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Solvang - No Passport Required

© Pat Pease

Okay. You've seen enough of the big city. Now you would like to take a few days to relax. You long for a place where you can casually stroll through the streets, wander in and out of quaint little shops, experience something really different. Do you dream of far away lands, but it takes more time and money than you can expend right now? And passports? Forget that! Now you have an option.

About 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara take state highway 246 off the 101 at Buellton and head east about 5 miles. You will pass some of the nation's top horse breeding farms and an ostrich farm, where you are welcomed to stop to see these interesting birds.

Throughout this trip, be prepared to see some of the most breathtaking scenery you have ever experienced. (For a preview, check out the photo gallery on the web site www.countryfriends.org/SolvangTour.html). The first sign you have that you are in a new land is a castle-like building where the road forks. Stay on the highway. You are entering the delightful town of Solvang, also known as "Little Denmark". Here you will find a village filled with windmills, Danish style gift shops filled with everything from the elegant to the enchanting, mouth watering aromas blending with the fragrance of fresh flowers and some of the nicest people on earth.

With a population of only 4,500 you might think there wouldn't be much to do in a place like Solvang. Think again. On a cool summer night you can enjoy one of the finest outdoor live theaters in the country with a performance by the Pacific Coast Performing Arts (PCPA). Some famous names got their start with PCPA, including Robin Williams, Jeffrey Combs and Kelly McGillis. Be sure to take a blanket. Solvang nights can get chilly, even in the middle of summertime. PCPA only operates in Solvang during the summer, but year round performances are held in nearby Santa Maria.

Wine tasting is a favorite activity of visitors anywhere on the central coast of California, and Solvang is in the heart of the best wineries. The surrounding landscape includes picturesque vineyards in lush mountain valleys. Tours are available at many of the wineries.

This town may be small, but it's hardly sleepy. Throughout this Scandinavian village are charming hotels, restaurants and bakeries bustling with activities. Two popular thematic museums, the Elverhaj Museum and the Hand Christian Anderson Museum, showcase the Danish culture.

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