No, we weren't here to see the town. Been there and done that. Plus old people galore.
No, we were here to stop at a roadside attraction that was definitely on the quirky (dare I say tourist-trappy) side...
That place was this! You may have seen it as a blip while driving through Solvang. This is Ostrichland USA yo'!
You have to pay admission and if you want to feed the ostriches and emus, it's an extra dollar for a pan of food to feed the birds. When would we ever have the chance to do this again?
Inside the gift shop where you fork over your hard earned cash were trinkets, ostrich related items (feathers and eggs and such) and even a stuffed ostrich.
I'm too lazy to even write about this place since all of the info you need to know is on this poster and all of the placards outside, heh heh.
If you do go here, remember to hold on to handle of that dust pan with a firm grip! Those animals are pretty aggressive when they're hungry (which seems like ALL of the time) and peck really HARD!!!!
There are acres of land where the animals roam free but when they see visitors, they flock to the fences...
Appetizing looking, these pellets are.
"Where's my food!"
"Feed me now, damn you!"
These are quite formidable creatures. They may look funny but I wouldn't want to face one without a fence barrier!
Bert offering this fellow some food...
A baby ostrich contemplating whether to get some pellets from TC:
I guess this one wasn't hungry or maybe he was full!
Emus were just as fascinating as the ostriches.
Awwww, baby emus. They were relatively tame compared to the full grown counterparts.
Badly needed shade.
New paint job, anyone?
If ya go...here's what to expect. It's so funny that they used Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" as the background music. Totally no connection whatsoever.
Who else went to Ostrich Land?
Josh from California Through My Lens, of course!
"Ostrich Land - An Ostrich Farm off the 101" October 2011 and updated Jan 28, 2014
Ostrich Land USA
610 E. Highway 246
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 686-9696
www.ostrichlandusa.com + reviews from that four lettered site and trip advisor
This was quite the experience and I even kind of felt guilty inside because what if those birds were overfed? Or do they rotate the ostriches and emus so they aren't gorging every day? Inquiring minds want to know, ha ha.
Our trip was nearing its end. Just a few more days on the road. Our next stop would be beautiful Santa Barbara....
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