Fall in Central Cal & Solvang Trip Tip

I spent a few days in Central California during the first week of Fall 2025. It was a long drive from Las Vegas to Solvang but those long hours in a car are much easier with intelligent cruise control and Ford Blue Cruise in a Mach E.

I should write up a post about the Mach-E Mustang someday. It is a 2021, pre-ordered when it was announced, and it has been great. It is a fantastic car for a road trip if there are charging stations. It can now charge at Tesla chargers, so there are many more places to plug it in. The range is about 300 miles. I'm very happy with everything about it.

I have been going to Solvang and Los Olivos for a long time. I love the area and as California people like to say I love the vibe. I also love the motorcycle museum.

It is kind of cowboy, hippie, artist, redneck, Mexican, wine culture, agriculture, rich ranchers, bean burritos, foodie, and all that.

Solvang is a town with a danish theme. Windmills and ebelskivers. Christmas is a big big deal there. A locals tip:

Don't go to Solvang on a Christmas weekend. Everything is a nightmare. Traffic, parking, restaurant waits, coffee shop waits, shopping in stores. All of it. Plus hotel rooms (at pretty basic hotels) for Christmas weekends run $700 a night and up.

Weekdays are not bad but a woman that runs a store I visit every time I am in Solvang said weekends are a nightmare for everyone in December.

So now you know.

With the town so close to LA and a short drive from the Bay Area it is a popular weekend road trip destination any time of the year.

Do it on a weekday if you can.

Here are just a few teaser shots from my trip taken with my iPhone 16

I know these don't really give you a feel for the place. More photos of my Fall 2025 trip soon.