For the Anniversary Getaway, I started planning back in January, and I was able to have everything set into place by March of this year. I struggled with wanting to do another spa weekend, but I also wanted to do something new with Ken. I chose a Wine Weekend Package in Solvang, CA with a Wine tour through Santa Ynez. I was so excited to be able to pay for the trip in full and relax for the year waiting.
For those who do not know, Solvang is a Dutch town. I had a great time reading about the history of Solvang with all of the preparations for their centennial celebrations.
Solvang was founded in 1911 on almost 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) of the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata Mexican land grant, by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony far from the midwestern winters. The city is home to a number of bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many of the facades and buildings reflects traditional Danish style. There is a copy of the famous Little Mermaid statue from Copenhagen, as well as one featuring the bust of famed Danish fable writer Hans Christian Andersen. A replica of Copenhagen's Round Tower or Rundetårn in the scale 1:3 was finished in 1991 and can be seen in the city centre.
Of course, I timed this visit well. Ken and I had snow on our wedding day, rain last year, and we had a major Pacific Storm this year. Luckily for me, Ken did all of the driving. We weren't able to leave until early afternoon Friday, so we hit some major traffic in the LA area. It totally sucks normally, but when you add the rain into the factor, it was worse. Our GPS was amazing and took re-routed us around some accidents, so while we were driving in some funky places, at least our drive was only 6 hours instead of 8.
We checked in to the Solvang Gardens Lodge and I loved the look of it! The brochure was beautiful and the interior of the room was quaint and lovely.
 |
| We never saw it like this - both because it was winter while we were there and it rained the entire time |
 |
| The room was quaint - however, this bed was the worst ever! We could feel the springs poking us |
 |
| Overall, the room was really nice for the price, but we didn't get any sleep (and not for great reasons, either) |
Ken and I set out to eat, and we were able to walk to Root 246 for supper. The restaurant is owned by the Chumash, and it was gourmet and delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed my appetizer of cheeses and bread with spreadables. Ken had a lemon snapper dish, and he was completely out of his element as the restaurant was very upscale. When they brought out a plate "compliments of the chef", Ken just stared at it as the waiter ran off the 7 things that were in this pastry puff. I giggled at Ken's face, but neither of us could believe that there were so many things in this little puff.
Supper was absolutely amazing. Ken was completely stuffed, the drinks were awesome, and we had a great time resting and visiting. Our waiter asked why we had come to Solvang, and we explained our Anniversary and why we celebrate it so much. The dessert that we ordered came out "compliments of the restaurant" and we were asked to thoroughly enjoy our stay and wished many more years together. Ken and I were both touched by their generosity and thoughtfulness.
 |
| The dipping sauces were soooo very yummy! |
At some point during supper, it started to rain again. We laughed because we had walked the 4 blocks to supper, so we had to walk them back in the rain.
The next morning, we got up and ready for our Wine Tour. The rain was still falling, but we enjoyed our continental breakfast - lots of coffee - and then we waited for the van.
The Stagecoach Wine Tour was great!!! Our driver was Kelly, and she was completely friendly, very knowledgeable, and she allowed us to have a great time while making sure that everything was covered. For example, we were scheduled to have a picnic as part of this tour, so when we realized that the rain was not going to stop, she made arrangements for us to have the lunch at the last winery. It was very thoughtful and we all appreciated it.
During our Wine Tasting Tour, we visited 4 wineries. The first one was Foley. The place was nice and homey. It had a large area for tasting and there were the "extras" where you could purchase serving trays, coasters, etc. Neither Ken nor I really cared for the win there, but it was fun and we were starting to get to know the other two couples.
Our next stop was Rusack. This winery tasting area was small, and I felt that the ladies working were not very friendly, but the wine was nice and the vineyard was lovely. I absolutely adored a sign they had on the way to the bathroom, and there was a cat that apparently ran things.
The third stop was one of my favorites. The people at Carina Cellars were very friendly, and I really enjoyed the wines that they had for tasting. The Grenache Blanc was one that I couldn't wait to purchase, and they had really cute flip-flop wine glass coasters that I had to have. Ken and I were getting really toasted by this point, and we hadn't eaten, but we really enjoyed ourselves.
At Bella Cavelli Farms and Vineyards, it was obvious that the best was saved for last. The owner, Jeff Lockwood, was an amazingly gracious host, and we were able to sit in an area where our lunch was served, we were able to do the wine tasting and talk with Jeff and his father, Jack. We were allowed to sample Jack's amazing hot sauce, and Jeff gave us a tour of the stables. Having not been around horses, I was intimidated at first, and then I was able to enjoy myself. The horses were beautiful and the stables were nothing like I imagined they would be - they were clean, for one.
The day was wonderful despite the weather. I loved being able to enjoy really good wine while traveling. By the time we got back to the Inn, I wasn't feeling very well. Ken needed a nap, so I walked around the town hoping I would feel better. All I got for my efforts was soaked in the rain, and I wasn't able to get any good pictures because of the rain.
When Ken woke up, he was able to drive down the way to pick up a pizza and some water for us. We ate our supper in bed watching a little television and then settled in for the night.
We were able to get up early and get packed. Ken and I loaded up the car and then took off for a local breakfast. I really, really wanted to try the Æbleskiver. Ken wasn't sure if he would like them, but we each had a plate with Danish sausage. The raspberry jam was amazing, and then we took off to walk around and do our shopping. We found a great Danish heart ornament for our tree, Ken got his shotglass and I found a Solvang pin for my collection. I found a jigsaw puzzle of Solvang for the girls and we headed home.
 |
| Our Æbleskiver The drive home wasn't as bad as the drive here, but we still had a ton of rain. I was really glad that Ken was doing the driving since it was hard to see the road at certain points.    We were exhausted by the time we got home, but we had a good time. It was decided that we would probably not go on our anniversary weekend on the 3rd weekend of the month since it always seems to have poor weather, so Ken will plan next year's trip and we'll go the 1st weekend. We did bring home more wonderful memories and some great bottles of wine! |
No comments:
Post a Comment