, 320 Alisal Road, Phone: 805-686-9522. Contact Jill Ballard. ($10 adults, under 10 free with parent).
