Well folks, #DeathValley is a great place to go for the winter if you like warm dry weather… But every paradise has its set backs… The #Desert’s set back is definitely #SandStorms…. Tracey and I gave #TheMillenniumFalcon a huge cleaning before we left but yet we are still finding sand everywhere… As I have said before, if the Millennium Falcon had a butt crack, there would be sand in it… lol!

We woke up in a pull off right before a tunnel… Last night, we had no idea there was a tunnel ahead… That’s what makes parking in the dark so fun… You never know what you are going to wake up to in the morning…

The sights were already amazing… The drive yesterday was absolutely gorgeous… Driving up the coast you see so many different landscapes as the road hugs the ocean and then veers inward for a few miles only to make its way back to the sea again…

I am still obsessed with #tunnels… I just can’t believe man can dig right through the center of a #mountain… When I was a kid I always got excited when we would go through tunnels…

But then again, those were the days when you had to entertain yourself in the car… There were no iPads or iPhones to focus on… So things like tunnels showing up on a long trip became pathetically exciting… lol…

So it’s Easter folks…. Happy Easter! Tracey had planned a day in a #Holland themed town called #Solvang… We planned on seeing some cool #EasternEuropeanHeritage as we enjoy a nice #EasterDinner on the road…

But first, Tracey found this cool #waterfall to check out at #NojoquiFallsPark… We almost didn’t go because we got a late start this morning… Tracey and I are horrible when it comes to this… We could spend all day in bed, lounging… It’s nice when you are relaxing in a warm bed but when you get behind on your plans, you start to feel really guilty and rushed…

The park was a lot more than we expected… There were all kinds of latino families celebrating Easter with their families… #Barbecues were everywhere…

It was so refreshing to see this type of #family unity on this special #ChristianHoliday… God, I love the #LatinCulture… They are so family oriented and simple… This is what we mostly get south of the border, coming into this country…

They’re not criminals like our #President likes to paint them… I have worked with #Latinos and #Mexicans all of my life… Almost every single one of them were decent family men or women… Very religious, family oriented, good people…

Just like the Italian, Irish, Jewish and Japanese immigrants who came here in the past… They are all mostly decent people… They add to this country’s success and make its democracy stronger… And just like today, there were #RacistPoliticians in the past who painted these immigrants as criminals, just so they could get elected…

It’s disgusting we have a leader acting in such ways! #Immigrants have always been singled out and abused all throughout #AmericanHistory… Only the race or heritage changes with time… When willl this country grow up and realize we are stronger as a mixed melting pot because that is what a democracy is supposed to look like… If you have a country boasting equal rights for everyone, I’m sorry but everyone is going to want to be apart of it considering most countries cannot measure up to such freedoms… I’m an immigrant myself, so I understand how it feels to be in a foreign country and not know anyone…

When you have freedom, it’s for all people from all origins… that’s what makes America so great and different from almost any other country in this world…

It was a short hike to the #waterfall, which was quite beautiful… we didn’t bother getting close because there were so many families up ahead…

I couldn’t get over the drooping trees out here… They looked so out of place up here… they looked like they should be in a swamp in Tennessee or something…

We were soon back on the road, heading for #Solvang,CA… Tracey has German heritage, so Solvang was a place her and her family had been before… I think it was good for Tracey to revisit such pleasant memories of visiting this city with her dad…

Solvang was pretty damn awesome… We parked in a lot next to a police station… the city was pretty quiet on Easter but we didn’t get there until late afternoon…

This mermaid water fountain was one of the first things you would see entering the town… I guess this is a replica of an actual #MermaidWaterFountain in #Copenhagen,Switzerland…

It definitely looked like #Holland! In the early 1900’s the #Danish purchased 9,000 acres of land out here to get away from the harsh MidWestern winters…

They wanted to form a #DanishCity where visitors could get a taste of Denmark… I have never really explored the Eastern Europe culture…

There’s definitely a lot of drinking, which makes it an attractive culture to explore… Tracey and I visited a few tasting rooms and bakeries as we walked around…

This wine shop was inside the top of a #DanushWindmill… Very cute and simple…

Seeing all of this #Wine&Cheese, #TheTravelingMac was getting a little hungry and thirsty…

And this town was bringing out the sophisticated side of The Traveling Mac, so we decided to taste some wine and cheese before we looked for a nice Easter Dinner to end our day…

We found this cute little place called #DascombCellars…

We ordered from a #TastingMenu… We got to try some really good #DanishCheese with some nice white and red wine pairings…

We may had got a late start today but we were making up for it with a really nice evening out…

After the wine tasting, we walked around looking for a good restaurant to eat…

A lot of places were closed… Some didn’t open at all and a lot were open in the morning to early afternoon…

We pretty much had the city to ourselves, which was really nice… The restaurants were not busy which is a plus deal for me and Tracey… Working in the Restaurant business, we hate to go into a restaurant that is slammed… It’s just not enjoyable for us… All it does is conjure up waiter nightmares from the past… We get anxious and uncomfortable seeing staff run around with their heads cut off because we know how it feels…

So, when Tracey and I go out, we try to find slower, smaller, family run places… We like to relax and chat with our server and learn about the restaurant as we have a nice, long dinner…

And this was the perfect place… They didn’t close for another hour and they had already gone through their busy time…

And this place was very special indeed…. I had a Danish inspired cocktail along with some amazing Danish food… This was our first full day on the road, exploring a new town on our way to #Talkeetna,Alaska and it was probably one of the best Easters I have ever had!

Just me and my two ladies heading into the unknown… Somewhat scary yet exhilarating at the same time…

After an amazing, relaxing Easter dinner, Tracey and I headed to a #RestStop not too far away on #Route101…It was another blind parking in the night… I wonder what sights I will wake up to in the morning… I can’t wait to park in the dark in the middle of the #ALCAN! The mornings up there are going to be unforgettable… And guess what? It doesn’t cost me a hell of a lot to have these amazing experiences… It’s a good life folks!