Solvang

Just over the hill from sunny Santa Barbara lies the Santa Ynez Valley and the small Dutch town of Solvang. Founded in 1911 by a small group of Danish teachers, Solvang (Danish for “sunny field”) is now a bustling hub of activity – ripe with wine-tasting rooms, a fairy-tale downtown, and quirky, interesting store-fronts. Known locally as a beautiful escape from the ordinary, the true flavor of Solvang is quiet tree-lined streets, Danish festivals, and modest agriculture. Solvang does, however, get its fair-share of national media attention when it plays host to the Amgen Tour of California, and every September the Danish Days brings everyone out for the colorful costumes, the torchlight parade, and, of course, the beer.