Well, I turned another year older this week!
Since my birthday was on Wednesday (such a boring day for a birthday), we actually spent last weekend wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley, one of our favorite spots for a weekend trip away from Los Angeles!
The weather was absolutely perfect, we really had no agenda except for a dinner reservation, and it was just the most relaxing couple of days of quality time with my little family. This was our second time staying at the Marriott in Buellton, which is just a 5 minute walk from a Starbucks, market, a couple of restaurants and a pharmacy, plus a super quick drive from Los Olivos and Solvang!
Solvang is the cutest Danish village – it’s so fun to walk around with cute buildings, great bakeries and ebelskivers, which are like little donut holes but even better! I highly recommend getting them from Solvang Restaurant with powdered sugar and strawberry jam. For coffee, visit Good Seed Coffee Boutique. If you want a nice little walk, we explored Hans Christian Anderson Park and it was lovely!
We had my birthday dinner at the Landsby Hotel (I’m dying to stay there one day!) and their restaurant, Mad & Vin, was absolutely fantastic. We definitely overate, but it was worth it! We also had breakfast at Succulent Café, which we’d been to before and love. The biscuits are unreal.
As for Los Olivos, my absolute favorite, we loved Carhartt Family Wines. They had a super cute patio out back and the rosé was so delicious, we bought a bottle. We’ve also been to Sarloos & Sons, which does cupcake and wine pairings! Downtown Los Olivos is pretty much one little street with a ton of tasting rooms, restaurants and boutiques. I could totally see myself living there, honestly.
The two vineyards we visited were so lovely, but Fess Parker is my #1! They had a food truck so you could grab lunch, and there’s a huge grassy field if you want to have a picnic. We also visited Andrew Murray, which was fantastic, but you couldn’t see the actual vineyard from the seating area.
For dinner our second night, we got food from Industrial Eats right in Buellton! We’ve eaten there before and the food is truly delicious. The flavors and dishes are unique, and the prices are great.
All in all, it was the perfect way to close out 31 and ring in 32! I’d say the past year taught me more about myself than I’ve learned in awhile. There were so many highs and lows, but I’m grateful for every one because I know every single day I’m getting closer to the person I’m meant to be. I’m working on making my career more aligned with my purpose, but also learning that I’m not on this planet just to work. Living and being in the moment is the goal <3
Here’s to another year – I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride!
xo Jordan