Stories of America | Windmills, Kringles & Bald Eagles: A Santa Ynez Valley Adventure (Part 1!)

Hop aboard the Culture Train for a trip to the Santa Ynez Valley, a sunny stretch of California between the mountains and the sea. In Solvang, a little town founded by Danish families in 1911, we ride a horse-drawn trolley past giant windmills with our friend Danielle from Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. Then we discover the story behind the golden kringle sign and taste kransekage, a Danish treat served at weddings. After that, we head out to Alisal Ranch for a hayride through the rolling hills, where we spot wild deer, oak trees full of acorns, and a bald eagle family that has lived on the ranch since 2009.

Plan your own Santa Ynez Valley adventure!

• Visit the Santa Ynez Valley: visitsyv.com
• Instagram: @visitsyv

Places from this episode

• Solvang: solvangusa.com
• Solvang Trolley & Carriage Co.: solvangtrolley.com
• The Solvang Bakery: solvangbakery.com
• Alisal Ranch Haywagon Ride & Breakfast: alisalranch.com
• Vega Vineyard & Farm: vegavineyardandfarm.com
• OstrichLand USA: ostrichlandusa.com
• Highline Adventures (zipline and Skynet Playground): highlineadventures.com

Thank you
Today’s adventure was made possible by Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. A huge thank you to our guest Danielle Laudon Ruse, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, and to Highline Adventures, Alisal Ranch, and The Solvang Bakery for welcoming our Culture Train!

And a special shoutout to Zack Hall and Georgia Starodub of DVA Advertising & PR, who put this whole adventure together so thoughtfully. From the very first plan, they made sure every stop was made with families in mind, and we’re so grateful!

Support Culture Kids
Culture Kids is a nonprofit, and families like yours keep our Culture Train running. Please support us at culturekidsmedia.com/support, and the easiest way to help is to tell just one family about Culture Kids today.

Follow along on Instagram: @culturekidsproductions

Credits
Hosts: Kristen, Asher, and Arden Kim
Guest: Danielle Laudon Ruse, Visit the Santa Ynez Valley
Audio Engineer: Robin Lai
Academic Consultant: Elisha Li
Nonprofit Consultant: Emil Kang, Jessica Ryan
Produced By: Culture Kids Productions X Visit Santa Ynez Valley
Sound Design: Kristen Kim
Sound FX & Music: Envato Elements, Suno AI