During the July 4th long weekend, we drove from San Diego to Solvang, and hit many spots along the route. Solvang isn’t too big, and slow-paced enough for a weekend getaway. Parking is quite convenient and free, even with the long weekend crowd. We stayed at a lodging on a nearby Air Force Base.

Day One

Our original plan was to leave the house by 8 am, but decided to sleep in a little more. By the time we got to our first stop, San Juan Capistrano, it was almost noon.

Sundried Tomato

31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Outdoor seating is spacious, perfect for enjoying lunch in California’s nice weather. Lunch specials are a good deal!

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Ticket: $14 (include multi-media guided tour)

Founded in 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano was the 7th Spanish mission built in California. The multi-media guide has a lot of wonderful explanations of the history of the mission. I hope to visit other missions in California.

Saffron & Rose Persian Ice Cream

What unique ice cream flavors! We picked Faloodeh, Saffron with pistachio, and Date! Pro tip: add some lemon juice!

Griffith Observatory

Wanted to hike here, but my condition wasn’t optimal for strenuous activities, so we visited the observatory instead. The obsera houses the most visited telescope in the world. Come and be a part of Guiness World Record!

Day Two

Solvang is a small town perfect for exploring on foot. Nicknamed Little Denmark in USA, Solvang is decorated with Danish architectures, windmills, and various museums.

Solvang Windmill

A must visit place. Easy to spot, and in close proximity to many popular restaurants nearby.

Solvang Restaurant

1672 Copenhagen Dr #2759, Solvang, CA 93463

People line up early in the morning for the world famous Abelskiver (be sure to ask the locals how to pronounce it). Goes really well with raspberry sauce, but is it worth the hour long wait? You be the judge!

Hans Christian Andersen Museum

1680 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463

Hans Christian is the creator of many familiar childhood stories, including Little Mermaid! Museum is on the second floor above the bookstore. Pays a lot of tribute to Hans Christian’s works and his life. The only downside is the museum doesn’t have an elevator or escalator.

Old Mission Santa Ines 1804

1760 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463

Compared to Mission San Juan Capistrano, it’s much quieter here. Self-guided tour is provided here.

Lincourt Vineyards

Solvang is also known for wine tasting. Why is a pregnant lady visiting a vineyard, you might ask? UN wondered the same thing too. We had a nice late afternoon stroll in the vineyard, perhaps next time we can bring our babies back with us.

Industrial Eats

UN found this restaurant on Yelp, their Beef Tongue Pastrami is a must order! Pizzas are wonderful too! They also offer fresh raw oysters, but too bad I was not able to enjoy them this time.

Ostrichland USA

Hard to associate a Danish town with ostriches, but if you google Solvang, you will definitely not want to miss this place. I came here with no expectations, but UN thought we would see free-range ostriches roaming in the open pasture. It wasn’t exactly that, but we had a lot of fun. I got scared by the ostriches when trying to feed them, but UN had a blast closely interacting with them. Tip: bring close-toed shoes, or prepare for your feet to get really dirty.

Day Three

We had plans for a few other places to visit on our third day, but we were too hungry. Ended up standing in line for 2 hours for a really popular breakfast/brunch place. Breakfast was meh, a bit disappointed, maybe because we waited too long. After breakfast we headed back to San Diego. We met up with UN’s college friend on the way back. What a relaxing long weekend!

長週末時，我們從聖地牙哥開車到丹麥小鎮（Solvang）。沿途經過一些清單上的景點，趁這次旅行順路參觀。Solvang不大，步調也不快，非常適合長週末來。停車方便，有幾個免費停車場，路上也有許多停車格，即使長週末也很好找到停車位。我們的住宿則是住在附近的空軍基地（Vandenberg Space Force Base），我就不在此介紹。