Sunday, February 21, 2016

Day 13 - Breakfast at Hotel -> Check out -> Solvang -> Pismo Beach -> Morro Bay

After breakfast and checkout, we drove north 3h towards the Danish Village of Solvang (Danish for "sunny field"), a city in Santa Barbara County,
located in the Santa Ynez Valley. One need not travel to Denmark to catch a glimpse of Danish culture.

When we arrived, the town was jam packed with people and we could not get a parking space at Tivoli Square so we drove towards Alisal Road.

We stopped by a shop to buy some chocolates and met our ex-colleague who stays in California at the shop. What a small world!

The often featured Windmill along Alisal Road.

Danish styled building near the windmill


Many people recommended the Danish pastries so we decided to try a few for lunch from Birkholm's.
It was not fantastic and definitely overrated.
Interior of Birkholm's Bakery. we bought and ate the sandwiches and pastries inside.

Chocolate Eclair and several Danish pastries


Chicken Sandwiches which is not mind blowing. Total cost was USD36.96!

Solvang, the Little Denmark, was a pretty little town and we felt that we are in Denmark! We came back the next morning to take more photos!
There were less people and the streets were empty and quiet with plenty of parking spaces.





Clock tower of an Antique Centre






After lunch, we drove to Pismo Beach, a place recommended by many to visit. It is in the city in San Luis Obispo County. Most people come here to photograph the sunset.
Went to the wrong side of the beach. Paid USD5 to get into the beach which can be driven along.


Wwe drove further north and got to the correct place finally. This section of the beach was very vibrant and lively with many motels and shops


It had a wide jetty for tourists to stroll



Pelican along the jetty


We continued to drive north to Morro Bay, another place recommended by many to visit. It is a waterfront city, also in San Luis Obispo County





Morro Bay with the iconic Morro Rock on a small island. One could drive to the island via a causeway.

This the town's most striking feature. The rock is a 576 foot high volcanic plug which stands at the entrance to the harbor.
IT used to be surrounded by water, but the northern channel was filled in to make the harbor. It was quarried from 1889 to 1969,
and in 1968, it was designated a Historical Landmark.

The area around the base of Morro Rock is open to visitors, with parking lots and paths. However, climbing the rock itself is prohibited
except with a permit, both due to risk of injury, and because it is a peregrine falcon reserve.

Morro Rock is one in a series of similar plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters. It is possible that the landscape
moved over a volcanic hot spot through the ages.




The gas here is the cheapest! After filling up the gas, we headed back to Quality Inn, Santa Ynez Valley
and by the time we arrived, it was already dark.

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