July was jam packed and full of fun with the Freeze clan but it wasn't over yet. We figured we'd end the month on a special celebration weekend for Preston. I picked a couple places for Pres to choose from for his birthday and he chose Solvang. Secretly, I was thrilled. Yay! I had heard about it and wanted to go and check it out. Solvang, CA is a cute little Danish town right outside of Santa Barbara. It was the perfect getaway spot for us to finish up our Summer vacation. We wanted beach, fun, and to explore places we hadn't been before.
Preston took Thursday and Friday off so we could head out on this fun new adventure. We were all looking forward to checking out some new territory. We couldn't wait to see what Solvang and Santa Barbara had to offer. On our way down we stopped at Cracker Barrel for a much needed dinner break. It's about a four and a half hour drive from our place to Solvang. We figured we'd stop, stretch our legs, and enjoy some comfort food before finishing the last 45 minutes of the drive.
This is what we do while we wait for our food to come :)
Once again, Cracker Barrel did not disappoint. Everything was delicious.
Welcome to Solvang!
We made it!
The following day we ate a delicious breakfast at a place called Paula's Pancake House. It was seriously divine. We ate there every morning we were there. Great service, delicious food, kid friendly, what more could you ask for? After breakfast we set out for Santa Barbara. We took a quick stop at a look out point along the way. I was able to capture the pictures above and this one of our cute kiddos.
Once again we found ourselves in a little paradise. Santa Barbara was a gem. We loved hanging at the beach, playing in the waves, digging in the sand, making sand castles, and breathing that ocean air.
I think out of all of our kids, Jack is the one that appreciates the beach the most. He absolutely LOVES playing in the waves.
We chose the perfect day to hit the beach. We watched as dozens of kids trained to be life guards. It was so fun watching them have to run into the water, swim, paddle out, and have races. A lot goes into becoming a lifeguard.
They had TONS of volleyball nets up. We watched a few younger girls practice with their coach. There were several games going on in the background.
Ahhh the life!
Jumping in the waves.
They had a really cool playground set right on the beach. Love this!
We stopped at another look out point with this gorgeous lake. It was a dream.
Now for a little trip around Solvang!
Loved all of the architecture of this place.
Cute little windmills around town.
It felt like we were in Europe for sure.
We stopped and enjoyed some homemade fudge and ice cream. We got lost in this awesome book store for quite some time. Everyone left with something new to read. I LOVE bookstores! They are a favorite place of mine to go.
They had really cool trolley rides you could take around town. It was the one thing we didn't end up having time to do that I wish we would have done. The horses and trolley would come by our place every so often. The kids liked watching the horses.
This was our home away from home. We stayed upstairs where the balcony is. It was the coolest apartment. We had plenty of room for all of us. Plus, every night they had a band playing below that we could drop in to watch. Luckily, you couldn't hear anything in the apartment. It was sound proofed perfectly.
A hotel next to our place.
While the boys rested and Pres napped, Quinn and I took a little walk around town. I wanted to make sure to document some of these really cool buildings, streets, and charm of the town.
Another view of our little book store we loved.
Cute Quinnie
Now this is vacation! :)
Enjoying a little down time before our next adventure.
Me and Quinn at the mermaid fountain. I couldn't get us and the mermaid in the picture very well, haha.
Happy Birthday Preston!
We had such a fun time celebrating Pres. We ate dinner at a delicious Irish pub called Fitzpatrick's Tavern, grabbed some mouth watering cakes and treats from the bakery, and enjoyed our time together. I think it's safe to say he enjoyed his birthday very much. We are so grateful to have this guy in our lives. He truly makes our lives all the better. Love you babe!
Family photo :) Waiting on our food.
I think it is safe to say that our family has WAY to much fun together, haha. I wouldn't trade these four for anything!
On our way home we had to make one quick pitstop in Pismo. They have the best cinnamon rolls you will ever eat. We waited about 25 minutes in this line and then were rewarded with sticky, gooey, mouth watering cinnamon rolls. Worth every minute waiting for these bad boys!
YEEEESSS!
We made one more stop at the dinosaur park. It was like taking a walk down memory lane. It's crazy to think it was almost two years ago that we took our Highway 1 trip that started in Pismo.
What a cool swing!
Solvang was such a fun destination. We really enjoyed it. The food, scenery, shopping, and family time was worth every hour spent in the car. Santa Barbara did not disappoint either. It was fun driving through the ritzy areas and seeing how the rich and famous live. Time on the beach is always a favorite and of course we hit up some stores for shopping along the way. Overall, it was a perfect four day get away for this crew. It was a last hurrah before school starts on August 4th! Summer flew by this year!
