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Published: August 27th 2010
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Salinas Valley Vineyards
Hot and sunny summers make excellent growing for wine vineyards. Pattie and Ron's Vacation 2010 Day 5 Onward to Buellton and Solvang
It was warmer in the morning, more so than yesterday and no fog to be seen. It was one of those rare San Francisco days. We packed the car, had a quickie breakfast and headed off towards US-101. Most of that part of the trip was on “freeway” heading towards Redwood City and onwards to San Jose. Once we passed through San Jose city proper the scenery started to change from intercity to suburbs then to open fields while we near the Salinas Valley area. If you like to eat salads and vegetables, chances are a significant portion of your food comes from this area. The fertile land produces truck garden produce of almost every kind. We saw field workers lined up in the morning for their daily assignments. We passed trucks loaded with onions, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and beets, all adding a sweet aroma to the air.
Soon we saw some foothills to the right and noticed that the temperature was dropping and fog once again forming. We were nearing the Monterey area and if we were to have turned right and pass through that mountain
Andersen
Hap Pee and Pee Wee making the split peas for the split pea soup. range we would have emerged on the famous US Highway 1, The Pacific Coast Highway alongside the Pacific Ocean. Instead we veered left and passed through impressive foothills lines with small cedars, pines and mixed sage brush. Higher up and away from the coastal moisture, the landscape changed quickly. Scrub brush and barren hills once again showed their dull flanks.
We were soon nearing Paso Robles. Once an almond producing town in the 1950’s, it now boasts some of the best winery’s around. Also of note, it was my home town as a child, although it is not the sleepy one-road town I remember. We passed through town without stopping, heading towards Atascadero and San Louis Obispo and a rather scenic pass. As a child I can remember the large Mallet engines, belching black smoke and steam, roaring through Paso at break neck speed, he rails near our home trembling. It took several engines to haul those mile-long freight trains up the Cuesta Grade and over the Atascadero summit. Once at the top, it was a straight line down towards the ocean; picking up speed, their massive wheels clicked and clattered on the railroad tracks. The tracks still exist
Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant
A world famous restaurant along side equally famous Highway 101. About halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is a convenient place to stop for lunch or dinner. and I am sure rail trains still climb to the top and down to deliver their loads in the Salinas Valley and beyond. Sadly, for the steam engine railroad buffs, those massive black fire breathing engines have been replaced with modern diesel electric engines.
Once down the pass we were heading towards the ocean and again parallel the Pacific Ocean coast and heading towards Pismo Beach. During the early part of last century it was a small beach town whose claim to fame was its wonderful clams, a Mecca for the amateur clam fisherman. It was a favorite of my Aunt Margie and Uncle Carroll. We saw many adults and children alike digging them up, opening them up and slurping out the clam all in one swoop. We stopped on the hilltop overlooking the pier. That was where my husband and I spent our honeymoon over forty-five years ago. Much has changed but the small beach just north of the pier remains much as it did all those years ago.
We cruised through the town while I tried to find landmarks I thought I remembered. It had changed and grown to such an extent I was completely at
Let's Go Eat
Here I am at the World famous Pea Soup Andersen's Restaurant. a loss to find landmarks. We did get lost. We twisted and turned, like tourists without a clue to where they were going, and we found ourselves out of town and in an agricultural area and horse country. It was a peaceful serendipity, a five mile round about from the congested town. We quickly found the on ramp for 101 Highway and soon found ourselves again heading towards Buellton and sixty-seven miles from our hotel.
As we traveled down the highway, signs appeared announcing Andersen’s Split Pea Soup Restaurant. The restaurants mascots,’ Hap Pee and Pea Wee, never aging faces happily adorn the billboards. The restaurant and hotel are on the right just off the 140A ramp. Eager to be about, we quickly registered and found our room. To our delight we get a bottom room with a private patio that also opened onto the putting green. The swimming pool was to our left and the gazebo that hosts the continental breakfast was also just out our patio door. All the amenities were very convenient.
We took a quick drive to Solvang which is just up the road to the east of Buellton, about a 3 miles drive.
Andersen's World Famous Split Pea Soup
The soup that made a restaurant dynasty. A delicious soup that has kept the travelers coming for over seventy years. Solvang is a Danish-themed community whose buildings and shops offer you Danish food, clothing and souvenirs. A lot of the shops offer hard goods and there are a lot of candy shops and cafes. Chocolates of all kinds and Æbleskiver, Danish pancake balls, are everywhere. And of course, Solvang is world-famous for its Danish pastry. All of the sweet aromas made us hungry.
We drove back down the road to the Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant and were quickly seated in a booth. Now I have been bragging-up all during our trip about how good the pea soup is. I believe my son thought I had built it up from the sweet memories of childhood. To my delight, he did order the soup along with the Danish Meatloaf, I watched as he took his first spoonful. I watched with delight as his expression changed from doubt to enjoyment. It was a smile of epiphany and he said, “This is good!” Soon we were stuffed, had our left over’s boxed, and headed back to our room for some quiet, relaxing down time.
We took time to sit back and enjoy the scenery, write in our journals. Later we got back
Danish Meatloaf
Thick slices of danish meatlaf with Danish brown gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables. A meal for a true Viking. into the car and drove around downtown Buellton and the surrounding rolling hills and pastureland. Although the trip from San Francisco to Buellton is only 284 miles, we were tired and found ourselves turning in early for the night.
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Jennie
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