24 Hours in Solvang, CA

While Kyle was training in Port Hueneme, CA, and I was still in Monterey, we met up halfway in the adorable Danish town of Solvang. USA Today named Solvang one of "The Best Historic Small Towns in America" and it definitely met the mark of being amazing! It was recommended to me by several friends and like anything, we kind of just ran out of time to make a trip to visit.

I texted Kyle on a Thursday and said, "Hey do you want to meet up this weekend?". The answer was, "of course", but that meant either of us would be driving two hours each and we really couldn't meet until Saturday because of his school schedule. The easy option was to go to on our favorites, Paso Robles, but Kyle pushed me to "try something new". I searched online for hotels and was honestly a little scared! The town is so small that there aren't a ton of hotels or chains. Kyle found a nice Marriott about 10 minutes away, but I really wanted to be in the downtown.

So, I left out of Monterey on Saturday morning with no idea of where we would stay. We agreed to meet up at the Cracker Barrel in Santa Maria and then we would go from there. We took the plunge and decided to go to Solvang (with no hotel reservation). We drove the main downtown and found some cute hotels. They were either booked or $1,000 night (I'm not joking). We found one little roadside motel called Solvang Inn and Cottages. I googled it and the pictures that I saw were a little interesting, but I decided to walk in and see if they had a room we could check out. Thankfully they did and it looked WAY better than the photos. It was clean and plenty of space for us and the kids and a little corner to tuck Huxie into. And it was right outside of the pool, which was perfect for Char! I think the room was around $200, which seemed to be the going rate for the hotels in the area. It also included a breakfast at the danish bakery next door, called Olsen's , which we learned was owned by the same owner as our hotel!

Our cottage

We immediately took a dip in the pool. Charlotte has missed swimming so much, so any chance that we can go, we do. After a nice swim, we loaded up the double stroller to walk around Solvang. We were surprised at how hot it was! The area was experiencing a heat wave and that definitely prepared us for the FL heat. Our first stop was at a beautiful tasting room, Sanger Wines, right of off the main road. The kids played on the patio and turf while we tasted. The atmosphere was beautiful. We continued to walk around the area and visited another tasting room called, Casa Cassara, which was absolutely amazing for our kids. The owners greeted us with crayons, markers, coloring books and fresh strawberries and pretzels for them to snack on. They also had an old piano that played itself and the kids loved it! I highly recommend this room if you are looking for a family-friendly tasting room.

Sanger Tasting Room

Exploring 

Casa Cassara Tasting Room

We were getting hungry at this point, so we ventured over to Toscana, which was recommended to us by multiple people. We were so sad that they were completely full and unable to accommodate us, so we headed to Succulent Cafe. Hux was asleep at this point, so we enjoyed a semi-quiet meal while he napped. We had the brussel sprouts and scallops and they were amazing! Everything was farm to table and the atmosphere was amazing.

After dinner we headed back to get ready for bed. Everyone was really tired and I am not even joking when I say that we were all laying down by 7:45pm. We closed all the blinds, turned on the sound machine and tried to be as quiet as possible to get Huxie down for bed. Of course, Charlotte had to go to the bathroom, which required her to walk past the crib, so he woke up and cried for a bit. Never a dull moment when traveling with kids.

We were up early and headed across the street to Paula's Pancake House, which is about the CUTEST breakfast place I've ever been too. Charlotte got to watch the oranges be squeezed and we enjoyed a yummy pancake breakfast. Next we venturned to the Hans Christian Anderson Park.  The entire town pays homage to Hans Christian Anderson, who wrote over 160 fairytales including The Little Mermaid, the Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen (Frozen). We enjoyed playing at the park and then headed back to our room for a swim! It was time to pack up, check out and head out. First, we needed to get a picture with the Little Mermaid Statue!

Little Mermaid Statue

On our way out, we stopped at Shoestring Winery for a tasting. This vineyard was absolutely beautiful and the wine was yummy too. The owners of the vineyard recently passed away, so it was very interesting and sad to hear about their story and legacy. Their son now runs the winery and they even had goats that we were able to feed and pet.

On our drive in, we saw Ostrichland and I knew we had to make a stop there. Talk about a CASH COW business. They have over 200 ostriches on property that you can feed and take photos with. The kids loved it! Be sure to wash your hands after!

We were starving, so before Kyle and I split and went our separate ways, we had lunch at an amazing place, Industrial Eats, right at the interstate. Their menu changes daily and the food was incredible! We were sad to say good-bye to Daddy, but it was an amazing 24 hours in a beautiful place.

Glass Bottle Cokes at Industrial Eats.. Then my phone died. 

Two other notable places that we didn't make it to:

Pea Soup Anderson's (you'll see signs on the interstate on your way to Solvang). They are famous for their Pea Soup and serve over 2 million/bowls year.

Quicksilver Ranch - miniature horse farm. We didn't end up going because Google said it was closed on Sunday, but another family told us that wasn't true, so I would definitely call ahead. You cannot feed or pet them, but you can look at them! :)

Yosemite

The view of the Valley from Tunnel View

Yosemite has been on my bucket list since we arrived in California, but we kept delaying. I booked this trip back in December and scored a great deal of "buy 2 nights, get 1 free". After researching, I knew that we wanted to stay inside of the park, which limited our options. I really wanted to stay at the Majestic, but couldn't justify spending the money, so we opted for the Yosemite Valley Lodge and it was really perfect. I highly recommend staying within the park if you are able to get a reservation.

Our room! 

To make the most of our time, we decided to make the almost 4 hour drive at night after work and school on a Wednesday. The kids slept for most of the trip and it was a fairly easy drive despite the darkness. We couldn't see anything, which made it for an amazing experience to wake up to such beauty. 

We woke up Thursday morning and immediately started adventuring. On site, the lodge had a cafeteria called "Base Camp". The food was pricy, but very good and easy to access. We ate breakfast then started our journey to Mirror Lake. This was a 2 mile round trip hike on a paved trail. We took the double stroller and it was very easy. As we were getting out the car to get ready to make the hike, we saw two coyotes! Mirror Lake was beautiful and Charlotte had fun exploring. 

After Mirror Lake, we headed to the Majestic Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee) which was built in 1927 and visited by JFK, Queen Elizabeth and Lucille Ball just to name a few! We hung out in the Grand Hall and let the kids play, caught up on emails and relaxed. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Majestic Bar and then set out to Badger Pass to play in the snow. The kids took a nice nap on the drive up.

Badger Pass is about an hour away and is a ski area offering mountain skiing, cross country skiing and snow tubing. Tubing is offered at specific times, so be sure to check their website or call ahead to confirm. The cost is $17/tube. We arrived a little early and enjoyed some hot chocolate in the little restaurant before we tubed. The snow wasn't very fresh, so the tubes didn't slide as well, but we had so much fun!

We headed back to our hotel to attempt naps, but the kids had other plans. I took them up to the "Kid's Corner" in the lobby while Kyle rested. We had an early dinner in the Mountain Room (the sit down restaurant at Yosemite Valley Lodge) I told Kyle that being at Yosemite is like being on cruise in the sense that you literally see the same people everywhere you go. There are only so many places to eat! Dinner was yummy. Kyle and I shared a salad and steak. 

It was early to bed for us as Huxie isn't the best when it comes to sleeping in a hotel. 

On Friday it was back to Base Camp to fuel up for the day! After breakfast we let the kids play in the Kid's Corner and Huxie took a nap. We were scheduled for the 10am Valley Floor Tour, which in the summer time, is an open air tour, but because of the cooler weather, it is inside of a tour bus. Both Charlotte and Hux were free and they also gave a military discount, which made our tickets about $20/each. The tour was super interesting and informative and the bus made several stops for us to get out and take pictures. It was a great way to see the sights and I highly recommend it! 

After the tour, we ate lunch at the Base Camp and headed out for Yosemite Lower Falls. This is a super easy trail that is completely paved as well and offers beautiful views of the Falls. The trail is about 1 mile round trip. After the Falls, we continued on a dirt trail to get to the museum and visitor center. We attempted to watch the 25 minute film about Yosemite, but the kids had other plans. The visitor center had some neat exhibits and history and Charlotte got her National Park Passport where she will get stamps at all of the parks we visit. I had one growing up, too! 

Next stop was at the beautiful park located at the Yosemite Valley School. I had no idea there was a school in Yosemite, but this is where the children of park rangers and other staff attend. We played on the playground and had a beautiful view of Yosemite Falls. We walked back to the hotel and got ready for dinner at the Majestic! 

The park offers a free shuttle to get you around, so we decided to be adventurous and take it. Charlotte loved the adventure! It's a great way to get around when the park is busy and there isn't parking available. 

Dinner at the Majestic was nothing short of fabulous! Hux ended up sleeping through the entire dinner, but Charlotte really enjoyed the piano music and danced her way through dinner. Kyle and I had prime rib and it was fabulous! We ended dinner with their signature boysenberry pie. Although the experience was pricy, the ambiance is incredible and I highly recommend it. We waited for the shuttle (and saw a coyote) and it was back to our room for bed. 

We woke up on Saturday to a downpour! We couldn't see any of the sites and the park was starting to close some of the roads. We decided we better get on the road after breakfast. We had to take a different road out, through the south gate. As we were going up towards Badger Pass, the snow started falling! It was truly incredible! We made a quick stop and played in the snow! Charlotte's dream came true. We passed Mariposa Grove, which is currently closed due to trash/human waste from the shut down. It was a bummer to not see the sequoias, but hopefully we will get another opportunity. 

We made a lunch stop in Oakhurst at South Gate Brewing Company! Lunch was super yummy! Then it was off to the Children's Museum of the Sierra  right around the corner to let the kids burn off some energy before we finished the drive home. They had a blast. The museum was very interesting, but super affordable ($6/person) and Charlotte had fun in their hands-on exhibits. After the children's museum, we made a quick stop at Idle Hour Winery for a quick tasting before heading home. 

Such a wonderful trip! I would highly recommend Yosemite this time of year. Although we weren't able to see all of the sites due to road closures (Glacier Point/Tioga Rd/Tuolomne) the park was empty and we were really able to enjoy our time without a million other visitors around!

Weekend Getaway to Cavallo Point

With our time in Monterey quickly coming to an end, I am determined to complete our bucket list! You all have heard me RAVE about the benefits of the American Express Platinum card and this trip did not disappoint. The best part? We used points for this trip!

I originally learned about Cavallo Point when we visited San Francisco and Sausalito back in June of 2017. We had just arrived in Monterey and we were meeting my mom and Charlotte in San Francisco. We took the traditional tour bus to explore the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. When we arrived into Sausalito, I saw the absolutely charming resort, Cavallo Point. Cavallo Point was previously Fort Baker, an Army base dating back to 1866. In 2002, it was transformed into the resort. The history is amazing and the views are absolutely incredible. From our front porch, we could see all of San Francisco and part of the bridge. So beautiful!

Through FINE Hotels and Resorts with American Express Platinum, we were able to take advantage of the following extras:

• Early check in at 12noon 
• Late check out at 4pm 
• Breakfast for 2 (a $70 value) 
• Room Upgrade 
• Free WIFI
• $100 Resort Credit

We called before we left Monterey to check to see if our room was ready and it was, so we headed out! We stopped for lunch in Saratoga and arrived in Sausalito around 2pm and the sun was shining! We were upgraded to an amazing suite (thanks to our benefits) and got settled in our room. The resort provided a pack and play and they also have golf carts and Lexus vehicles to transport you throughout the resort. You can also test drive these vehicles for 3 hours at a time.

We pretty much set up on our front porch for the rest of the afternoon. We drank some wine and let the kids play. Charlotte had a blast running in the field and we also walked down to see the bridge and snap a few pics! Our friends stopped by for a visit and we headed to the happy hour in the lobby, which included complimentary wine from 4-6pm. We sat by the fire pit while the kids played in the "Kid's Corner". We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant, Murray Circle. It was an amazing experience and the food, drinks and dessert were incredible. I took the kids home for bath and bedtime was not far after! 

We woke up on Sunday to RAIN! We had planned to go to the Bay Area Discovery Museum so the rain wasn't a huge dealbreaker, but it was definitely a bummer as some parts are outside. We enjoyed some coffee in our room, then headed up to breakfast at the restaurant. The buffet was huge, but so yummy! Charlotte loved the belgian waffles with fresh whipped cream. After breakfast, Daddy and Hux went back for a nap and Char and I headed over to the museum. It is literally across the field, a 5 minute walk, but thankfully we were able to catch a ride because it was a literal downpour! 

We loved the museum and after showing our military ID, our visit was free! So nice! After the museum, we caught the shuttle down to Sausalito to grab lunch and walk around. We ended up at Barrel House Tavern and it was great! Kyle and I shared Tuna Tacos, Kale Salad and a Steak Sandwich and all were fabulous! We walked around and stumbled upon an ice cream shop that offered free ice cream to active duty military. It was so sweet! 

We caught the shuttle back and all got ready for nap. This was SO nice because were were able to rest before our drive home thanks to late check out! 

We snapped a few more pics with the bridge and went back to the children's museum for the last hour before it closed to show all the fun stuff to Daddy and Hux, too! We capped our trip with a stop at the Smoking Pig in San Jose. It is the best BBQ we have found on the west coast so far! 

Next up for us... Yosemite, but only if the government re-opens by then! If you would like a referral link for the American Express Platinum, let me know! You get an additional 60,000 points for signing up!