Hey, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. Today we're sharing our latest weekend trip to
Ojai, a perfect weekend retreat from Los Angeles.
(light chiming music)
Ojai is a small community of
less than 8,000 people and is only ten miles long by three miles. Being small
doesn't hold Ojai back though. It's full of character and beauty and is very easy
to explore, especially in a weekend. Located in Ventura County, it's within an
hour and a half drive from Los Angeles and not too far away from the beautiful
coastal town of Santa Barbara. It's also a great base if you're looking to
explore the Channel Islands National Park. For more information on the Channel
Islands, check out our kayaking trip video from last year. Ojai Valley is full
of small family-owned establishments including art galleries, design shops,
boutiques, wineries, orange groves, and olive oil farms. The name Ojai comes from
the Native American word meaning "nest". It really does have a magical feel to the
place and we did feel like we had found our very own nest for the weekend. In
this review, I wanted to share our favorite Ojai spots including our top
picks of where to stay, what to do, and some of the best places to eat and drink.
If you happen to be in the LA area or even visiting, Ojai might be a great
place to go to escape the city and relax. In fact, I had heard of Ojai for years
but never went until just a few weekends ago. So it was really nice getting a chance
to see it. In terms of lodging, we stayed at the Su Nido Inn, which is branded as
"your nest in Ojai." The inn has a Spanish-style architecture and is
located in the heart of downtown on a quiet street a couple blocks down from
downtown Ojai. The theme of birds runs throughout the inn. Our suite was named
Blue Jay and had small touches around the place in keeping with the theme. We
felt at home in our little nest and were provided with complimentary juices, water,
snacks, along with some luxurious Molten Brown
toiletries. Well, I was told by Fiona that they're actually a luxurious brand in
the UK. In terms of things to do in Ojai, here are some of our top picks. Number
1: Biking around Ojai. The Su Nido Inn offered free bike
rentals so we were excited to take advantage of the service during our stay.
Biking around Ojai is easy. The Ventura River Trail is a safe option for
cyclists and runs right through downtown Ojai, and is easily accessible for many
of the side streets. The trail is paved most of the way and is around 17 miles
long. We ended up covering 8 miles of the trail before turning back, and really
enjoyed the views of rolling hills, the valley, and neighborhoods surrounding
Ojai. The trail is labeled every half mile or so and it's pretty much impossible
to get lost. The farther away from downtown we got, the more peaceful and
quiet the trail became. So if you decide to try it out, we recommend going the
extra mile. Also, the trail has a starting point off the main street but is unpaved
and a bit rocky. We recommend catching the trail behind Libby Bowl, which is the
main performance venue in Ojai and a popular attraction during the music
festivals. If your hotel doesn't have bikes that you can borrow, there are a
couple places around town that offer day rentals. Number 2: Bart's Books. The
first stop on our bike tour was Bart's Books, a local bookstore that's on a
residential street a couple blocks from Ojai's main road. It's a must-see spot in
Ojai and is known as the "world's greatest outdoor bookshop." It's the
largest of its kind in the whole of the US and is definitely a unique experience.
In fact, I don't think I've ever been to a bookstore like it. The store was opened
back in 1964 and was started as a very informal set up. According to their
website, Bart's books founder Richard Bartinsdale
would set up bookcases with this huge collection of books and use empty coffee
cans as cash registers. Local customers would browse the books and would leave
payment via the trustworthy honor system. Things have progressed a lot since then
and it's now a popular attraction with thousands of books that attract book
lovers from around the globe. In addition to having books out in the open,
it also has themed rooms like a kitchen full of cooking and nutrition books or a
study that takes you back in time with hundreds of travel books. This makes it a
very interesting place to explore. And for all of you "Game of Thrones" fans out
there, I even spotted a first edition copy,
which I have to say got me pretty excited. Even if you're not an avid book
lover, it's definitely worth stopping by and checking out. Being an outdoor
bookstore, I had to ask: "what happens when it rains?"
Well apparently, heavy rain is not common in Ojai Valley, and even when it does
rain, wind is pretty much non-existent. because of the geography of the valley. I
noticed this as well when I flew my drone, as I got strong wind warnings when
I went above 300 feet. But we definitely couldn't feel anything on the ground.
This natural situation makes it an ideal place for an outdoor bookstore. A few
buckets to stop any major leaks seems to be all it takes to protect the books
from a major storm. Number 3: Ojai Olive Oil Company. A short drive
north of downtown Ojai is the Ojai Olive Oil Company, where you can get a free
olive oil tour. Tours and tastings are offered on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and
Sundays, and the farm is open to drop-ins between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. It's also open 7 days a week. However, the free tour is only available during these
times. We didn't have a reservation and showed up at the farm for the tour
mid-afternoon. The tour took around 30 minutes and started with an overview of
the history of olive trees, olive oil, and some background on the farm. We were then
guided into the mill to learn about the production of oil before being led into
the tasting room for unlimited samples of their many olive oils. We appreciated the
tour and also the fact that there wasn't a big sales push. The staff was really
informative and super friendly. Lastly, number 4: Shopping. It's easy to spend
the morning wandering through the streets of Ojai which are lined with
unique boutiques, eateries, and hidden gems, like Bart's bookstore. Now let's get
to our top places to eat. While there are several places to eat, we visited a few
during the weekend that we would definitely recommend and love to
revisit. The Knead Baking Company was our top choice for breakfast.
We enjoyed freshly baked bagels and their daily quiche option. There's a nice
patio with an informal atmosphere, and even a bike rack for us to park up
across the street. Breakfast and lunch is served from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Azu
is a Mediterranean-style tapas place which offers a selection of delicious
small plates made with ingredients from local farmers. They also
offer a good selection of wines and local beers, including a few from their
sister company, the Ojai Valley Brewery. It was my birthday when we visited and
they surprised me with a delicious brownie dessert. Usually I try to watch
what I eat and I'm usually pretty anti- sugar, but I was happy to make an
exception at this restaurant. And finally, here's our recommendation for places to
drink. Tipple and Ramble was one of the highlights of our stay in Ojai. It's a
great wine bar with an awesome patio and the perfect spot to enjoy drinks at the
sunset hour. The staff was really friendly and gave generous pours. It also
had a nice shop full of souvenirs from Ojai. We were also given free tasting
vouchers from our hotel for the Ojai Beverage Company, so we decided to give
the place a try. It has an informal atmosphere and is definitely more of a
lively crowd. The selection of drinks is huge and has a good selection of burgers
and appetizers. This was a good place to catch a quick and easy meal after a day
of cycling around Ojai. We also stopped at the Ojai Coffee
Company on our way out of town for a quick coffee and breakfast. It's a nice
coffee shop in Downtown Ojai with excellent coffee. The service was a
little slow, so I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're in a rush. But we
thought the coffee was worth the wait. Have you been to Ojai? If so, do you have
any favorite spots? Please share your experience in the comment section below.
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