What does a Scandinavian country, known for rustic windmills, buttery cookies, and Viking history have in common with Hollywood, Los Angeles, Sea World, Silicon Valley, Yosemite and Disneyland?
Apparently, California.
We had driven up a beautiful coastal road early that morning, along a surreal blue ocean towards Southern California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Here, at just a couple of hours’ drive from Downtown Los Angeles lies a little Danish surprise- the enchanting town of Solvang.
On the outskirts of Solvang, we noticed a sign for a miniature horse farm and decided to take a look. Quicksilver Miniature Horse Farm was either closed or we never managed to find the owners, but either way, the gates were open so we went in and took some pictures with the adorable little horses. After a few minutes and many jokes about how this was the right size of steed for me, we finally headed into the heart of Solvang.
Just like that, we were in Denmark.
As we drove past quaint wooden houses with sloping roofs and windmills, we really could have been in a rustic Danish town in Europe. It was hard to believe that we were just a stone’s throw away from the very glamorous and very American city of Los Angeles.
The history of this town is simple. It was founded in January 1911 by three Danish teachers who wanted to move to the West coast to escape Midwestern USA winters. They purchased 9,000 acres of land for $75,000 and Solvang began to take shape.
As it expanded and attracted Danish settlers from all over the country, the architecture, food and culture began to take on a distinctly Danish flavor. In the 1930s Ferd Sorensen, a local plumber, metalsmith, and woodworker, built Solvang’s first windmill next to his home. This kicked off a trend and soon Solvang transformed into the delightful Danish town it is today and Main Street officially became Copenhagen Drive, cementing the town’s historic identity.
In 1936, Solvang held a festival to celebrate its 25th anniversary and the merrymaking went on for three days. Ever since, this festival has been an annual tradition known as ‘Danish Days’, celebrated in September every year.
We were there in January but pretty much any time of the year, it’s the kind of town you want to stroll around for hours. Fittingly, its name translates to ‘sunny field’.
But priorities led us first and foremost to Solvang Restaurant for a taste of aebleskiver. Established in 1966, this restaurant became synonymous with the Danish dessert, which is something between a donut and a pancake. Served as little fried balls, aebleskivers are topped up with raspberry jam and powdered sugar which all adds up to a delicious dessert.
After lunch in Denmark in SoCal, we headed to Ostrichland.
There’s a sentence I never thought I’d type.
Ostrichland is a 33-acre breeding farm home to more than 100 ostriches and emus, just a five-minute drive from the Solvang town center.
We were not quite sure what to expect but what we saw after getting some intriguing instructions from the guys at the gift shop, somehow reminded me of the opening scenes of Jurassic Park.
A vast open expanse with hills in the background and ostriches running around on their long spindly legs is truly an amazing sight!
We had been told to hold on to the long handles of the feeding trays, firmly with both hands. I didn’t understand why at first given how harmless, adorable and almost comical these birds look. But as soon as the first hard, demanding peck hits the pan you know exactly why. Don’t go by their hapless looks, ostriches are actually pretty hostile and aggressive.
However, they’re also fast, intelligent and entertaining! We spent about an hour at the farm and when we finally left we all agreed that it was one of the most fun experiences we had on the trip.
In high spirits from the excitement of Ostrichland, we drove back to Copenhagen Drive to spend the evening exploring the town. Past shops full of little souvenirs and tasteful boutiques, we made our way through the fairy tale town, to a museum dedicated to a fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen.
Though I had read kiddie versions of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘Thumbelina’ as a child, I was introduced to the timeless works of this Danish author by my best friend who was horrified when I told her (in college) that I had never heard of ‘The Snow Queen’, her favorite fairy tale.
The museum was a bibliophile’s dream. It’s not exactly a museum but more of a very charming bookstore dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen, filled with rare and special editions of his works, paintings, sculptures and other artwork celebrating his life and work. Though fairly small and simple, it adds a layer of literature to this historically rich town.
Solvang is a delightful little microcosm of Denmark, despite being a continent away from the country. There is something about these towns, that put down roots carried from their homeland in a new place, and blossom up into centers of culture and art. I had seen it before in Bylakuppe in India and its always a special experience. Solvang is certainly no different.
By the time we left the museum and stepped back onto the street, the sun had set and the town was lit up with fairy-lights, setting the perfect stage for us to say goodbye to the magical town of Solvang.
Excess Baggage 