Guided Tour of Solvang
by Teona Tone Schley

 
Solvang’s Book Loft is a popular gathering place, with a cozy coffee shop adjoining the store and the Hans Christian Andersen Museum upstairs. Local authors are featured and are often present for book signing events.

Solvang bustles all year long with fun activities. 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 aebleskivers. 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 find Solvang by driving east from Buellton along Highway 246. This three mile corridor passes through some of the Valley’s signature horse farms, hay fields, and vineyards and is also distinguished by–you guessed it–an ostrich farm.

OstrichLand USA
www.ostrichlandusa.com
  Easily found on the south side of Highway 246, OstrichLand USA is a 33 acre home for more than 80 ostriches and emus. OstrichLand USA is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Always open for Holidays too!
  Ostriches are the largest bird on the planet, living up to 75 years, and easily achieving 300 pounds in weight and an amazing 9 feet in height. They can run as fast as 45 m.p.h.

An ostrich egg is about the size of a medium cantaloupe and measures 4 inches by 7 inches, weighs in at over three pounds and is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs. They are described as having a distinctive, light flavor and texture, which makes them ideal for cooking. An ostrich egg is the largest single living cell that exists today on our planet. It’s also the largest egg.
  OstrichLand is an especially pleasant place to view these magnificent birds up close and personal. Ostriches and emus will come up to the fence and eat out of a bowl of food, a rare exciting experience for the public. Visits by large groups are always welcome; if you want to call ahead their number is 805-686-9696.
  OstrichLand is owned and run by Trudy Ann Brown with the help of family members. You may purchase the incredible edible ostrich and emu eggs in season: fresh emu eggs in the winter and spring, and ostrich eggs almost year round.
  Ostrich and Emu Jerky are available in their gift shop; the healthy red meat snack compares in taste to lean beef. The jerky made from both ostriches and emus is especially nutritious and tasty. OstrichLand sells fresh frozen Gourmet Ostrich Meat. The birds at OstrichLand are raised strictly for your entertainment, not for your table. OstrichLand depends on other farms for their meat products.
  OstrichLand is proud of their well-stocked gift shop. Offerings include feathers, eggsotic hand decorated ostrich eggs, bird themed scarves, hats, jewelry, purses, feathered masks, wallets and trendy apparel. Those who are enthusiastic about the health benefits of emu oil (including skin care) will be happy to learn that OstrichLand is a ready source of supply.
 
Olsen’s Danish Bakery
www.olsensdanishbakery.com
  Now continue another two miles to the City of Solvang. At the first stoplight (Fifth Street) you will see on your left a building with a round tower. 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. Bent learned his trade in Denmark, where his family established their bakery in 1890.
  He moved the whole family business to Solvang over 30 years ago—and he’s glad he did. “There was a lot more opportunity here,” he told us. “I love Solvang and this whole area—it’s been very good to me.” And Bent has been good for Solvang, too. He 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.
  Although normally not the sort to give away his trade secrets to just anyone, last February Bent did just that on the nationally televised Food Network.  On a program appropriately titled “Kid in a Candy Store,” Bent showed the world how to make kringles and kransekage. (Kringles, of course, are the sweet, flaky Danish version of the pretzel immortalized by the book and movie Sideways; while a kransekage is a large round pyramid of pastry often used as a centerpiece at Scandinavian weddings and other special occasions.)
  Each year for Julefest, Bent Olsen himself makes and displays a huge gingerbread house for both locals and visitors to enjoy. Be sure to stop by to see this spectacular creation. In addition, you can purchase a smaller gingerbread house at Olsen’s to use for your own Holiday centerpiece. The best part is that when the Holidays are over, you can eat it!
Now proceed on into Solvang to 1607 Mission Drive.

A Blissful Place Wellness Spa & Learning Center
www.ablissfulplace.com
   Along Mission Drive at the intersection of Atterdag Road, visit A Blissful Place Wellness Center and enjoy a complimentary spa-tini or wellness tea from their organic tea bar. Browse their lending library or make an appointment for a personalized wellness package or assessment of mind, body and spirit. This one-of-a-kind full-featured center offers a long list of services, education, and organic products including: facials, massages, body treatments, detoxifying foot soaks, make-overs, natural nail care, Bloom Yoga studio, a medico-listic clinic and so much more. Their Signature Bliss Treatments leave you simply blissful and are a great way to start or end your trip to Solvang. Book this particular one early as the center is a popular locals spot.
  A Blissful Place Wellness Spa & Learning Center is dedicated to empowering the community to complete wellness, which owner Maria Wagner says, “is only possible when you align your mind, body and spirit.”
  For the mind, their medico-listic clinic offers many professional career counselors and therapists, which include: life coaches and other evidence-based counseling and licensed therapists to help individuals and/or families work through life disappointments and/or transitions such as marriage, children, career change, addictions, traumas (both big and small), eating disorders and/or weight management issues. Teens and adults can participate in personal sessions or programs that promote self-confidence and teach how to identify and accomplish realistic goals both personally and in relationship to others. The medico-listic clinic also recommends a consultation with one of their 3 health coaches, which include a Dr. of Oriental Medicine, an MD and a Homeopath who is also trained in helping not only with geriatric, pediatric and adult health, but also the health of your large and small pets.

 
Bethania Lutheran Church located at 603 Atterdag Road was formed by the Danish Immigrants in 1912. The present church building was completed in 1928. Photo by Maria Bland-Hoke

  For the spirit, their Learning Center encompasses the lending library and their monthly wellness classes, which are listed online in their calendar at www.ablissfulplace.com. Upcoming and past classes include, but are not limited to: “Love and Marriage” Relaxation Techniques, Transitions, Beauty from the Inside Out, Ditch the Diet, Diabetes-What you need to Know, Pure Heart Yoga Teacher Training, and Wellness 101. Pre-registration is required so call today and start to Bloom at A Blissful Place.

  For the body join Bloom Yoga Studio for their array of Yoga, Pilates, Nia, Ashtanga and Christian Yoga classes. Whether you are at beginning, intermediate or advanced level, they will find the perfect fit for you. Many students have even loved the yoga experience so much, they decided to make it their life’s career. For a career path or personal growth, the studio’s Pure Heart Yoga Training with Mary Kay West only happens once a year starting again this January and is a great way to receive your yoga alliance certificate.  Space is limited and you must pre-register.
  In the spa you will be greeted by their lovely staff, offered a pick-me-up and refreshment at their organic tea bar and then sent into Blissfulness. The spa offers waxing, mineral make-up training, free skin analysis with facial mapping, a plethora of skin care treatments, natural nail and massage types including an express manicure featuring organic products from one of their local women’s businesses. Don’t leave without trying their NEW Blissful line of organic bath and body products. The proceeds not only help a local small business, but also are created and manufactured locally as well as use all organic ingredients, one of which is a local vendor’s lavender.
  “It’s especially important to me,” said Wagner, “that the services and products we offer here are not only the best for our health, but also give a platform to women and men’s small businesses that are just starting out and maybe needing a little marketing and sales support without all the initial overhead.”
  Now watch for Park Way on your right, just past the King Frederik Inn and next to Solvang Park. To your right off of Park Way is free public parking right in the heart of Solvang’s Village area. This is the perfect place to park and begin our Walking Tour of some fun and interesting places to visit.

WALKING TOUR

  You can begin by strolling through Solvang Park, which is adjacent to the public parking lot. If you’re lucky, one of the Solvang bands will be playing in the band shell or Danish Dancers will be performing. Every Wednesday the Solvang Farmers Market takes place on First Street, just adjacent to the park. 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.

One of Chris Pavlov’s evocative paintings, titled
“From the Morning.”  Acrylic on canvas.
Photo courtesy Pavlov Art Gallery

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.
  Right along with Solvang’s Centennial, the Book Loft is celebrating its 41st year in 2011 with several special events as the year progresses.
  The Book Loft also regularly sponsors 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 visit 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.
  Exiting the Book Loft, turn right and walk just a few yards to the pedestrian entry way to Frederik’s Court.

Pavlov Art Gallery
www.pavlovgallery.com
  The Pavlov Art Gallery has a beautiful and vivid selection of artwork by owner and artist Chris Pavlov.  Dubbed an “unexpected find” by pleased Yelp reviewers, the gallery brings a refreshing and contemporary perspective to the Santa Ynez Valley. The unique ideas that come to fruition on Pavlov’s canvases are heavily influenced by his interest in archetypes, color science, history and psychology.
  With a neuropsychiatrist and a pediatrician for parents, Pavlov has been heavily influenced by the precision of science and the unlimited possibilities of human psychology. Also, Pavlov was exposed to a wide range of ideas from artists who flocked to Salzburg, Austria, where he opened his first gallery, Am Gewolbe. Along with his personal studies and research in the field of psychology, these circumstances inspire his creations and play a large role in his choice of other artists’ works, which are occasionally featured at the gallery.
  If you feel that the time has come to have a meal, a snack, or even just a cup of coffee, turn left on exiting the Pavlov Gallery, proceed west for a half block to the intersection of Copenhagen Drive and Atterdag Road, cross Atterdag, and enter the Greenhouse Cafe.

Greenhouse Cafe
www.GreenhouseSolvang.com
  The Greenhouse Café is located in the Petersen Village, in the heart of Solvang, next door to Mortensen’s Danish Bakery and the Petersen Village Inn (Solvang’s only AAA, four Diamond hotel). The Greenhouse Café is a modern Nordic bistro with the light airy atmosphere to be expected of an actual greenhouse. Its high windowed dining room gives lovely views of the neighborhood. It also offers an enjoyable patio dining experience.
  The Greenhouse Café opened the summer of 1994. It is owned and operated by Aaron and Elsemarie Petersen. Elsemarie, a native of Denmark has used her culinary skills to combine Nordic entrees with American tastes. Many of her family recipes have been passed down mother to daughter for generations. Nordic cuisine specializes in seafood, pork, sausages, cheeses and bread from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
  The Café is open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some wonderful seafood dishes are the Nordic Lobster Wrap or the Open Faced Herring Sandwich served on pumpernickel. The Aebleskiver, the famous Danish spherical pancake, is a delicious breakfast pastry or dessert served with raspberry jam.
  Private parties are welcomed. The Greenhouse Café can accommodate your party, year round, for groups as large as 100 and as small as 20.
  Choose your beverage from an extensive list of both local and imported beer and wine, as well as locally roasted coffee from nearby El Rancho Market. A nice selection of specialty coffees, hot or ice blendeds and even fruit smoothies are a great pick me up, too.
  Now stroll back along the north side of Copenhagen Drive past the Visitor Center and cross First Street. Just a half block farther on Copenhagen Drive is Ingeborg’s Chocolates.

Ingeborg’s Chocolates, Inc.
www.ingeborgs.com
  We strongly advise that you do not depart Solvang without at least sampling some of the chocolates made at Ingeborg’s. It is definitely world-class, and Ingeborg’s is happy to explain why.
  “We make our candy the old-fashioned way,” they tell us, “from only the best ingredients–no preservatives, additives or artificial flavors.”  We can testify to that, because we have been allowed to go into the back of the shop and watch the staff in action, making chocolate.
  Not only is Ingeborg’s chocolate world class, they will send it anywhere in the world you ask them to. You can accomplish this at the shop itself, by phone, by mail order, or by going to their recently updated web site. The perfect Valentine’s gift.
  Ingeborg’s is also special in that it has a fully operational soda fountain, complete with its 1950’s counter and stools. You can sit down and order an old-fashioned ice cream soda, a thick, rich milk shake or an ice cream sundae with Ingeborg’s own chocolate topping and whipped cream with a cherry on top. There is also a wide selection of other choices for any season of the year. Or, if you prefer, you can just sit and enjoy a cup of Ingeborg’s fresh-brewed coffee.
  Just across the street is another Solvang icon, the Red Viking Restaurant.

Red Viking Restaurant
www.redvikingrestaurant.com
  Here 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.

The Solvang Windmill located near the corner of Alisal Road and Copenhagen Drive
in the heart of Solvang.
Photo by Maria Bland-Hoke

WALKING 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
  Just a bit south of the Motorcycle Museum, you will see on your right the entrance to Elverhoy Way. Turn here and drive two blocks west 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.
  For more information about the museum’s offerings, go to their web site and/or turn to our Calendar of Events.

PCPA Solvang Theaterfest
www.pcpa.org
  Leaving the Elverhøj, drive half a block to Second Street and turn left. Then cross Oak Street and on your right, in the middle of the block, you will see the Solvang Theaterfest Building. PCPA Theaterfest productions are held here regularly every summer.

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. 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 appreciate this part of the Alisal River Course too, with its great food and spectacular views.

Old Mission Santa Inés
www.missionsantaines.org
  Drive back along Alisal Road through 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 was founded in 1804. It is 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 Old Mission Santa Inés Gift Shop has a fine selection of books and pamphlets containing historical information about the California Missions. There are also souvenirs, religious books and other devotional items. The Gift Shop staff will be happy to tell you the best way to enjoy a self-guided tour of the Mission and its courtyard, historic graveyard and beautiful gardens.
  Additional information about the Mission is contained on their web site, as well as in our article (click here).