Solvang

Bet you never heard of it ? Same here . 2 hours north of LA along the Pacific Coast , you head in land for 30 minutes and you arrive at Solvang . Everything about this discovery is unexpected . The drive was so un LA ;mountains , green hills , rugged and unpopulated . We could’ve been anywhere rural along Australia’s east coast , but no pinch me , we are in California .The mind wanders , I’m in Gippsland out the back of Mirboo North or Launceston or even inland Bryron Bay . Nah bro , your in the US of A , only a 150 ks from the urban gorilla himself , Los Angeles. from coastal limestone to rolling green hills and then farmland . The towns are still populated , more so than Home but it’s a release from the crush . Solvang is a town that is everything Danish , much like the German version ,Hahndorf in South Australia. It’s totally unexpected from an Aussie tourist perspective , but the joints packed . It’s not a local secret . Cuckoo clocks , Hahns Christian Anderson , Danish pastry , windmills , breweries, clogs , anything cliche Nordic was here . It felt odd , clear air , horse and carts , proper chocolate , wine bars everywhere and the classic architecture of Denmark . Of course it was cheesy , and predictably exploited , you’l get that anywhere , and let’s face it the Yanks are the best at it , but it was still a great escape This is the sort of stuff that any international tourist will never know about . I get it , it’s hard to compete with Disneyland , Hollywood and Santa Monica Pier , but it’s a shame cause theres more out there if you were only told about it . I’ve always wondered what was hidden in the hills to the North of Malibu , now I know . I just wish I could get up here more often , to show friends that there’s some secret little towns that are pretty cool and that there are cows , green grass , rugged mountain ranges and ……… space .