Ask my husband - as we pulled into the main heart of the Village, I kept saying, "I want to live…read morehere!" The charming mix of unique architectural styles with varied textures and accents is reminiscent of many of the old Gold Rush-era towns in the Sierra foothills. I definitely prefer vintage character to contemporary glass and steel, so felt right at home. We grabbed a sandwich at Branch Street Deli, then wandered several blocks to check out the window displays and real estate postings. We even ventured out onto the swinging bridge, and noted the gazebo nearby. Free parking is also a plus. As we left the business district we cruised on several adjacent residential streets. It seemed like each cottage was cuter than the one before. The Village of Arroyo Grande is loaded with character. Can't wait to go back and explore more.

The Village of Arroyo Grande is always a pleasure to visit. Be it for the harvest festival, the…read morestrawberry festival, the farmers market, or ... Every time it is a fun stop and the stores and restaurants are so welcoming. Come on in and take a walk and enjoy

Dinosaur Park is stunning. Sadly after years of shopping happily at the art show, I just got…read moreconned out of $150.00. A jewelry vendor from Santa Barbara sold me a silver ring. After I got home I found because of its design, it slips around on the finger to an unattractive position. I located the vendor and she said she doesn't give credits or refunds, and I should bring in it and she would adjust it a second time. Next she told me she will won't be at Dinosaur Park until Easter day. When I said I would try to be there she said she actually won't be there at all this year. She suggested I take the ring to a jewelry store and try to use it towards buying something there since the price of silver is high right now.

The view is amazing! It's a perfect spot for taking younger kids, and I know that I really enjoyed…read moreit. Perfect photo op and amazing weather when we went. Such a fun place to visit, no matter how old, if you're in the area!

GETTING HERE: Head…read moreNorth on the 101 and at the city of Buellton you'll navigate to the 246 East. REVIEW: ^^^^^^^ Once again, Yelp is not keeping the photos. There are several photos. I have attached that are visible on the.com but are not visible on the app. Oh, how I love Solvang! As a kid, I would come up here once a year and walk around and buy a piece of fudge for the drive home. As an adult, I cannot believe the amazing history that is held in this city! First and foremost, the Mission Santa Ines is a MUST see and do. Beyond that, the streets have historical-looking buildings and shops that will take you straight to Denmark: shopping, bakeries, restaurants, wine tasting experiences, etc. etc. It's an incredible environment to immerse yourself in that is a great way to take a quick "staycation" if you're in Santa Barbara, Ventura, or even Los Angeles Counties. Via a quick search on the G train, the city of Solvang was founded in 1911. Also see: https://solvangusa.com/ There is so much to do and see in Solvang! Check it out and be sure to get a piece of Solvang fudge! Enjoy!

I just love the City of Solvang!…read more Solvang is located about 6 hours from Sacramento, but we made a whole day out of the road trip by making stops in San Luis Obispo as well as Pismo Beach on the way down! I had been wanting to visit for years and my family and I finally found the time to visit last month! We stayed for 2 days and it was perfect! Solvang is such a cute Danish town that has so much to offer! From bakeries, to museums, to restaurants to even a year round Christmas shop! My family and I really loved walking around town and checking out as many businesses as we could. I loved all of the windmills and the architecture of the buildings! I also really appreciate the access to their public restrooms - there was at least one on every corner! As well as trash cans, which to me shows that the City of Solvang cares about their visitors! I have been to other cities that don't offer public restrooms and restaurants are the only places to find them. Overall, if you're looking for a unique and fun place to visit, I highly suggest checking out Solvang!

Visiting SLO and my wife heard about this trail. I checked online on how to access...unfortunately…read morethe article was from 5 years ago and seemed to be outdated. Make sure you have plenty of time as there is quite a bit to see. We had a little over an hour and weren't able to see everything. We parked at the parking village drive parking garage, which was $10. There are 2 trails that head to the entrance arch shown in the picture..the first we ran across connected to the living quarters as was a narrow trail in the grass leading to the woods. This is a tad more challenging as the other trail is a gravel road with a slight incline and this route is a small path through the woods ( incline, decline, over branches and roots, etc). After about 14 mins it connects the gravel travel. To access from the gravel trail start from the parking garage opposite of the parking garage entrance there is a sidewalk path leading to a bridge, cross the bridge and you'll be on your way. Immediately, we saw some horses wandering around and crossing us on the trail. They were calm and a pleasant surprise. I won't post much of our photos, but there are lots of interesting structures that gave me a burning man feel. Lots of graffiti too, not sure if that is welcome or just vandalism. This was a nice change of pace trail and I would recommend.

If you've heard of the Architecture Graveyard, this is the way to get there! Other reviews have…read moregood directions but I highly recommend going on a weekend so you don't have to worry about finding parking. There's also a parking garage that isn't too far, in addition to the nearby staff lots. Trail is a fire road, and occasionally there are cars/trucks on it, so stay aware. You'll eventually come to a route to your right with a bridge for a hidden trail, but keep going to the left to get to the graveyard - plan to spend an hour or two if you really want to wander around and see all the structures. The trail itself is shady, but several of the projects are out in the open - take sunblock and water, and use common sense. For better or worse, most of the architecture displays are run-down, broken, and/or vandalized with graffiti - it lends a cool dystopian vibe to the area but it's a shame that the university let them get so damaged. Still cool to explore, though, stop by to take a look and get in some steps on a nice day!

This is a beautiful wind chime and sculpture near the entrance of Hans Christian Andersen Park in…read moreSolvang, the artwork producing a pleasant sound on a breezy Saturday afternoon. The area is peaceful, and there's a bench right next to the wind harp, making it convenient to spend a few moments here appreciating this unique piece and its history.

This wind harp is located at the Atterdag Village of Solvang care center where there's also a…read morenursing home. This originally topped one of the towers at the Danish Pavilion at San Francisco's 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. After the expo was over, the buildings were demolished and this wind harp was transported to its current location in Solvang. It plays peaceful music when the wind blows but it's not something I would go out of my way to visit. I was in, took a couple pictures, and left within minutes.

It's basically what the name is. A small alleyway full of people's left over chewing gum and stuck…read moreto the walls. Guess something that crazy could make a big impact to have a spot in the city. It's similar to the one in Seattle's. Same concept obviously. It's right in the heart of SLO Town where it's among all the shops, restaurants and bars. Not big at all but decent. When we stopped by, it wasn't to crazy busy but people were starting to work their way there. All for pictures and to check out what the fuss was all about. Like anything, it's just some weird thing that happened to make a name for itself. Don't know how it all started but it left a lasting impression for it to be known in town. You literally can walk through it in 10 seconds or so. PS, just don't lick....lol...

We came, we saw, snapped a few selfies, and left. It's oddly fascinating, yet still a bit gross…read more But since it's considered art, it's worth checking out at least once!

Pier is beautiful and flooring is stable af…read more Beach is Clorox clean. I swear!!! Visitors, locals, and staff really keep this beach clean. I didn't see any trash except in the trash can where it belongs. Weather was nice and cool. Locals are friendly and nice. We had a few of them give my ex gf and me some unsolicited conversations that made us smile. We had another local offer to take pictures of my ex gf and me with her phone. So nice. Wish folks were this nice and friendly in Los Angeles County . Male and female restrooms were clean when we needed them. Lots of places to eat and shop. Most are pricey. If you want souvenirs, definitely go to the outlets, a mile away from the beach. Biggest issue with beach (and any other beach) is available free public parking. We actually got lucky to find a nice spot while a person was leaving.

After grabbing some award winning Clam Chowder at Splash Cafe, we decided to walk around the Pismo…read moreBeach Pier before getting back on the road to Solvang. We walked around the outer part where they have a huge stand up Pismo Beach photo op, plus a nice public restroom and even a little playground near the pier which I think is a nice touch! Our daughter loved playing on it! The Pismo Beach Pier is about 1,200 feet and it was nice to stretch our legs and enjoy the ocean breeze. Lots of benches and concrete tables to sit at and relax - it was fun watching the surfers catch some waves. They allow you to fish off the pier as long as you don't cast off of it. They also have signs that tells you what kind of fish you might catch as well as information on the different birds in the area. The pier and beach were also nice and clean - I didn't see any trash! My family and I are already talking about coming back in the Fall and renting one of the hotel rooms that overlook the ocean. It was a much needed fresh air break away from the busy city! We can't wait to come back!

The Parade of Lights is surprisingly good. Santa Maria really shows up for this parade, the streets…read morebecome flooded with families. The parade itself is really nice, tons of local business support and the floats are amazing. Hot Cocoa is offered for sale through the local Key Club. Have one!

Need some vitamin D or sometime away from the Central Valley? This beach is worth the drive. There…read moreis a pier, with little food trucks/huts that sell snow cones and cinnamon rolls, located at the top of the pier. Little shops and restaurants are located in the area as well. This is a nice beach; free street parking, also has a paid parking lot , located a couple blocks away ($9). This beach is nice and less packed than Pismo beach or beaches in the La area. Public bathrooms also near the pier.

Nice, clean beach with some extras - swings, slide, volleyball setup, picnic area - right on the…read morebeach. We thought the water would be cold but it was just right. The waves were calm for some easy boogie boarding and feet wading. There's a big parking lot a block away ($9).

The tuna sandwich is so good, yet so simple. Excellent bread from Back Porch Bakery. Had it a…read morecouple of times, will try something new next visit.

The best best sandwich I've ever had in my entire life the grinder…read more i've eaten here three days in a row and found my new reason to live