Solvang || Ostrich Feeding, Christmas, Fairy Lights.

Solvang is a city in southern California's Santa Ynez Valley. It's known for its Danish-style architecture and romantic setting aka: fairy-lights galore. Me and my partner took a little road trip to spend a night in the beautiful town a month or so ago, and it will forever rival any romantic getaways we take. You know those places you see on lists such as "Top 10 Hidden Getaways You Never Knew Existed", usually on Facebook, and you sigh with the overwhelming wanderlust? This is somewhere that'd be on that list. It feels like you're entering another world when you take a stroll around the town, especially at night. I think the photos speak for themselves.
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Things We Did:

Jule Hus Inc.: I've been to my fair share of year-round Christmas shops now, but this was by far my favourite. The layout is gorgeous and the people are incredibly kind. Plus you will definitely not be short for options. All the baubles! I'm a shy bean and didn't take many photos inside, but be sure to check out their website for a further snoop.

Solvang Public Library: Not that big of a sale section, wouldn't recommend. Though the grounds surrounding the area is beautiful and would be a lovely area to take kids or have a picnic, as it's really quiet.

Ostrichland: A worker in a bakery that we stopped off at to buy my partner's family some treats recommended this place for us, and though we umm'd and ahhh'd about it for a while, I'm glad we ended up going. You pay for a bowl of food and feed the ostriches, essentially. Though it may of been the single most terrifying thing I've done, I would recommend it. They even have cats indoors that enjoy being petted! 

Edelweiss: A shop dedicated entirely to making your own fairy garden. I thought my cat was little prior to entering this magical world, but upon leaving he seemed like a giant. We especially liked the sale section at the back of the store which involved a lot of Christmas things and miniature pigs. They also sell handmade jewellery and every flower headband you could possibly want. This is the ultimate store to browse in.

Snacking: This isn't a specific place but just an overall activity. If you don't leave Solvang in a minor sugar coma, then you're doing it wrong. You can't swing a cat (I never understood that saying. Seems so cruel) without hitting a bakery or handmade chocolate store.

Where We Ate:

Paula's Pancake House: The beautiful building pictured below this paragraph is indeed a pancake house. It ought to be a crime to be that romantic. We made a mental note to go there for breakfast after an 11pm walk around the streets. I failed to picture the food but we both had eggs in various ways and it was really good. The staff were lovely and though it was packed, it was worth it. A definite stop if you visit.

Red Viking Restaurant: Our quick pit-stop for lunch on our first day there. Bill had some sort of traditional meat dish and I stuck to a toasted sandwich, which I failed to photograph. Blogger game strong, am I right? They did mess up our order a little and failed to mention which items were included in a lunch offer they had, but alas, the scenery was quite pretty and it was very quiet which is a bonus for me. They also offered root beer in a mug and a beer sampler, so our thirsts were definitely clenched.

Solvang Brewery House: I'll admit that this wasn't our first choice but due to the time and so many places closing their doors soon, we settled on this spot. As a veggie, it was semi difficult to find something I wanted on the menu which was a recurring theme in most restaurants in Solvang, but I think that was partly down to the tradition dishes that most served. So, you can't really expect more. I went for the Pulled Pork Nachos (minus the meat) and my partner had a sausage taster. It ended up being my favourite place that we ate at, I don't know whether it was the time of night or the fairy-lights, but it was romantic as all hell. 

Where We Stayed: 

The King Fredrick Inn: Our hotel was left until the last minute, so we didn't have high exceptions when we were scrolling through Booking.com at a stupid hour. But alas, the Inn my partner had pegged as his first spot was available, how's that for fate? It was a beautiful place in a perfect location for your touristy needs. There was a pool which we passed on, seen as I can't swim and all. The room was spacious, clean, and had everything you could possibly need. Fridge, microwave, hairdryer, bath, shower, TV, charger docks, many mirrors, iron, iron board, coffee pot, toiletries.. you name it, it had it. The bed was semi faulty, as in if you sat at the end, the top would try and flip up. Semi terrifying, but I think we just got the short straw in the bed lottery. We didn't mention it as it didn't affect our stay, but if that's something you'd worry about, maybe have a check when you get to the room. 

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I definitely want to visit Solvang again, maybe for a long weekend. I urge you to put it on your bucket list as somewhere you want to visit as it really is gorgeous. Some places you just have to experience in real life, and this is one of them. 

Where's the most magical place you have visited?

Bonus photos because we're a sickly sweet duo: