This post is sponsored. All opinions are my own!
After two back to back media travel press trips my husband turned to me and said, ” You should create a new series on your blog called ‘Dr. Kim: On the Go!’ and I have to admit there is a certain ring to it! Whether it’s traveling solo for work or traveling as a family, I am on the go – a lot!
No matter how much you travel, each experience is unique, even if you’ve been there multiple times. I never take any travel experience for granted. I love going on new adventures with my family and making new memories for all of us! I want my children to see new places and learn about the world in an experiential way. So thankfully, my family and I were recently gifted with an incredible trip to Buellton, California in Santa Barbara County. In Buellton, you can “Eat, Stay, and Play” and let me tell you there was so much to do and see, we didn’t even get to it all!
Buellton is about a 4 hour drive from the San Diego area, less than 5 hours from San Francisco, and only 2 1/2 hours from Los Angeles! It it right next door to Solvang, which you will learn more about through this post, and the entire area is beautiful, fun, affordable, and very family friendly!
Who has seen the movie Sideways? Well part of the movie was filmed in the Buellton area, the home of over 80 wineries within a 7 mile radius! Luckily while we were in town, it was the weekend of the annual Wine and Chili Festival, so we were able to taste local wines from various vineyards in one place! We listened and danced to live music, sampled red and green chilis from local chefs and even did a little shopping from local boutiques that had a booth at the event!
But let me back up and start from the beginning…
When we first arrived, we checked into the Hampton Inn & Suites – a Hilton Hotel in the city of Buellton – for two nights!
The hotel is brand new and not even a year old. Everything is new, clean, and upgraded!
Every staff member was extremely kind and helpful and we were given quality service every step of the way.
The hotel is tucked away less than a minute from the main road so it is nice and quiet. It has an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool, a Bocce ball court, and fire pits with seating areas with the most peaceful and beautiful hillside views.
And I’m not kidding when I say that the pool was heated to the perfect temperature. I could’ve stayed in there for days it was so relaxing!
The hotel also has a Business Center and a Fitness Gym.
One of my favorite parts of the hotel, especially traveling with children, is the complimentary hot buffet breakfast that is included in your stay each morning. And the dining room was so big and beautiful with plenty of couches, plush chairs, and other comfortable seating. And they had plenty of high chairs, too!
And although we were only there on the weekend, if you’re in a hurry, you can grab Hampton’s On the Run™ complimentary Breakfast Bags, available Monday through Friday! And you can even get fresh fruit, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate anytime 24 hours a day in the lobby!
The suite we were given was quite large and perfect for a family! All rooms have 50-inch HDTVs and complimentary WiFi and of course their infamous Hampton bed®. And although we brought our own pack n play for our son, the hotel offers cribs and high chairs upon request.
Our suite also had a desk, a pull out sofa, and a kitchenette with a sink, refrigerator, microwave and drawer space.
For our first evening in town, we had dinner at the infamous Pea Soup Anderson’s, only a short 2 minute drive and less than a mile from the hotel.
In business since 1924, it is a long time tradition for me to eat here since I was a little girl. It is very affordable and family friendly and it’s never too busy. It is generally quiet and quaint, and of course, I ate some famous split pea soup while I was there! Do you know that they serve 2 million bowls of slit pea soup each year?
After a good night’s sleep, we woke up and ate breakfast downstairs and then drove to the nearby town of Solvang. This famous little Danish town is only about 7 minutes from the hotel, and a 3 mile drive.
Our first stop was Wheel Fun Rentals, for a complimentary surrey ride around town. It was such a beautiful day and it felt so fun to ride around town as a family, stopping every so often at a boutique, bakery, or candy shop for some treats!
My husband bought a few different pastries at the Danish Mill Bakery & Coffee Shop while my daughter and I bought some chocolates at the shop across the street at the Ingeborg’s! She bought a small milk chocolate bunny and I had my favorite treat of all time – chocolate covered gummy bears!
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Ostrichland USA! General admission is $5 per person and children 12 and under are $2 each. And for only $1, you can even feed the ostriches! They are open daily from 9am to dusk and they have a gift shop where you can buy Ostrich jerky, Emu eggs, t-shirts, mugs, hats, and more! And did you know that Ostriches are the largest and fastest birds in the world, can weigh up to 350 pounds and live for 75 years? I love the fact that they co-parent and the mom watches her eggs during the day and the dad watches the eggs at night!!
After a swim and a nap, we went to the 5th Annual Buellton Wine and Chili Festival We were able to taste test unlimited chili and salsa from local chefs, hotels, and restaurants and wine taste from over 25 local wineries! They had live music by the Dusty Jugz and the Bryan Titus Trio where we danced and sang along to a bunch of familiar favorite songs! There were so many booths we didn’t get to all of them but we were able to take home our souvenir glass from the day as a memory we will have forever! And don’t miss their next event: The Buellton Brewfest is coming up on May 5th!
We then went to dinner at Firestone Walker Brewing Company Taproom Restaurant! The best part about the restaurant is that it is next door to the hotel, so we were just able to walk instead of drive!
We started with the Drunken Shrimp, which was pan seared jumbo shrimp drizzled with Pivo citrus sauce and grilled ciabatta on the side.
I then ordered the Braised Short Ribs that came with cheddar cheese grits and crispy brussel sprouts.
My husband had the Flat Iron Steak that came with an 8 oz steak covered in citrus chimichurri sauce, fingerling potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.
The kids both ordered and devoured the Mac & Cheese.
We all shared the Mud Pie for dessert, which we all loved!
The service was outstanding and we ate like royalty. With delicious food, great service, an extensive children’s menu, and affordable prices, I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any couple or family visiting the area – especially if you stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites, because its literally next door!!!
After another delicious hot breakfast the next morning we ventured out to the River View Park and Botanical Gardens for the kids to run and play before we headed home. There was so much open space for the kids to run and get their energy out and there was beauty in all directions. There were multiple playgrounds for all ages, too. As a mom of two little ones, I love when playgrounds are separated from big kids and small kids.
Thank you to Visit Buellton, The Hampton Inn & Suites, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Wheel Fun Rentals, Ostrichland USA, and the Wine & Chili Festival for hosting and gifting us with a family weekend getaway of a lifetime!
Leave a Reply