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!

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!

Solvang is a family favorite. Our kids have vivid memories of wonderful times snacking on…read moreæbleskiver and ice cream, getting up close to Clydesdale horses and shopping for Danish souvenirs. Our daughter still has her little Danish dress and matching clogs we bought years ago. The cute cuckoo clock the kids bought me from The Pebble People on a Mother's Day weekend over 10 years ago still hangs in my kitchen. Although it has increasingly become tourist-centric, giving way to several souvenir stores, this sweet little town has maintained its overall charm. We generally avoid the kitschy, knick-knack gift shops. We find ourselves easily spending 3-4 relaxing hours here with dining plans, snacking, exploring and shopping. It's still a beautiful drive from SCV with interesting places to check-out along the way. The Ostrich farm is a fun stop. Solvang gets overcrowded during the holiday season, especially on weekends. Parking is free everywhere but quite challenging during peak times. This last visit was on a Wednesday -- it was pleasantly quiet with plenty of parking. No crowds. Restaurants and bakeries are open, but some shops were closed. Additionally, a few stores will shut down for lunch. The Farmer's Market was a nice surprise. Given that we no longer have small children, we found the weekday experience much more enjoyable.

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.

Ewww, but it's something to see!…read more There even is a smell wafting the corridor. Almost like a community work of art/sculpture. Watch out when walking, one just might miss it.

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 gf and me some unsolicited conversations that made us smile. We had another local offer to take pictures of my 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!

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).

We enjoyed our last visit to Avila. We walked from one end to the other down by the beach. Brought…read moreback memories of my kids loving this beach. If I had to pick Morro is definitely my favorite due to the colder weather. It was rather warm in Avila and crowded. Not much to do there, but it is nice to just relax. 8/20/25

My husband and I stopped by Luca's Deli today for lunch and had such a delightful experience…read more Everything we tried was absolutely delicious! The owner was incredibly friendly and recommended the porchetta--oven-roasted pork belly with crackling, grilled purple shallots, arugula, and house-made truffle aioli on a torpedo roll, and it did not disappoint. We also enjoyed the Caprese and a bowl of pasta e fagioli, both of which were perfectly done. As self-proclaimed foodies, we were really impressed, this place is on point! One of the highlights was chatting with our server, who clearly takes pride in the deli and shared that the owner's family also has a restaurant in Berkeley. The bread and dipping oil were so good that we ended up buying a bottle to take home. We're already looking forward to coming back and trying more from the menu. The setting was perfect and quaint. So happy to have this gem in our community! --The Holidays, Local Resident

We have been wanting to try Lucas for over two years. Just made it in tonight and was disappointed…read morewe did not try this sooner! The food was amazing and it was the most authentic Italian food I have had on the central coast. The service was great and we got a chance to talk to the owner who was awesome. The pasta dishes were packed with flavor and especially the pesto which was very nice! The restaurant is very casual and laid back, and all the dishes we tried amazing. I intend to try out the lunch menu and go back very soon for dinner.