California — The Visual Meow

Missing my Summer trip to Europe and in need of a breather from the bustling city life, my family and I planned a short road trip to visit Solvang, CA. We packed our bags and took a 2 1/2 hour drive to visit this charming Danish-American Town where we ate, drank, and shopped to our hearts content.

Drink some Wine:

What better way to get the morning started then with an 11 AM visit to the local winery! The first stop on our trip began with a wine tasting at Presidio Winery , where we tried six different wines from this delightful little shop. A friend of ours recommended getting the Groupon deal for this place which included a $47 wine tasting for four with two bottles of wine to take home. Originally valued at $98, this Groupon was a steal! The winery offered us glasses of chardonnay, syrah, pinot noir and gerwürztraminer. We really enjoyed the crisp refreshing taste of the 2015 chardonnay and took two bottles to go. You can snag their 50% OFF Groupon here if you're interested in checking out the winery for yourself. I highly recommend bringing home one of their Wholegrain Champagne Mustard or Garlic Balsamic Bread Dipper from their shop. You can also purchase these items from their online store here, your future sandwiches and salads will thank you!

Ice-cream Social:

We made a quick pit stop into the Solvang Trolley Ice Cream Parlor for a cone since it was a pretty hot day in town. Truly a gem, this little ice-cream shop is full of pastel colored walls, kitschy decor and lots of ice-cream flavors to chose from! I opted for my favorite flavor, mint chocolate chip from McConnell's, the same brand this bon appétit article told me to "Buy 25 Pints" of if I ever came across it. I only left with a single scoop that day but if you ever find it in stores, I recommend buying a pint or two. It was that good!

Walk around Town:

Copenhagen and Mission Drive are lined with all kinds of cute Danish shops. It's also the perfect place to pick up some Christmas decorations. Stop by one of the many bakeries you'll come across and be sure to take a picture in front of the windmill. You can also spot a replica of the Little Mermaid Statue, a famous landmark in Copenhagen's harbor. We had lots of fun checking out the boutique shops and bought a few souvenirs to take back home.

Have some Brews:

After strolling through town for a bit, we decided to check out Solvang Brewing Company for a few drinks and some light snacks. I ordered the Bloody Mary which was jam packed with toppings and quite the show stopper when it came out, a little to peppery for my taste but it looked spectacular. I also ordered the house made Odin Stout which featured hints of coffee, bourbon and molasses dancing flavors dancing on the tip of your tastebuds. We bough two bottles to take home and enjoy. We enjoyed snacking on the house made pretzel with melted cheese which was the perfect doughy and salty bite to compliment our beers.

Bratwursts and Beer Gardens:

An excellent place for people watching! Our last stop in Solvang ended with a late lunch at Copenhagen Sausage Garden. We started off our meal with a beautifully presented charcuterie board featuring some of the best meats and cheeses Solvang had to offer. Then we ordered a large bratwurst to split between the five of us. One of my favorite things about this place was the impressive amount of sauces and toppings you could choose from. We also got a pint of the Schofferhofer Grapefruit Raddler to quench our thirst in a simmering California heatwave.

Bonus Bites:

On our way back we made a quick pit stop into Santa Barbra for one last bite at Joe's Cafe, my father's favorite spot in town. Pictured here are the massive deli style sandwiches we enjoyed over drinks before the drive home. A feast for the eyes, enjoy!