Shaun and I decided that over the Labor Day weekend we would get away at least once and do something as a family without thinking about work, house work, laundry, cell phones and the usual stresses of life. So today we headed up to Solvang for the afternoon.

The drive up brought back a lot of childhood memories. We listened to Kenny Loggins (yes, I am 30 and I listen to Kenny Loggins) and drove the coast, over San Marcos Pass, past Cachuma to Solvang. This was a drive I did often with my parents and my sister when we were kids. Its something I think of often.

The day was beautiful and Abby loved all of the buildings. She thought they all looked like castles and of course she was immediately hooked. After visiting some of my favorite shops, like the Christmas All Year Round shop (yes Mom I admit, I am just like you in so many ways) we needed to eat. Because the favorite I remember no longer exists we headed to the Little Mermaid Restaurant. It was an excellent choice and Abby had her first Danish Meatballs! SHe liked them a lot and her independence decided to shine through, as she wanted to cut them on her own.

After dinner we walked a bit to help with our full tummies and then stopped at a cute little bakery before heading home. Yes, a bakery. You cant leave a Danish village without buying well, a Danish or some yummy pastry! Despite trying to be good about eating and my diet, I indulged and it was worth every minute. I think Abby and Ellie would agree since the cookie they shared kept them quiet for a while.

After our pastry fix we headed home. This time we took the coast the entire way. The sun was starting to set and it was unusually clear. Wow, it was beautiful. Every time we saw water Abby would get excited, always looking for mermaids, sharks and of course Nemo. It was a great family outing with very little stress. This is something we need to do more often. Until next time!