If you find yourself in need of a good Danish pastry, you don’t have to travel all the way to Europe; instead, head to Solvang, California: the Danish Capital of America! We discovered this little gem on our way to Santa Barbara, just past Lake Cachuma.

From our RV retreat, we took advantage of a respite in the rain and drove just down the road to an overlook of Lake Cachuma and Bradbury Dam.

As we continued our drive, we noticed something that seemed out of place running in the fields near the road. A double take revealed a flock of ostriches, happily running and grazing on what I can assume was an ostrich farm.

Another surprise waited for us just a bit farther down the road: a Danish town, complete with cozy Christmas stores and delicious traditional pastries. Our little dog, Roxie’s nose was active the entire time, and it’s a good thing that smells were free (like a neon sign indicated).

Solvang was established in the early 1900s by Danish Americans coming from the Midwest. The charming little town offers plenty of things to see and do: history, good pastries, wine, boutique shopping, and an impressive 700-seat outdoor theatre.

Enchanted by the architecture and fulfilled by sweet pastries, we drove “home” while the sun offered a spectacular end of the day.

After a day of walking in the cool and rainy weather, we were all ready to snuggle up and sleep. Our sweet Kylie dog must have been dreaming about chasing ostriches…