Visit our neighbors!
Ballard,
Buellton, 
 Los Olivos,
 Santa Ynez,
 Los Alamos, and Lompoc, 
Santa Barbara

 Solvang was founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators to build a school
serving the Danes on the West Coast. At the time of their arrival only the
 Old Mission Santa Inez was in the area. The architecture of the buildings
is very much of the old world with steep gabled roofs, windmills, and the
typical old world building style even to a real thatched roof on the corner
of Copenhagen and First Street. The shops are filled with wares from
near and afar and the bakeries loaded with Danish pastries and cookie.
The restaurants feature food from Denmark and other ethnic styles and
 you really feel transferred to a different time and place. Here also you
 will find the PCPA Outdoor Theater featuring shows from Shakespeare to Modern.

Starting your tour from Solvang, you head one mile south on the Alisal road
and get a round of golf in on one of the many golf courses in the valley.
Passing the Alisal Guest Ranch you wind up at the Nojoqui Falls Park
where many legends by the Native-Americans began. We even have
water running over the falls and in the hot dry area we are in it is a
welcome walk up the hill to see it. Be warned sometimes it dries up.

Back in Solvang and on 246
going west three miles you come to the hub of the valley. Buellton sits
 at the cross roads of Hwy 246 and 101, home of Split Pea Soup
Andersen's and the new Ostrich Land which is starting to draw visitors.
Buellton is the only place that has a large shopping mall for the local residents.
If you continue another 18 miles west on 246 you will arrive at Lompoc
and Vanderberg Air Force Base, the west coast space launch center.
NASA and the Air Force are continuing the space launches with private
 industry being involved also.

Back to Solvang you continue on 246 to Alamo Pintado Road
going 3 miles north to Ballard where the famed little red school house is still in use.
 As you continue your travel on Alamo Pintado North you pass horse ranches,
apple orchards, etc. and arrive at the Victorian Village of Los Olivos where you
can browse the art galleries, sample the wine from many of the wineries in the valley.
 Los Olivos is also where Mattei's Tavern still serves a great meal.

Mattei's Tavern was the stage coach stop for the traveler when the railroad only
came to Los Olivos from the north. As the traveler could go no further with the railroad.  
 It was necessary to take the stage line over the mountains to Santa Barbara.  
Today you can take the trip by way of 154 to Lake Cachuma, over the San Marcos Pass,
 on into Cold Springs Tavern.  Another stage coach stop that is now a restaurant.   
From Cold Springs Restaurant you can see the expanse of the San Marcos Bridge
from below. Continuing on 154 you arrive at Santa Barbara.

Leaving Solvang going East on 246 for 3 miles you
 will find yourself in the historic old west of Santa Ynez, with the false front facades
 and old authentic buildings. Many a commercial has been filmed here, using the
buildings as props. Santa Ynez is a real working town serving the people of the
 valley, with old craftsmanship, ostrich burgers, real western saloon, famed carriage
museum to a modern day gaming casino at the Chumash Indian Reservation,
which is fast becoming the biggest employer in the valley.

Want to become a jet setter? Drop your plane into the Santa Ynez Airport
and take a car on into the local sights for the day and home for evening.
While at the airport try your hand at hang gliding or take a glider ride.

If you still want to see more, you can take 101(at Hwy 246) north to Los Alamos.
This little former sleeping town has many antique shops and is home of the
 Los Alamos Inn, another of the stage coach stops, a wonderful place to
 stop for the weary traveler on the way from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Traveling north from Los Alamos another 15 miles on Hwy 101 you will
reach Santa Maria a bustling farming town. Home of the famous Elks Rodeo
and Parade being held the first week end of June each year.  TV coverage.

All together you will find that the Santa Ynez Valley is holding enough
points of interest to keep you in the area for a long time. To house you,
there are plenty of accommodations around to make you feel comfortable
and good restaurants to satisfy your appetite. Golfing in the area is GREAT. 
You may golf at a different course for over a week all within short driving
distance.  Allowing you to make Solvang the prime residence and every
morning going for a short 25 - 65 minute drive for a super round of golf and
back in time for shopping and dinner.  Just click on any of the above
 mentioned members and they will be happy to accommodate you.

Valley Wineries     Recipe      Events
Camping  & Camping2    Danish Church

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