Dog Friendly, Great Food, Fun, Historic Sites, Scenic Views, Points of Interest, Wine Tasting, And More!
Are you looking for a great dog friendly place to escape to for relaxation and fun just north of Santa Barbara, California? Then Solvang might be just what you are looking for! Solvang is located in the Central Coast of California in Santa Barbara County. This location makes it both a great day trip or a longer overnight trip. There is so much to do in Solvang, and the surrounding area, that we suggest a possible weekend trip. Although, we must admit that we love it so much that we have gone there for the day more than once.
Solvang claims to be the “Danish Capital of America”has so much to offer. .. great food, beautiful scenery, history, culture, and if you love wine, it is located in wine country. Solvang’s website, www.solvangusa.com , boasts that they are dog friendly and we found that to be true. We found that several businesses even had doggie water bowls outside their business.
On this particular trip, we decided to go up for the day. Here is what we did. We hope that it helps you in your planning.
Since we were going for the day, #1 We planned out the places that we wanted to go and the sights we wanted to see before we left on our trip. #2 Next, we knew that our dog would need a leg stretch/bathroom break before we reached Solvang, and we wanted her to be calm when we arrived at our first destination so we planned a stop. We were coming from the Los Angeles County area and heading north on the US-101 Highway. We looked at our map and decided on Summerland Beach at Lookout Park in Summerland, California just south of Santa Barbara. Summerland Beach/Lookout Park checked all of our boxes- dog friendly, grass area, beach area, free, easy on and off the freeway (note: use google maps to locate it), and a doggie wash should our dog need it.
After our stop we headed for our first destination for the day… Ostrichland USA!!! This place is not only dog friendly but it is very cool! Ostrichland USA is located in Buellton, CA just outside Solvang. It is a small family run business that is dog friendly and people friendly. They suggest that since they are small, you get there earlier in the day if you want to feed the ostriches and emus. They need to regulate how much they are fed so that they do not over eat. It was a great experience and we saw other patrons with their dogs as well. We definitely recommend it.
Our final destination was Solvang! We arrived around lunchtime, and wanted to get some food for us and for our dog. Solvang has free public parking lots which are within walking distance to the many attractions. This allows you to park once and enjoy your day without having to move your car. Wear comfortable walking shoes. We had decided on a dog friendly restaurant called Succulent. We sat in the outside patio area. They had great music playing at a low level in the background and the ambiance was terrific. The food was amazing! The sandwich that I got came with a choice of sides. I chose the salad and it was wonderful as well. They had an option of a grilled chicken breast or a beef patty for our dog. We got her the grilled chicken breast and cut it up before she ate it. She loved her meal.
With our bellies full , it was great to walk and see the sights. There are so many things to do and see in Solvang! Since we were making it a day trip we did not see everything Solvang has to offer. A few of our highlights were the mermaid fountain, the two windmills, the shops (which some had dog water bowls out. This was very nice), the bakeries, and Old Mission Santa Ines. The Santa Ines Mission is dog friendly, beautiful, and has picturesque grounds. It is a great place to find a quiet spot with grass, and great scenery, to just sit, relax, and take in the beauty. We didn’t do any wine tasting on this trip, but there were plenty of wonderful places to checkout. An added bonus to the whole trip was the scenic drive on the way up and back on the US-101 Highway.
We hope that your day is as wonderful as ours if you visit Solvang. Don’t forget to do some planning before you go, so that you can choose the things you want to do and see before getting there. It will help to make your trip more enjoyable and successful for you and your dog.
