Solvang has been a popular California tourist destination for decades. When I was a kid, our family went for the Danish bakeries — to see what “the competition” was up to, since my parents owned a bakery in Balboa, Calif.
Once I got into wine, I noticed that a handful of local wineries had opened tasting rooms in the Denmark-themed community. Today, it seems as if there’s a tasting room (or two) on every block there.
If one were so inclined, it would be easy to take a walking tour of Solvang and do nothing but visit tasting rooms all day long. And this is a great time of the year to do it, as the Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest is underway, running through Nov. 9.
I was there a couple of weekends ago to pick up a tub of shortbread cookies for my new father-in-law, who is a world-class Cookie Monster. Within one block of our favorite Solvang bakery, we saw the very creative scarecrows shown here.
Wineries and other businesses throughout the valley are participating in the Scarecrow Fest, and visitors have an opportunity to vote for their favorite scarecrow.
If you’d like to make more than a day of it, The Landsby is a 41-room hotel in Solvang that features a clean, contemporary design influenced by a traditional Scandinavian aesthetic.
The completely remodeled, bright and open guestrooms are finished with blonde woods, brushed brass accents, and elegant but comfortable handcrafted furnishings.
The Landsby’s introductory package includes two wine-tasting vouchers for two at nearby tasting rooms. To learn more, visit http://www.thelandsby.com.
