by Teona Tone Schley

Solvang bustles all year long with fun activities, excitement and special events. Parents who fondly remember visiting Solvang as children, bring their own families here to spend some special time in this Danish Capitol of America. Others come to taste wine or for special events. During every season, there are exciting and interesting things happening in Solvang.
  To truly appreciate your visit to Solvang, you should know something about its history. The town was founded in 1911 as a Danish settlement, but most of the early buildings were done in “Mission Style,” to match the Old Mission Santa Inés. A few of these buildings still remain, or at least remnants of them, such as the Mission Style arches on the Rasmussen building at the corner of Alisal Road and Copenhagen Drive.
  Then in the early 1950s a group of local Danes decided to construct their business buildings and homes with genuine, old-world Danish techniques and styles. One of the first of these was the Paaske Building on Alisal Road facing the intersection with Copenhagen Drive.
  Another was the Solvang Gaard Motel, now renamed the Solvang Gardens Inn, located just south of the main Village area on Alisal Road. Soon, other business owners followed suit and the town began to look like a genuine Danish village, with “half-timbered” walls and steep roofs, brickwork sidewalks and colorful containers of flowers.
  The best way to appreciate the beauty and old-world ambiance of Solvang is to stroll along the streets, savoring the fragrance of fresh Danish pastries and baking aebleskiver (ball-shaped Danish pancakes, served with jam and powdered sugar). We provide our readers with two “Guided Tours”: A “Walking Tour” of the Village Area to help you find places you’ll want to visit, and a “Driving Tour” to help you locate the outlying points of interest.

GUIDED TOURS
  Assuming you have come by car from Highway 101, you will drive east along Highway 246 until it becomes Mission Drive at the edge of the Solvang Village area.
  As you enter the Village Area of Solvang, Highway 246 will become Mission Drive at the intersection with Fifth Street, where there is a stoplight.

Olsen’s Danish Bakery
www.olsensdanishbakery.com
  On your left you will see a building with a round tower on the corner. Just half a block to the east along Mission Drive, you will see Olsen’s Bakery on your left, owned and operated by Bent Olsen, who learned his trade in Denmark, where his family established their bakery in 1890.
  Bent moved the whole family business to Solvang over 30 years ago—and he’s glad he did. “There is a lot more opportunity here,” he told us. “I love Solvang and this whole area—it’s been very good to me.” And Olsen has been good for Solvang, too. Bent and his family participate in all of the special events in Solvang with great enthusiasm and generosity.
  Bent makes delicious Danish butter cookies that keep well and are regularly sent all over the world as gifts. He also makes breads, cakes, a large selection of mouth-watering Danish pastries and hearty, Danish pumpernickel. This whole-grain bread freezes well and is wonderful for making open-face canapés for parties. A favorite of our family is his apple cinnamon bread, which has large chunks of real apples and real cinnamon.

WALKING TOUR

King Frederik Inn
www.kingfrederikinn.com
Continue driving along Mission Drive and just before Solvang Park you’ll see the King Frederik Inn. This family-owned and operated motel offers 45 rooms in the heart of the Danish Village. Guests can park their cars here and follow this “Walking Tour of Solvang,” especially after enjoying a breakfast of fresh Danish pastry, juice and coffee in the cozy lobby by the fireplace or in the patio area by the pool and spa.       
The King Frederik offers golf, theater (in season) and wine tour packages. If you prefer to make your own arrangements, the Alisal River Golf Course is only a short distance away. For wine tours, you can follow the “Wine Tasting Walking Tour” of Solvang’s tasting rooms in this magazine, or hire one of the many tour guides to outlying vineyard tasting rooms. For more information or to make reservations, call (800) 549-9955 or visit them online.
 Now take a stroll through Solvang Park, which is next to the King Frederik. If you’re lucky, one of the Solvang bands will be playing in the band shell or Danish Dancers will be performing. Sometimes you’ll even see an actor depicting Hans Christian Andersen telling stories in the park, but he is more likely to be seen at the nearby Book Loft bookstore and Hans Christian Andersen Museum.

The Book Loft
www.bookloftsolvang.com
  To reach this fun and interesting stop, continue east along Mission Drive. It is one of our favorite spots in Solvang. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you find just the right book for yourself, or for the child, teen or adult on your shopping list. They also have games and puzzles for all ages. Lovers of old books should check out the impressive collection of quality used books upstairs.
  The Book Loft also regularly sponsors special events, such as poetry readings and book signings. For more information, call the Book Loft at (805) 688-6010 or visit their website.
 
Hans Christian Andersen Museum
www.bookloftsolvang.com
  While you’re at the Book Loft, go upstairs to see The Hans Christian Andersen Museum. You’ll want to see the museum’s extensive collection of memorabilia pertaining to Andersen’s life, as well as hundreds of his books, letters, manuscripts and photos.
  A visit to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum is a must for anyone with little children, or anyone who has fond childhood memories of reading Andersen’s stories. Group tours of the museum are available by appointment, and visitors are always welcome between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit the website above or call (805) 688-6010.

Solvang Antique Center
www.solvangantiques.com
Exiting the Book Loft/Hans Christian Andersen Museum, turn left and walk half a block to First Street, turn left again and walk another half a block where you will find Solvang Antique Center on your left. This is one of the country’s finest multiple-dealer galleries.
It was founded 35 years ago by Ron and Julie Palladino, who specialized in the sale and restoration of antique clocks and music boxes, as well as antique furniture and other antiques. The store features 65 specialized antique dealers from around the world in an 8,000-square-foot museum-like environment. Prominently featured are quality 18th and 19th century furniture, decorative accessories, estate jewelry and fine art, as well as one of the finest collections of antique clocks and music boxes in the world.
Now there are big changes: Ron and Julie have decided to sell the Antique Center, and they fortunately found the perfect people to take over the store: avid antique collectors Dwight and Arlene Steffensen, shown in the photo at right. For more information about the Steffensens and their exciting new plans for the Solvang Antique Center, click here.

Red Viking Restaurant
www.redvikingrestaurant.com
Exiting Solvang Antique Center, turn left and walk along First Street to Copenhagen Drive, cross over and turn left to stroll half a block to the Red Viking Restaurant, where you can eat your fill of delicious Danish and American selections from their extensive menu, or from their “All You Can Eat” Smorgasbord. Indeed, we believe that at the present time, this is the only place in Solvang where you can enjoy a truly Danish Smorgasbord, complete with cold and hot dishes and freshly baked bread from Olsen’s Danish Bakery.
They also serve a wide selection of beautiful and delectable Danish open-faced sandwiches, as well as mouth-watering aebleskivers for dessert or as part of your breakfast, or just a snack.
A few years ago, when my Norwegian family held a reunion in Solvang, they fully enjoyed a dinner at the Red Viking, as many Danish and Norwegian delicacies are the same or very similar.
The Red Viking has a full liquor selection, including local wines, Denmark’s Carlsberg beer, other beers and cocktails. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, see their website or call 805-688-6610.

DRIVING TOUR
  Now is the time to return to your car and start your tour of the interesting places on the edge of the Solvang Village area.

Vintage Motorcycle Museum
www.motosolvang.com
Going south on Alisal Road about half a mile from Mission Drive you will see the Solvang Village Square on the left, just after the large Corque Hotel. 
Park diagonally in front, then walk a few steps to the Vintage Motorcycle Museum. There are displays of classic and vintage motorcycles, such as a 1906 FN and a 1979 Honda CBX, to name just two. The featured motorcycle is the Britten V1000, one of only a few of these high-powered racing motorcycles ever made. The one on display is also unique in that it was still in its original crate when purchased and had never been raced. It is therefore in absolutely pristine condition.
Also on display is one of the four Vincent Grey Flashes entered in the 1950 Isle of Man TT race. All things considered, it’s definitely worth making a stop to catch a glimpse of these rare motorcycles.

Elverhøj Museum of History and Art
www.elverhoj.org
  First, proceed half a block further south to Elverhoy Way, turn right and walk two blocks west along Elverhoy Way to the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art in the restored home of Viggo and Martha Brandt-Erichsen.
  This artistic Danish couple built their home in the authentic Danish style, with tremendous attention to every detail, including original wood carving on the front door, stone sculpture on the fireplace and hand painted tiles in the kitchen.
  “Elverhøj” means “Elves on the Hill” and refers to a Danish fairy tale that the couple used as a theme for their home, which was a center for art instruction and many gatherings of artists while the Brandt-Erichsens lived there. Viggo unfortunately died young, but Martha lived in the house for many years and arranged for it to be given after her death to the City of Solvang to build a museum of Solvang history, culture and art.
  The Elverhøj always has a number of special events each season. The newest thing at the Elverhøj is a DVD entitled “Solvang: Danish Colony in America.” An informative narration by videographer Bent Myggen sets a series of interviews and historical photos in context to tell the story of Solvang’s pioneering families. This is a great gift idea for the history buff in your family.
  Through April 18, the gallery will continue the exhibit “Essential Landscapes,” featuring the work of Phoebe Brunner and Pamela Kendall Schiffer.
  From April 25–July 4, the gallery will feature “What’s Happening Now: Recent Work of Artists Who Came of Age in the Santa Ynez Valley.”

Alisal River Course
www.rivercourse.com
Now return to Alisal Road and drive south half a mile to reach the entrance to the Alisal River Course on the left, one of the most beautiful golf courses in California that is open to the general public. Their well stocked pro-shop can supply you with anything you forgot to bring.
Their location presents golfers with breathtaking panoramas of the brilliant hues of the foothills and the Santa Ynez Mountains and Valley. River Course features four lakes and often follows the meandering path of the Santa Ynez River.
You can choose to walk the beautiful course or rent a golf cart equipped with a GPS system. PGA professionals are also available for individual or group lessons.
No matter what time of year you play River Course, no matter what time of day, you’re in for a pleasant experience. The course is enjoyable at any level and the surrounding beauty is picturesque.  So bring your “A” game–and a camera.
When you are done with your game, you can always visit the “19th hole” at the River Grill Restaurant, which overlooks the course, where they have a wonderful menu for both lunch and dinner.
We know for a fact that your “golf widow” will enjoy this part of the Alisal River Course too, with its great food and spectacular views.

Old Mission Santa Inés
www.missionsantaines.org
Return to Solvang and turn right on Mission Drive (Highway 246) to reach our next suggested stop, especially if you have children or an interest in California history. Old Mission Santa Inés is a gem of the California missions and was founded in 1804. This was the 19th in the chain of California missions founded by the Catholic Church in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Throughout its 206-year history, Mission Santa Inés has overcome natural disasters, political turmoil, and financial hardships to emerge as one of the most successful of the southern California Missions. The Mission has endured a rebellion, social upheaval, neglect, and decay only to rise again through restoration and repair as one of the hidden gems of the California Mission chain.
The interior of the church, where mass is still celebrated every day at 8 a.m., has many of the Mission’s original paintings and decorations on its walls. The Mission Museum houses artwork, vestments and documents that were used throughout its history.
The Mission grounds serve as the staging area for the annual Rancheros Visitadores, parades, and cycling events. The popular annual Fiesta benefits the restoration work at the historic Mission.
The Old Mission Gift Shop has a fine selection of books and pamphlets containing historical information about the California Missions, as well as souvenirs, religious books and other devotional items. They also have “Fourth Grade Mission Project Packets” for teachers and parents. Enjoy a tour of the mission and its grounds.

Frederik’s Court

At the corner of Mission and Alisal is a large building known as Frederik’s Court, after the legendary Danish King Frederik. It is built in the style of medieval castles, with towers and a large courtyard that you enter through an archway off Alisal Drive. Here is a true European shopping experience. The courtyard hosts imported fountains, statues, flags and even a grassy area with tables and benches where you can sit and rest. Surrounding the courtyard are two levels of shops and places to eat.

Designs in Gold
www.designs in-gold.com
  As you enter Frederik’s Court through the archway, just to your right you will see Designs in Gold. They are a family owned and operated jewelry store to fulfill all your jewelry needs, including custom design and repair.
Much of the jewelry at Designs in Gold is created by award-winning jewelry artist James Cleland.
  Cleland has won one international and two national awards this year, including the “American Design Council Competition” in New York. Stop by to chat with Cleland, who works on some of his newest creations in his workshop at the store.

The Euro Panini Sandwiches
  Exiting Designs in Gold, look to your right across the courtyard to see this European style eatery. The Euro features Panini sandwiches on focaccia bread, toasted crispy hot in their special “Panini Grill,” which looks a bit like a giant waffle iron and leaves a grill pattern on the bread. They offer eight different sandwiches.Their most popular Panini features chicken breast, provolone cheese, sun dried tomatoes, organic basil and pesto.They also offer three salads: Chinese Chicken, Caesar or Mediterranean, as well as a wide variety of  cold bottled and canned drinks, including organic juices. For dessert you can have one of the cookies or bars, freshly baked daily by Chiloni Huffman.

Whip a Peel
  The perfect low-calorie addition to your dessert is a serving of non-fat frozen yogurt with a fresh fruit topping of your choice. Or, you might want a delicious smoothie, made with non-fat yogurt, real fruit and nonfat milk.  One lady we saw, ordered just a blueberry smoothie for lunch, while her husband had a Panini sandwich. We chose the plain frozen yogurt and the flavor of the day, Pecan Praline, and both were delicious. 
  What makes it so convenient to order a sandwich and a dessert together is that both “The Euro” and “Whip a Peel” are located on different sides of the same shop, even though they each have their own signage and door. They also share the same friendly, helpful staff, and are both owned by Buster and Chiloni Huffman.