Was a fun roadtrip got there a bit late and it was cloudy unfortunately but it was still a…read morebeautiful sight and relaxing to sit and view with your significant other

Given it being Valentine's Day Eve, it seems quite appropriate to review a Santa Barbara gem. The…read morelocals--particularly UCSB students--know it as "Kissing Point." You don't need to use your imagination why: Simply venture here at sunrise/sunset and you'll be macking with whomever is closest to you due to the natural romance in the Californian air. It also helps that the temperature is sometimes +10* warmer since it is in the mountains. ;) History: Kissing Point is about a third of the way up (or three-quarters of the way down depending on your route) Old San Marcos Road. This was the original stagecoach route to cross over the mountains prior to the current San Marcos Pass/Route 154 between 1861 and 1901. There are a few weathered historical markers along the way but anyone will easily be impressed by the hard work put into carving out the road. How to get here?: The easiest route to reach Kissing Point is by exiting off the 101 Freeway at Patterson Rd and going toward the mountains, turn right on Cathedral Oaks, then turn left when you've reached San Marcos Rd. Kissing Point consists of only two unmarked dirt pull-offs (one now with bollards due to erosion). There is also a third and fourth pull-off much further up hill but with very limited space. What do I see?: The views are from the Santa Ynez Foothills down into Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley with easy landmarks being the Santa Barbara Airport, University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Old Town Goleta, the Pacific Ocean's Santa Barbara Channel, and almost all of the Channel Islands in the distance on a clear day (from north to south: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz--the most obviously, and Anacapa Islands). I am spoiled to have this scenic drive only minutes from my house since it offers not only some of the best aerial views (ie particularly from Kissing Point) but also a backroad option to access Route 154 that goes over the Santa Ynez Mountains toward popular destinations including Lake Cachuma, Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, and Solvang. A few tips: - I have included the precise location on the Yelp map, in addition to GPS coordinates, in the Quick Tips. - Check out my video of the drive down this twisty road with views for days: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select_video=OgU4LsTKlJ7Eqyh60KKdcA&userid=4DyMRBKrokax6d8LCI3GAw. - People love to drive extremely fast up and down (including myself). Be cautious of mountain bikers and motorcycles, particularly around the two hairpin U-turns toward the top. - As the signs heed, put on your headlights during the night AND day. - Please clean up after yourself. Unfortunately there is plenty of trash and glass bottles left behind. Don't be this person.

We decided to stop by Los Olivos since it's only a short drive from Solvang, and I'm really glad we…read moredid. It's a small town, but it has such a peaceful and relaxing vibe that it's easy to spend a couple of hours just wandering around. Downtown is full of wine tasting rooms, and while we were there, a few places even had live music for people enjoying a glass of wine outside. Even if wine isn't your thing, it's still a fun place to explore. There are cute boutiques, local art galleries, and small specialty shops that give the town a lot of personality. My favorite part was how quiet everything felt. Nobody seemed to be in a rush. People were simply sitting outside, chatting, listening to music, and enjoying the afternoon. It was a nice change of pace from the busier tourist spots. Since it's so close to Solvang, it's an easy stop if you're already in the area. We ended up staying longer than we planned because it was such a pleasant place to walk around. If we're back this way again, I'd happily spend another afternoon here.

Wow! Like we stumbled upon the perfect street of trendy beautiful shops of children's clothing,…read moresnacks, wine tasting and more. More modern by centuries than Los Alamos with lots of wine tasting, restaurants and shopping. We entered several stores and I pretty much found and bought things from each one.

Want to visit a town that is proud of their danish heritage? Come to Solvang…read more Like how Bruges, Belgium is big on chocolate shops, here bakeries are everywhere with loads of tourist souvenir shops. There are free public parking lots. Ice cream, trolley rides and a miniature Little Mermaid statue are here. A few wine tasting rooms, restaurants and lodgings are visible.

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!

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.

I never realized just how close I was to Avila Beach each time my husband and I would take…read moreroadtrips to Santa Barbara. I'd passed Avila Beach off the 101 countless times and never knew! Actually, I had never known about Avila Beach until one night, as I was scrolling through instagram, it showed up on my feed. Someone I was following had posted a short reel and I immediately took to how pretty it was. Anyhow, fast forward to just a few days later (and this is the part that seemed 'meant to be'), we were on our way to Pismo for a little weekend trip when I see an exit for Avila Beach just shortly before Pismo. "No way!" I thought .... This whole time it was just right there? And so, as we checked into our hotel in Pismo we quickly diverted our original plan - rather than Pismo it's off to Avila we go. Just a short 10min drive and there we were. Shops, restaurants, the pier .... Just beautiful. I have to say - that little discovery really made our weekend memorable. I don't know what it was but my family and I really enjoyed the afternoon that we'd spent here. There was something for everyone. I had my jolt of much needed caffeine from Kraken coffee (located right off the beach), my daughter got ice cream (husband did as well). The whole afternoon in this little newfound escape was perfect. The beach is beautiful, there are a few shops and eateries that offer both sweet and some savory. It's a lively place to hang out and relaxing enough to bum out too.

Avila Beach is a coastal town in San Luis Obispo County. And the town has a beach. So I always…read morewondered when referring ti the beach... should it be called Avila Beach's beach. Anyway, the beach is beautiful and family friendly. It had a less commercial retail vibe than Pismo Beach and pier. The waters are a bit calmer than other coastal towns due to the beach being within the San Luis Obispo Bay. They have old fashion steel swing sets on the on the beach (right side of the pier). Speaking about the pier. The pier was originally built in 1908. It's about 1685 feet long. It has been storm damaged many times and repaired, and is still standing. Though right now the far portion of the pier is not open due to retrofitting upgrades. Lots of folks fish off of the pier and take in the sights. I got pretty close to a sea otter enjoying a meal and grooming himself. He was floating right next to the pier. Totally awesome.

From start to finish, this was a fantastic experience. Rod…read morewas great and did everything to make sure we had a 5 star time.

So. Much. Fun! My mom and I did a tour with Jose who was a…read moregreat guide. He picked us up in Los Olivos. (Turns out Jose is one of the business partners who came up from Temecula where he lives and works - Sidecar Tours HQ is in Temecula - to cover for a driver who wasn't available.) They are still growing their business and their team, so being flexible is key for him and his partners to do what needs to be done. The sidecar experience is exhilarating. The wind whipping around your face... and if you're the front passenger... bugs smacking your cheeks. (Keep your mouth closed.) Wear layers because it can be kinda cool/cold depending on the weather .... and when the sun starts to go down in November... it definitely gets cold. They have a basket in the back that you can put your extra clothes should you not need them during the stops. Oh... and definitely zip and tie everything (clothing-wise) while riding since things really do fly around your face, etc. I didn't have my scarf tied and it nearly flew away, so I tied it in a neat little knot so that it would stay put, and zipped up my jacket since it was flapping everywhere. The rider in the front has the better view, no question. However, the front seat is not super comfortable. The person in the back has a comfy seat and is more secure but has to deal with the person in front blocking their view a bit. We made 3 stops. One was to show us where Neverland Ranch was located which is not where I thought it would be. So, that was neat. You can't see anything other than a nice gate with no signage and a guard who tells you not to block the driveway. The other 2 stops were at Vincent Winery and Roblar Winery. We also rode through and around Solvang which was nice because we took back roads which were a short cut between Los Olivos and Santa Ynez/Solvang that I didn't know about so that was nice because we were having dinner in SY later. Oh wait... technically, we made 5 stops. A quick little stop to look at an orchard at a pretty piece of property in between Los Olivos and Santa Ynez. And then on the way back to Los Olivos, Jose spotted a big gray owl hunting from a power/telephone pole, so we swung around and stopped for a minute and got a nice look at him. Beautiful bird. Note: Jose picked 2 really nice wineries where the tasting was part of the package. Both wineries were lovely. I'd go back to both again. Overall, a really lovely Friday afternoon touring around in a sidecar.

When I heard that this vintage 4 sided, cast iron Ansonia clock was the only one on display in the…read moreworld, I knew hubby and I had to check it out last weekend! It's located in Downtown Solvang and is quite a sight! You cannot visit Solvang without checking it out, especially if you love antiques like myself!

Review 87 Meet the…read moreonly 4 sided cast iron Ansonia Clock on display in the world, it was originally manufactured in 1914 and put here by Edwin Skytt who now is the current Mayor of Solvang. This clock actually works, the internals are not original thou. It was updated to an electrical mechanism that is wired to the house on the property. The clock is a great piece of history that many don't know much about. Plan B.

Amazing Tour of one of Johnny Cash's first homes with first wife Vivian and four daughters . Our…read morehostess and tour guide Lisa was amazing!!! Knowledgeable warm interesting and inviting .. loved the whole experience. Highly recommended.

Perfect!! Amazing!!!! Coolest place ever!!! It's just the way interior is so cool. How about the…read morepink room??! Wow!

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

Just visited Rideau Winery and we had great time. Beautiful property, the outdoor patio is huge and…read morepet friendly too. Plentiful seating options, especially for large groups and family. Services is personable and very friendly. My favorite from their Signature flight, is the Grenache which is delicious and smooth, followed by the Chateau Duplantier. For Adobe flight, the Zotovich and Sangiovese are terrific. Gorgeous on the palette indeed! Definitely will come back on my next visit to Santa Ynez.

A winery with relaxing outdoor grounds and delicious wine. Think of the perfect picnic spot nestled…read moreaway in the Santa Ynez hills. Viogner is their speciality, if you're a wine enthusiast. We enjoyed the following: Signature Flight - 5/5. $30 - A tasting consisting of 2 white and 3 red wines. Adobe Flight - 5/5. $30 - Similar to the signature flight, but focused on oak barrels rather than steel. Charcuterie Board - 5/5. $28 - Everything we dreamed of. More bread would've been great though. French Plate - 5/5. $8 - 3 savory and sweet tarts. Service was laid back and staff members were kind. We ended up signing up for their wine membership, which goes to show how much we loved this spot!