Hello again,

I'm wondering if anyone (Kam, perhaps, who's already given me so much good advice?)can recommend which place would be the best one-night stopover with two teenage girls: Solvang or Arroyo Grande?

What would I do without this board?

Thanks.

Hi Sue, Well, I wouldn't recommend Arroyo Grande. Solvang is a little town that was founded by Danish immigrants to California. It's located in the Santa Ynez Valley which is the wine area of Santa Barbara County. Unfortunately, it's become quite a tourist destination and some find it a bit overdone. There are windmills,bicycle carts, Danish restaurants etc. Lots of hotels, lots of bakeries, and lots of kitch! We were just there in June--saw the pretty Santa Ynez Mission and headed back to Ballard. Ballard, Buellton and Los Olivos are other cute towns in the area, but they lack the facilities of Solvang. The Ballard Inn is wonderful if you could snare a room. Again, I would say, you know your girls, but assuming you are driving Hwy 1 down through Big Sur? Then I would consider Cambria or Morro Bay or maybe even go down as far as Pismo Beach. If you are driving the inland 101 I would consider San Luis Obispo (if it's a Thursday market night especially) or Santa Barbara or Ojai (which is where Lost Horizons was filmed--quite New Age) Think teens would most like Cambria, Morro Bay or Pismo Beach.Let me know what you decide.

I definitely agree w/ kam. Morro Bay or Cambria on the coast or San Luis Obispo (Santa Barbara can be a little pricey but it is lovely too) are better choices than Solvang or Arroyo Grande.

My teens liked San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, which are both university towns and, as such, have more going on for young people. I agree with Kam and Janis that Solvang is touristy-cute and somewhat over the top. There's not much in Morro Bay except for its big landmark rock jutting out of the water; we spent the night there and headed down the coast to greener pastures.

My vote would be San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara for the reasons Leilani mentioned. Solvang is good for a quick visit but not all that exciting.

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I guess I need to rethink this stopover. It's only for one night, but on vacation every day counts, right? I was considering staying at the Casa Grande Inn (Best Western), which is just off 101 in Arroyo Grande. It has a pool and spa, caters to a family market, and professes to be only two miles from Pismo Beach, which sounds quite funky and appealing for teenagers. Solvang sounds kind of Disney-ish, which I feel might amuse our daughters. I had considered Morro Bay, too, but was rather put off by the description of a huge power plant in the area. Perhaps I'll look around a bit more before I decide.

Solvang is ok for a stop along the way, but I wouldn't recommend staying overnight. I've stayed up there while on business and found that many of the stores close early and there's very little to do after 6 pm.

I would have to agree with others about staying in San Luis Obispo. The downtown area caters to the college crowd and there are plenty of fun clothing stores, bookstores and movie theaters.

Morro Bay is a quaint little beach town. Don't be put off by the power plant, it really isn't a big deal in the area. There's a big, old movie theater in downtown Morro Bay which tends to always have the latest big hit. The Pizza Port is a popular family dinner spot...some outdoor seating and good pizza. While Morro Bay doesn't have a big beach area, your daughters might enjoy trying kayaking. Since you're in a relatively calm bay, it's a great place to give it a try.

I'll join the crowd on recommending SLO or Santa Barbara. Cambria is also very nice, but a little too touristy in places. SLO is a great stopping point, if it's aThursday night, the "Farmers Market" on Higuera Street is a MUST. Great food in both places, Santa Barbara's a bit more expensive. Not much in Arroyo Grande or Solvang for teens. Have fun.

I vote for Pismo Beach with teens. Assuming you have done the driving of the beautiful coast (in either direction), teens need a place to "hang". I took my teens to Pismo Beach and was very comfortable letting them walk the town in the evenings without me. The beach has a lot of small town action. Small bands at the pier, some great surfing (we just watched) and fun rentals such as beach bikes are available. We've also stayed in Morro Bay, while a lovely area, it was too boring for my teens.