Solvang Gardens Lodge, an Oasis in this Danish Community
I saw a post of Facebook the night I stayed at the Solvang Gardens Lodge from a fellow travel writer. They wrote that they had a fireplace and a whirlpool tub and thought this was a heavenly way to end a day of touring. I agree and that was easy to do as my fellow traveler Linda and I stayed in the lovely Daffodil room and enjoyed the television beside a crackling fire. Then after a while I took a long relaxing sit in a whirlpool tub letting all the muscle aches flow away. Later that night, I fell asleep with all things Danish on my mind.
Besides being lovely inside, the outside of the picturesque lodge is surrounded by flowers and an appropriate Mermaid statue since this is a town that celebrates Danish author Hans Christen Andersen!
What I loved about this town and this lodge is the character of it. That character can only come over time and the lovely Solvang Gardens Lodge has a bit of history. It was the first motel in Solvang, built-in 1950. The website shares, “It was fashioned after a classic Danish farmhouse and built on the fringe of Solvang’s old world European village. overlooking the rolling hills. It is walking distance to shops, restaurants and wine tasting rooms. Located in a quiet setting, with gardens and fountains, in the Santa Ynez Valley.”
The lodge was built by Mr. and Mrs. Hansen and it was first opened as an apartment building with the name “Solvang Gaard”. The word “gaard” in the name means a building or buildings placed in a square with an open courtyard. It could also mean, a small farm. One fact that fascinated me was that the building was constructed along Danish provincial architectural lines, with Vigo Brandt-Erichsen, Solvang sculptor and artist responsible for the architectural planning. Not far from the lodge is the Elverhoj Museum which was at one time, Vigo Brandt-Erichsen’s home. While the home is now a museum sharing details about Solvang and Danish history. Vigo Brandt-Erichsen was an internationally recognized painter and sculptor and his wife Martha Mott was an accomplished painter and art teacher.
In 1953 the Hansens converted the apartments to the first lodge in Solvang. They considered that thousands of tourists visit Solvang and the Valley each year and that all of these tourists needed a place to stay. In 1999, gardens were added and the name was changed to the current name of, Solvang Gardens Lodge.
We found the location both beautiful and peaceful. The continental breakfast in the morning was rib sticking and we took our breakfast back to our room to eat, but if it had been a bit warmer we would have sat in the garden for a spell. The Lodge offered a historic place in a historic village that warmed our spirits and our hearts. Thank you Solvang Gardens Lodge for a chance to enjoy your wonderful hospitality!
