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OstrichLand USA(Santa Barbara County)

Address: 610 East Hwy 246, Solvang Ca. 93463

In 1990, Ostrichland USA was created by a South African couple and was later sold. It is like a ranch or zoo with 100 plus ostriches and emus that you can feed or watch them roam freely around large enclosures. Ostrichland USA is about 2 miles away from the town of Solvang and is busy on weekends. It was also used in an episode of the Simpsons. Emu is the 2nd largest bird native to Australia with 3 toes and has a speed of up to 30 mph. While Ostrich is the largest bird native to Africa with 2 toes and has a speed of up to 40 mph. They are both fascinating, funny-looking, and scary birds but magnificent to watch.

It took us about 5 hours (290 miles) drive from San Francisco to Ostrichland via US 101 South, CA-246 East, East Hwy 246 in Buelton. We enjoyed our relaxing drive as there are a few places to stop and enjoy the scenery. We parked our car on a large dirt road parking area which is free. The entrance fee is $7 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under, and $1 for a bowl of food/pellets to feed the birds. It is also open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They also have a small gift shop with unique items in front of the ranch to buy souvenirs.

We were surprised as we saw a lot of humungous emus and ostriches roaming around freely within their enclosures and entertaining all the visitors. We finally found a spot with fewer people and birds. It was our first experience and we were a little bit scared to get closer to the birds. The feed bowl has a longer handle to prevent your fingers from getting pecked. The emus and ostriches pecked hard and fast on the bowl with pellets that made an annoying sound. We even saw a few people that had their bowls fell on the ground due to the birds pecking. It was very entertaining, amusing, fun watching and feeding the large birds. The place also has a wall decor or display where you can take pictures. They even have bunnies onsite to keep the little kids busy and entertain.

Overall it is a good place to stop over and feed the ostriches and emus while on your way to Solvang and the wine trails. It’s an unforgettable unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience to closely feed the large birds and watch them roam around freely in their enclosures.

Tips: Be careful as the birds (ostrich/emu) can be aggressive and they do bite so watch your fingers and the young kids. You can all take turns feeding the ostriches with just one bowl of pellets. Free parking on the dirt road. No shade or benches are available by the ranch so bring water or a hat during sunny days. A great place to visit is the town of Solvang which is about 2 miles from the Ostrichland and a small waterfall called Nojoqui.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Ostrichland USA after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

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Nojoqui Falls Park

Address: 3250 Alisal Road Goleta, Ca. 93117.

The Nojoqui Falls Park is located in Santa Barbara County. The beautiful park features the Nojoqui Falls, ball fields, BBQ grills, picnic tables, and public restrooms. The park also offers reservable picnic tables/areas for larger groups or corporate gatherings. It is about 15 minutes away from the town of Solvang.

From Solvang, we took US 101 South and exited or turned left onto Old Coast Highway and made a left onto Alisal Road. We drove through a combination of the paved and unpaved roads for about 10-15 minutes. We even saw a nice winery and a few horse ranches along the way. When we reached the park entrance, we drove all the way up to the upper parking lot in front of the waterfall’s hiking entrance. The upper parking lot area is smaller, rough, rocky, and unpaved. But there is a clean public restroom closed to the parking area. We saw signs posted at the beginning of the hike which included “watch out for mountain lion, direction to the falls, dogs must be leashed.” Walked through the trail for about 10-15 minutes and passed through 2 short bridges, climbed a moderate uphill, and finally reached an area close to the base of the waterfalls. There were warning signs that stated “the trail is closed, keep out due to hazardous conditions such as falling rocks and landslide. Some people crossed or passed the warning signs but it will be at your own risk. There were about 40% of water falling through the falls at the time of our visit. The Nojoqui waterfall is about 80 feet and some people say the word “Nojoqui” is Chumash meaning honeymoon place.

Overall, it was a beautiful waterfall, easy hike, and a nice trail. We loved the fact that there is a closer parking area, public restrooms, a family-friendly park and lots of things to do.

Tips: Bring some bottled water and wear comfortable shoes. Last 200 feet to the falls is closed due to landslide and have warning signs. Wear your masks and practice social distancing due to Covid. It can get crowded near the waterfalls but people were giving way. Watch out for slippery rocks and trails. There is a nice winery (Folded Hill Winery) with a variety of farm animals that is near the Park.

Let me know if you have any questions and what you think about the Nojoqui Falls Park after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site to your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.