long, it flaunts the town’s western heritage with the historic 1880
Union Hotel – a Victorian-style bed and breakfast – art galleries,
antique shops, tasting rooms, Babi’s Beer Emporium, and a cluster of
restaurants, including Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, Full of Life Flatbread,
and Bell Street Farm Eatery and Market.
In total, the valley just may well be a perfect blend of lifestyle
elements. Much of the charm, people, places, activities, and events that
bring tourists in from around the world are also part of the practical
daily rhythm and draw for local residents.
Vintners, ranchers, winemakers, chefs, farmers, celebrities, horse
trainers, artisans, craftsmen, politicians, wine country pioneers, teachers,
business professionals, and the like can be seen shaking hands and
saying hello or duking it out over political issues at neighborhood coffee
shops such as The Valley Grind or Corner House Coffee. Children sell
lemonade on the corners on weekends, and families grab fresh veggies
at the Solvang Farmers Market every Wednesday and collect fresh
produce from Finley Farms Organic and Summerset Farm “U pick” fruit
stand.
Wine-tasting rooms running the spectrum from abandoned berry
shacks to high-end contemporary, state-of-the-art facilities bump up
against dog-friendly wine tasting rooms such as the Wandering Wine
Dog. Small-town parades, a seemingly drought-resistant annual Fish
Derby at Lake Cachuma, Danish Days festival, chili cook-offs, charity
mud run events, plein air art and wine days, an archery club, and a bocce
ball league give a tiny nod to the colorful nooks and crannies that fill in
the better known agriculture, equine, and tourism economy.
Miniature donkeys, baby peacocks, more than 50 breeds of horses,
orchards, vineyards, and rolling hills are tucked in and around the
real estate, which is quite varied. Buyers will find cottages with picket
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