A road trip through the Pacific Coast Highway in California has always been touted as the best in the world. There’s arguably something or the other for every kind of traveler and that’s the magic of this route. It’s all about hours of cruising along the mesmerizing cliffs overlooking the Pacific ocean with oodles of restaurants, beaches, and attractions on the way! And the Pacific Dunes Ranch is an absolute unsung hidden-gem that you can’t afford to not explore.
Nested in the Pismo Beach Region of California, the Pacific Dunes Ranch features rolling sand dunes, frolicking waves in the serene Oceano Preserve. Here you can enjoy various breathtaking vistas and trails through the sand dunes to reach the beach area. It’s peaceful, secluded, and fun! This lends the Pacific Dunes Ranch a dreamy adventurous paradise feel.
Pacific Dunes Ranch, California!
Spotting sand dunes that look nothing like less than a vast desert that too in California, is something I could never even dream of! But thanks to our sweetest AirBnB host who introduced us to this sweet-spot for a thrill-seeker like me. We took a day tour in this Ranch by taking a permit from RV Resort and we enjoyed to the fullest! We ran, we hiked, we fell, we got exhausted and we became three-year-old toddlers, haha! You can also opt for several water activities like swimming, boating, fishing, and surfing that are offered by the resort authorities. So many people come here to do camping and enjoy starry nights.
Nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley is the tantalizingly extraordinary town of Solvang, built in the early 20th century by Danish emigrants. It’s a lovely place to get your retail fix. The vibe and the aesthetics of this place are so surreal and soothing similar to what we felt like reading Malgudi Days in our childhood. This charming Danish village with unique architecture, antique shops, traditional eateries, and so on makes for the perfect detour off of Route 1 to explore something offbeat and supremely rewarding.
I can’t explain in words about the magical aura of this village that looks and smells like Christmas all year-round. The town square features old-fashioned storytelling by a local Hans Christian Anderson. For a quick refreshment, pop into the family-owned Mortensen’s Danish Bakery to savor some strudel, butter cookies, and other delectable treats. I can’t emphasize enough how strongly I recommend you to visit this place if you’re traveling in California!
You can explore both of these places on your journey from San Francisco towards L.A. and vice versa. Solvang is just a 45 minutes ride from the popular city of Santa Barbara. It’s an hour distance between the Pacific Dunes Ranch and Solvang. We explored these two places while traveling towards Los Angeles and stayed at an Airbnb the previous night in a quaint town called Guadalupe.
Watch the Episode 5 of the web-series Iss Baar America to know more about our beautiful Airbnb in Guadalupe and how much we had fun in the Pacific Dunes Ranch & Solvang!
Have you been to Pacific Coast Ranch and Solvang? Do you enjoy sliding through sand dunes and exploring quiet & fairytale-like villages as much as we do?
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