Solvang is a small Danish-heritage town in the Santa Ynez Valley, about a half-hour drive from Santa Barbara. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, it still feels distinctly Scandinavian — half-timbered buildings, a working windmill, and bakeries selling aebleskiver on every corner. It is touristy, yes, but genuinely charming.
Beyond the Danish kitsch, the Santa Ynez Valley is excellent wine country. Dozens of tasting rooms line the streets of Solvang and nearby Los Olivos. Mission Santa Inés, dating to 1804, is one of the best-preserved California missions and worth a visit. The Elverhøj Museum tells the story of the town's Danish-American founders. For an odd diversion, the Hans Christian Andersen Museum sits above a good bookshop, and the Vintage Motorcycle Museum has an unexpectedly serious collection of rare machines. On the highway between Solvang and Buellton, OstrichLand USA offers an amusing encounter with the world's largest birds.