Generally, when people think of California they think of cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. But the great thing about a state that’s so large in size is that there are so many hidden, and sometimes not so hidden, gems that are great for living, vacationing or day tripping. Take Ojai, California for example. Never heard of it? Never been? Thinking about going? Well, welcome to your ultimate guide to Ojai this idyllic city. Watch this video all the way through and afterwards you’ll be an expert in all the amazing things through this guide to Ojai that has to offer.
Ojai, California is the absolute perfect escape for either a day or a whole weekend. It’s great for a solo trip, a romantic couples trip or a vacation for the whole family. Basically, it’s a near ideal getaway spot for people of all ages.
Ojai is in Ventura County, which is a little east of Santa Barbara and just about a two-hour drive northwest of Los Angeles. Once in Ojai you’re greeted by a view of the Topatopa Mountains and you have access to delicious restaurants, charming boutique hotels, a slew of hiking trails and fantastic farmers’ markets and art galleries, all of which is exactly what Ojai is known for. And, fun fact, Ojai’s nickname is “Shangri-La”, which is a reference to how health and spiritually focused the city is.
But what exactly should you do in Ojai and where should you stay when you go visit? We’ll tell you! But first be sure to like our video and subscribe to our channel for more ultimate city guide to Ojai, California!
Let’s start with accommodations.
If you’re looking for some luxury and some pampering the Ojai Valley Inn is definitely the way to go. This resort is on a golf course located on 220 sprawling acres that houses a total of four pools. If you get tired of lounging or swimming at any of the pools, have no fear – there is an award-winning spa that there’s no way to walk out of without feeling completely and totally relaxed.
The resort is also home to the world-class Ojai Country Club, which is known as one of the first great golf courses in Southern California. On top of golf, swimming and the spa, the Ojai Valley Inn also offers tennis and a ton of other activities like honey tasting, s’mores roasting and great arts and crafts options for both kids and adults.
You can also take one of the resort’s complimentary bikes for a day and ride all around town. There’s actually a nine mile bike trail that starts at Foster Park, which is home to two different campgrounds, goes through the resort and takes you right to downtown Ojai.
When you’re staying at the Ojai Valley Inn, there’s really no need to even leave the property. With three different restaurants on the property to choose from, the Wallace Neff Heritage Bar for your adult beverage of choice, a café at the spa and Libbey’s market for coffee, fresh salads and McConnell’s ice cream you don’t have to look far for your next snack or meal and you’ll never go hungry.
If you’re not quite ready to spoil yourself as much as the Ojai Valley Inn would require, there are some great and slightly less expensive hotel options in Ojai as well. There’s the 3-star Ojai Retreat & Inn, which sits on 5-acres and overlooks the Ojai Valley and offers a European-style buffet breakfast seven days a week, the Hummingbird Inn of Ojai that has views of Chief Peak Mountain and the Su Nido All-Suites Boutique Inn, which has a variety of suite options that are great for couples or families, to name just a few.
While Ojai is not even close to the biggest city in California (it’s population is only about 7,500), it certainly offers a ton of great activities that can easily keep your Ojai visiting schedule super packed. Needless to say, you will not be bored while visiting Ojai.
If you’re into hiking, you will certainly be a happy hiker in Ojai. Located just 40 minutes from downtown Ojai is the Rose Valley Falls Trail, a 1.1 mile trail in the Los Padres National Forest. This trail has got streams, canyons, mountain views and a waterfall where you can even jump in and take a swim.
Los Padres National Forest itself, the second largest national forest in California, also has multiple other hiking trails as well as 468 different species of wildlife. Some other great hikes in the area are the Matilija Falls Trail and the Piedra Blanca Formations Trail.
A great Ojai day activity is a visit to a 150-year old olive tree farm, the Ojai Olive Oil Company. This is the Ojai Valley’s oldest and largest producer of extra virgin olive oil. If you stop by, you can sample all different kinds of olive oil for $10 a tasting and learn all about the history of olive oil, how olives are grown and how olive oil is made and then bottled.
Ojai is home to Lake Casitas, a manmade lake that was originally constructed to provide water for drinking and irrigation. While swimming is not permitted in the lake so that the water can be kept clean, you can rent boats and kayaks, fish, camp, dine at the café while taking in a beautiful view of the lake and disc golf at the surrounding Lake Casitas Recreation Area.
Into reading? Then you must make a stop at, or spend a whole afternoon at, Bart’s Book Store. Bart’s Book Store has over 13,000 books, both new and used, in stock and is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore that has been in business since 1964. Bart’s carries books that are out of print and hard to find as well as the latest trendy beach reads.
Part of what is appealing and oh so charming about Ojai is that you won’t find any of your typical chain stores. However, the local mom and pop shops still offer great shopping. FIG Curated Living is the place to go for pottery, plants, soaps and other home décor. If you’re looking for unique jewelry and vintage clothing hit up Treasures of Ojai, a 5,000 square-foot “antique collective mall”. The best home décor, such as vintage furniture, rugs and lighting fixtures, is at DeKor & Co. And even though there aren’t chain stores in Ojai, there is the Rains Department Store, which carries clothes, kitchenware, items that make great gifts for your loved ones and products for the yard and grill.
There are also tons of art galleries to explore such as the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Dan Schultz Fine Art Gallery and Studio, OVA Arts and Firestick Pottery, which is both a gallery and a working ceramics studio that offers pottery workshops.
Now for everyone’s favorite topic: food. Let’s take a look at where you can get those good eats while in Ojai.
Olivella and The Oak, both located at the previously mentioned Ojai Valley Inn, are two fantastic options.
Olivella is a prime dinner spot that focuses on serving produce that is grown in California’s central coast. They serve dinner five nights a week and offer a menu that’s highly connected to Ojai’s spiritual culture. As mentioned on the Ojai Valley Inn website, it’s California cuisine with Italian influences in a beautifully serene setting.
The Oak is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and overlooks the Ojai Valley Inn’s golf course. This restaurant also serves up a ton of local and fresh food, a lot of which happen to be grown right at the Ojai Valley Inn. You can dine here al fresco or inside.
There’s nothing like California Mexican food, unless, of course, you’re in Mexico. But a close second is Agave Maria, which is known as the best Mexican restaurant in Ojai. They get all their ingredients fresh from local farmers markets, have plenty of margarita options to choose from and make all the classic favorites including fresh guacamole, enchiladas, tacos and chili relleno.
Deer Lodge is the oldest restaurant and tavern that you’ll be able to find in Ojai. They serve classic California cuisine and pride themselves on having a little something for every customer, including a large craft beer and spirits selection with lots of choices from the West Coast. On top of the food and drinks, Deer Lodge has a patio that’s dog friendly, a pool table in the game room and live music and barbeque with pulled pork and tri-tip sandwiches on the weekends.
Bonnie Lu’s is the place to go to for a serious breakfast. Make sure you save some room at dinner the night before you go because you don’t want to miss Bonni Lu’s old fashioned pancakes. You’ll feel like you’re in a good old diner at this spot and you’ll certainly enjoy the classic comfort food that happens to be served all day from 8:00am to 2:00pm.
Bonnie Lu’s makes all their food from scratch and is famous for their biscuits and sausage gravy, but they serve everything – eggs, French toast, benedicts, pastries AND lunch. Plus, they’ve got bottomless hot coffee so where could you go wrong?
We hope you’re now an expert on Ojai and that you enjoyed this ultimate guide to the city otherwise known as “Shangri-La”. Now you can pack up and head to guide to Ojai with a full to-do list. Just don’t forget to invite us to tag along with you when you go!
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