Aebleskiver

Aebleskiver Rally Solvang, CA
June 22 - 25, 2011

Solvang was founded in 1911 by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony far from the midwestern winters. The city is home to a number of bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California.

Aebleskiver are a delicacy, supposedly invented by some Dane back in history. They are like a waffle or a pancake formed like a tennis ball.

Day 1.

It is going to be hot in Stockton today so I leave around 8:15AM.
I am riding my little Moto Guzzi this time. Since it only has a range of 120 miles I don't dare try to cross Nevada on it. But gas stops are plentiful on this trip.

Other than the normal gas and pit stops and traveling through temperatures that ranged from 104° to 58°, the Ride was pretty normal for California riding.

I did stop for a real late lunch or early dinner at the Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach.
I was told by a good friend that I had to have some of their Clam Chowder.
The line is around the corner at 3:00PM on a Wednesday


It is just a block from the beach


The sign at the door way


I ordered the Chowder in a Bread Bowl


You order at the counter and they bring it to you at your seat


Here it is


The aftermath and it was gooooddd.


I got lucky when I found this parking spot just across the street


A few pics from the night.
An unknown short person, Linda and Cat



MacGuy, Skid, Nite Lite, Cranky and Slots seated



Slots telling a story



Cranky and Jim



Sandy, I think



And last - here is Nite Lite re-telling the "I left my wife at the bar in Carson City story"


~end Day 1

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Day 2.

Penmaker eating his complimentary Continental breakfast

Lanny and Mongrel walk in for their Danish


Cooking Aebelskivers at the Little Mermaid Restaurant just down the street


My Aebelskiver breakfast with fresh fruit and whipped cream and I also added a bit of raspberry jam at the Little Mermaid


Skid checking himself in the mirror


One of many places that sell Aebleskivers


I was just in the Black Hills, but in Solvang?


Jim is leading a 230 mile Ride today riding Hwy 33 in SoCal.
I did not sleep a wink the first night so I backed out of this Ride since there is no way to shorten it up and take a detour back.
Jim leading out


Lanny and others


Turning the corner


As lunch approaches Slots and I walk to the Red Viking to have their Smorgasbord.
Lots of cold dishes including their very good pickled herring


Slots digging in


My second plate of stuff


Cat heading to see the Kawasaki folks is stopped by Sherm,Skid and Sandy


Back at the Kaw Pasture are the British Columbia contingent one of who had to get his bike serviced in Santa Barbara

Einstein and Phil show up.
Cranky in his dressy outfit


Teresa, Cat and Nite Lite

Now it is getting to be dinner time so about 14 of us head over the three miles to Buellton and A J Spurs for dinner. Actually the 14 arrived in groups of threes and fours.
Teri and Sandy waiting at A J Spurs for their dinner table


Slots, Linda and Nite Lite pondering what to order


Cat and Jim too looking at the menu


Skid has the half slab of Beef Ribs


Slots has the Pork Chops

Back at the Kaw Pasture after dinner the festivities continue.
A mug shot of young Kasey from Washington state


~end of day 2
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Day 3.

The Kaw Pasture

Photos from Paula's Pancake House and Olsen Bakery.
Ed and Carl from Kingman


My Paula's Special Danish Pancakes with fresh strawberry and whipped cream


Cranky, Teri, Sherm (mostly hidden), Sandy, Jim, Cat and Jim


Note the thatched roof with pointed leaves


Big Lefti and Mongrel just finished their Continental breakfast at Olsen's


Now we head over to the Kawasaki Demo and after signing up for Test Rides we go to visit the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum.
Blue sign in a location that once housed a Brooks Brothers store


Still has the hard wood floors and this is only half of the motorcycles that are owned by Virgil Elings


Virgil Elings the Museum owner talking to Jim S.


More bikes


More interested lookers

I also have 20 photos of individual bikes at: Motorcycle Museum

Then a short Ride around the countryside.
Farm workers in the Santa Ynez Valley

Then over to Andersen's Pea Soup the three miles to Buellton for dinner.


Mac Guy has the chicken pot pie and Kasey has the meatloaf


Lanny, Mongrel and I have the Pea Soup Special which includes a milk shake


The long three mile ride back to the motel - That's Mongrel waving


The motel manager's friend Allan has a 1953 Danish built Nimbus


Here's Mac Guy taking a photo of the Nimbus

To see a video of the Nimbus Running - Click Here

Then there are some that just want to relax and read a book.
Kasey in the Jacuzzi reading

And then the sun goes down and it does get a bit chilly.
Linda selling Sherm raffle tickets


Now this guy really looks lost!

~end of day 3
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Day 4.

The other side of the Kaw Pasture.
A mixture of bikes


An old 1929 Model A here for a Vintage Auto Show

I am having breakfast then heading over for my Continental breakfast "to go".
My aebleskivers with raspberry jam and a Danish sausage at the Little Mermaid


After breakfast I walk across the street for our daily complimentary Continental Breakfast I get to have two Danish today since my slip for today showed 2 people in the room for some reason and I have one each of these beauties and a cup of coffee to go from Olsen's Bakery.
And no, I did not eat them right away.


Sherm, Cranky, Phil and Teri deciding what to do for breakfast


B from E, Mac Guy and Mongrel have already had their breakfast

Then 5 of us head out to Jalama Beach via Santa Rosa Road, Hwy 1 and Jalama Road.
Wes leads Einstein, Teresa, Phil and I follow.

Here is today's Full Ride Route:

2 hours 40 mins

75.5 mi

View Larger Map

A photo op from Santa Rosa Road


The other direction


The group at the photo op stop

We pass this field of California Golden Poppies being grown for seed along Santa Rosa Road - photo by Phil T.

We get down to Jalama Beach County Park. A spot that is known mostly to locals and surfers only. Although there is a $10 Day Fee you can get a one hour pass to have food at the Jalama Beach Store. This is what we decide to do, except Phil who heads back.
Me and a couple of surfers. Too much wind - surf's down :-(


Mongrel somehow got there an hour before us and had finished his burger already.
Wes, Teresa and Phil (Einstein)

Read the history of the World Famous Jalama Burger - Click Here.
My Jalama Burger and it was very, very good


Mongrel took this shot of me chowing down


Jalama Beach from the road above - photo by Phil T.


The only way out from Jalama Beach was to back track the 14 miles on Jalama Road. But after that we took Hwy 1 south to Hwy 101 and after a short couple of miles we took Alisal Road to the Nojoqui Falls. Not stopping at the Falls since we were told that it was a mere trickle and a half mile hike to get there. We continue on Alisal Road and come out in Solvang right at the Solvang Motorcycle Museum.
Along Alisal Road just 7 miles south of Solvang


Another shot of us riding along Alisal Road


Then it's off to Hans Christian Anderson Park about a half mile from the Kaw Pasture for our Santa Maria Barbecue. Here is what Santa Maria Barbecue is all about.
B from E and Alan from Santa Barbara


Sherm talking to Cossack from Santa Ynez about 4 miles from Solvang


Our British Columbia contingent minus Lone Wolf


Kasey is the first in the Food Line


Nite Lite and his family run another successful raffle

Back to the Kaw Pasture for a few wrap up moments.
Photo by Phil T.


Phil and Nite Lite hanging out


Linda (Mrs Nite Lite) and Cat


Teri and Sandy


Wes trying to get warm


Einstein and Teresa


And to end today's Blog entry here are Jim and Cat who put on this great Rally


~End of Day 4
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Day 5 - Getaway day.

People are having their last Complimentary Continental breakfast at Olsen's.
Teri and Lanny


Lanny finishing his packing


Wes heading back home to the San Fernando Valley


Phil T. and I head out together at 9:00am. We split off at Atascadero as Phil is headed up to ride Hwy 198 over to Coalinga since he has never ridden that road before. But I just want to get home the quickest way. So I take Hwy 41 to I-5 at Kettleman City.
This is Hwy 41 a few miles from Atascadero


The view from that spot on Hwy 41


But after riding north on I-5 for many miles I spot the exit to Hwy 165 and Los Banos. Since I was getting a bit hungry I decided "what the heck" - and head to the Wool Growers. But I will only have the "short course" - soup, salad, beans, and on Sundays chicken and rice instead of lamb stew.

As I pull into the parking lot I notice a Vulcan with the Nevada plates that I recognize as Slots bike. So I first head into the bar.
Yep it is Slots who is stopping for the day in Los Banos. He will eat dinner later that evening.


So I get seated as Collete and Nicole are the two waitresses working today.
Salad, beans and soup


Chicken and rice and I asked if I could get a couple of French Fries


The family seated next to me takes this pic of me chowing down


A pic of the family from Torrance, CA


I then take my Winter riding roads from Los Banos, but hop back on I-5 as those roads intersect about 22 miles from home. I pull into my garage around 4:30pm.

I have about 75 photos that I did not use in this Blog in a Photo Bucket Album at:
Aebleskiver Rally - Click Here


~end of day 5 - end of Blog
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