From watching herds of wild horses and bison to visiting alpaca and camel dairy farms to feeding giraffes, I think unique animal encounters are among the coolest experiences we can enjoy here in Southern California. This is especially true when we are able to get up close and personal with some exotic species that is not native to the area. One place that I have thoroughly enjoyed (and taken a few visitors to) is OstrichLand USA in Solvang, CA.

OstrichLand is located right next to Highway 246 between Highway 101 and downtown Solvang. There is ample parking in front and admission to the viewing area is inexpensive - only $7 at the time of writing.

There are over 100 giant birds, including both ostriches and emus, roaming a ranch that closely resembles their native habitats in Africa and Australia. These incredibly large, two-toed birds are fun to watch as they run and interact on the ranch.

Fun fact: Ostriches from the ranch appear in the popular movie Sideways and OstrichLand was used in an episode of The Simpsons - cartoonized, of course, and called "Ostrich World."

You'll go through the cool gift shop before heading out to see the birds and will likely want to browse more before you leave. You'll find all sorts of fun and unique items, including many ostrich-related like feather dusters, fans, and plushies. You may find other lovely bird-related goodies such as peacock feather accessories, etc.

The gift shop also sells huge ostrich and emu eggs! Yes, they're real and yes, you can eat them. You can also buy blown, decorated eggshells. Emu eggs are equivalent to anywhere from 8 to 12 chicken eggs, and Ostrich eggs can equal up to 24 of them!

For a truly unique experience, you can purchase food for the birds inside the gift shop. It's just $1 for a bowl of food and you will be given instructions for safely feeding them.

The ostriches and emus are curious and used to people. If you've never done it before, feeding the ostriches will likely startle you a little at first, then make you laugh out loud - at least that was my experience. These birds are very strong and attack the food like they don't have people coming here every day offering it to them. I have to say it is especially fun watching someone experience this for the very first time.

The emus, which kind of look like smaller, fluffier ostriches, are also fun to watch and feed. If you bring kids or want to start off a bit more slowly, feeding the emus is perfect.

Depending on when you visit, you may just have the incredible opportunity of seeing babies running around, too! You can often view baby ostriches during the summer and baby emus from late winter to early spring.

If you're looking for something entertaining and a little different to do, and a fun place to bring out-of-towners, I highly recommend a visit to OstrichLand USA in Solvang, CA. Find more information on the OstrichLand USA website and Facebook page. Have you experienced this unique animal encounter in Solvang, CA? Tell us about your experience! If you're interested in more exciting ways to enjoy this part of Southern California, check out the state's longest and tallest zipline adventure that will send you soaring over Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley.

Whatever way you like to explore and enjoy nature in Southern California, we've got lots of ideas for you. Be sure to browse through more of our favorites!