Recommendations on Solvang/SantaYnez

jd21476

jd21476

Line Up and Wait
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jd21476
My wife and I are going to take a trip to Solvang in the next few weeks. Do we need a rental car or can we just walk around the town?
 
It's a 4 mile walk to town. I haven't been up there in years, but there was a taxi service and like probably now Uber or Lyft to get town. Once you're in Solvang you don't need (or want) a car.
 
So we decided were going to go for one day to Solvang and then jump North to Monterey for the next day. Should be fun!
 
Santa Ynez has several taxis you can call for. Prices are not unreasonable. Uber/Lyft is available, but may be a longer wait. The airport has Hertz, but there were issues for a while during COVID, so IDK how available that is now.

Be very much on your crosswinds and windshear and note the funny sight picture.
 
This doesn't help your present request, but it brings back memories of 49 years ago ...

I borrowed my dad's Cessna 150E to take a young lady on a flying trip from Oxnard to Santa Ynez for a day in Solvang. At that time, the FBO at Santa Ynez had a fleet of rental cars on site ... all worn and faded 1958 Chevys, and all $5 a day. The FBO owner had a friend in the auction business. If he came across a '58 Chevy Biscayne he bought it. If it ran, it went on the line; if it didn't, it was parts.

19720923_01.jpg

The young lady must have enjoyed the trip. She's still flying with me. :D
 
What great memories! Late 70's made the trip in a Twin Commander with friends and kids. Drove the 58 Chevys over the San Marcos pass and spent the day in Santa Barbara, then Solvang the next day. Loaded the Commander up nearly to GW... well the end of the runway sure came up on me fast. Learned a big lesson that I remember often: you can usually land in a much shorter field than you can fly out of. I miss the Chevys - they were another icon of general aviation's heyday.
 
Pilawt said:
This doesn't help your present request, but it brings back memories of 49 years ago ...

I borrowed my dad's Cessna 150E to take a young lady on a flying trip from Oxnard to Santa Ynez for a day in Solvang. At that time, the FBO at Santa Ynez had a fleet of rental cars on site ... all worn and faded 1958 Chevys, and all $5 a day. The FBO owner had a friend in the auction business. If he came across a '58 Chevy Biscayne he bought it. If it ran, it went on the line; if it didn't, it was parts.

View attachment 94681

The young lady must have enjoyed the trip. She's still flying with me. :D
Click to expand...
I think was in one of those rental cars more like 43 years ago. A friend and I tried to drive it down to Santa Barbara and it blew a head gasket. They retrieved us. Unlike you, I don't know what happened to the guy...
 
Pilawt said:
This doesn't help your present request, but it brings back memories of 49 years ago ...

I borrowed my dad's Cessna 150E to take a young lady on a flying trip from Oxnard to Santa Ynez for a day in Solvang. At that time, the FBO at Santa Ynez had a fleet of rental cars on site ... all worn and faded 1958 Chevys, and all $5 a day. The FBO owner had a friend in the auction business. If he came across a '58 Chevy Biscayne he bought it. If it ran, it went on the line; if it didn't, it was parts.

View attachment 94681

The young lady must have enjoyed the trip. She's still flying with me. :D
Click to expand...

By the late 70's they were pretty clean and all painted Powder Blue. Pretty big back seat to:fingerwag:
 
N1120A said:
Santa Ynez has several taxis you can call for. Prices are not unreasonable. Uber/Lyft is available, but may be a longer wait. The airport has Hertz, but there were issues for a while during COVID, so IDK how available that is now.

Be very much on your crosswinds and windshear and note the funny sight picture.
Click to expand...

I have a Hertz rental reserved right now that they will drop at the airport on Friday and pick up Saturday. Were staying in Buellton next door so a car is probably nice to have.
 
Everskyward said:
I think was in one of those rental cars more like 43 years ago. A friend and I tried to drive it down to Santa Barbara and it blew a head gasket. They retrieved us. Unlike you, I don't know what happened to the guy...
Click to expand...

He's not still flying with you?
 
jd21476 said:
I have a Hertz rental reserved right now that they will drop at the airport on Friday and pick up Saturday. Were staying in Buellton next door so a car is probably nice to have.
Click to expand...

You definitely need a car in the area.
 
So I just changed my reservation to the Chumash Casino across the street from the airport but it doesnt look like a direct route to it. Do I need a rental car or Uber to get there? I called and they do not have a shuttle.
 
jd21476 said:
So I just changed my reservation to the Chumash Casino across the street from the airport but it doesnt look like a direct route to it. Do I need a rental car or Uber to get there? I called and they do not have a shuttle.
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Will the casino pick you up? It's a long walk. You could call one of the local taxis.
 
jd21476 said:
So I just changed my reservation to the Chumash Casino across the street from the airport but it doesnt look like a direct route to it. Do I need a rental car or Uber to get there? I called and they do not have a shuttle.
Click to expand...
jd21476 said:
So I just changed my reservation to the Chumash Casino across the street from the airport but it doesnt look like a direct route to it. Do I need a rental car or Uber to get there? I called and they do not have a shuttle.
Click to expand...

You could walk. Google Map said it's 1.4 miles, 27 minutes via the roads. I called the airport. Guy named Mark said they got a shortcut that takes 15 minutes
 
luvflyin said:
You could walk. Google Map said it's 1.4 miles, 27 minutes via the roads. I called the airport. Guy named Mark said they got a shortcut that takes 15 minutes
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The road between the two is basically a country highway. Not the place I'd want to walk.
 
So we went to Solvang yesterday and what a great little town. Right now with COVID, there is no Uber or Lyft in town and only one taxi. He was available most times to pick us up but I would say for the price of the cab fair we should have just rented a car for the convenience.

Also, to walk from the airport to the casino is either down the shoulder of a two lane well travelled road or through a field. Neither is ideal for dragging luggage. Needless to say we called a taxi.

If you plan to go from the airport to downtown Solvang it is 4 miles. The first two are on that same two lane heavy travelled road without a shoulder but the last two have a nice bike lane starting at the High School and then all the way in to town. We called a taxi here as well.
 
N1120A said:
The road between the two is basically a country highway. Not the place I'd want to walk.
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There’s a little path thru the grass and down the hill towards town. Easy peasy. Done it multiple times. Not ideal if you and your lady are carrying heavy bags or wearing high heels. Short walk to the casino.
 
Reminiscing...

We were in the area (commercial flight) for a wedding and decided to drive around. Stopped at Santa Ynez airport and it was love at first sight. Someday...
 
Leaned to fly in 1970 in Van Nuys at 18 y/o. That year I flew with my gf to Santa Ynez and rented a 58 Chevy there three or four times, then drove to Solvang or into the mountains for a day hike. I know I am posting this in an inactive thread but it came up in a Google search of "58 Chevys at Santa Ynez airport" with a photo of the cars! I have no photos from the era so it was great to see those iconic cars. There's nothing like that now and never will be again.
 
rkahn said:
Leaned to fly in 1970 in Van Nuys at 18 y/o. That year I flew with my gf to Santa Ynez and rented a 58 Chevy there three or four times, then drove to Solvang or into the mountains for a day hike. I know I am posting this in an inactive thread but it came up in a Google search of "58 Chevys at Santa Ynez airport" with a photo of the cars! I have no photos from the era so it was great to see those iconic cars. There's nothing like that now and never will be again.
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Maybe somebody will start renting out 12 year old teslas for $50 a day. Something that would never happen mostly because nobody would ever want it to happen.
 
rkahn said:
I know I am posting this in an inactive thread but it came up in a Google search of "58 Chevys at Santa Ynez airport" with a photo of the cars! I have no photos from the era so it was great to see those iconic cars.
Click to expand...

@rkahn is now my favorite poster on the board. He signed up to post to an old thread, acknowledged that he posted to an old thread, and gave a great reason WHY he did. How often do we see that?
 
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