THE PATENTED OJAI PIXIE TOUR™

My dear friend Diana Yen came up for the name of this sprint around town, named after the exceptionally sweet local tangerines you can find here all winter and spring, both dotting the endless groves that make up the hamlet, and at the weekly farmer’s market. While I normally recommend avoiding weekend crowds in such popular spots, so many fun things (the farmer’s market, Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan’s sets at The Cold Springs Tavern) only take place on Sundays. Another thing to note: do NOT come here in the middle of summer. Despite the proximity to the ocean, Ojai sits in a valley devoid of breezes and it bakes. Late spring and early fall are ideal to take advantage of the hikes, while the winter will offer you all the abundant citrus that is locally grown.

WHERE TO STAY

Okay, this is the tricky part.  While I applaud Ojai for banning Airbnb short term rentals back in 2016, the dearth of decent lodging has led to a shortage of rooms for those wishing to spend the night here.  As someone who lives part of the year in a town that has expanded way beyond its means, it only makes me love Ojai more but makes it tricky for me to recommend a place to crash.  So here goes the shortest list I’ve ever made:

The Hotel El Roblar- There aren’t a million places to stay in Ojai, in fact there aren’t even three places. And your best bet hasn’t even opened yet, but by the time you come around to booking this place it will be up and running.  How do I know it will be any good?  Well I know for sure it will be Goode, as Eric Goode, the mastermind behind the Bowery Hotel in New York, Chateau Marmont in LA (back in the 90s) and weirdly The Tiger King (he directed it, more on that later on in the post) is renovating this iconic space in the heart of town.

There it is.  One choice. That isn’t even open yet.  I mean, there is The Ojai Valley Inn+Spa, but it’s more of a full-blown golf resort than a special little retreat in a magical town and may take you out of the meditative spirit of the area.

EATING AND DRINKING

The Dutchess The team behind one of my favorite breakfast spots in LA (Huckleberry) has opened up an all-day spot here in Ojai.  The breakfast is what you want here though, you can skip the rest of the meals they serve up.  Great pastries, solid coffee, and a menu of egg dishes and whatnot with plenty of tables for you to spread open a Sunday copy of the Times.  They also happen to have great merch.

Pinyon Pizza This spot is damn good, and not just for their creative Neapolitan pies.  By day they have exceptional bagels, abundant salads, and plenty of other great baked treats.  At night the focus is on the pies with some great specials and apps and perfect wine list to boot.  A special shout-out however to Boccali’s, the original pizza joint just outside of town which might not be a match in terms of kitchen prowess, but it’s location amidst the orange groves is simply unbeatable on a late spring or early fall evening.

Rory’s and Rory’s Other Place.  Rory’s is the one “special occasion” restaurant in town and it’s a local favorite.  Sadly the room burned down at the end 2023 and it’s only just now about to reopen.  In the meantime, they have a more laid-back companion (the Other Place) that serves lunch and little treats.

Rori’s Ice Cream Different spelling, different owners, different town, nothing to do with Rory’s.  But this ice cream parlor in Carpinteria makes for the perfect break after a day at the beach, with all the fruit in their sorbets coming in fresh from Ojai.  Don’t miss the passion fruit!!!

Little Dom’s Seafood Across the street from Rori’s is this beach town outpost of the Los Feliz Italian favorite.  This branch is devoted to the plunders of the sea, from fresh uni caught just off-shore, to piles of fat oysters.  They also have a little to-go deli in the back.

Cold Springs Tavern Tucked away in the hills between Ojai and Santa Barbara ,this old stagecoach house dating back to the mid-nineteenth century has become a favorite for bikers and tourists alike on the weekends when they serve up BBQ sandwiches alongside sets of ragtime and blues by Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan who have been playing here continuously for 45 years.  (A more proper, sit-down restaurant also runs throughout the week and should be reserved in advance come Fri-Sunday).

La Super Rica I know this post is all about Ojai, but being this close to La Super Rica, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Santa Barbara legend.  This innocuous taqueria on Milpas Street is so good that Julia Childs moved to SB towards the end of her life simply to be near this mecca of Mexican cuisine.  It is beyond exceptional.  Bring cash and order the #16 along with a horchata.  And be prepared to wait A LONG TIME in line, no matter the time of the day or the day of the week.

WALKS AND HIKES

Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve  If checking out sea lions cavorting on sun-drenched rocks and walking alongside rail tracks while birdwatching is your thing, look no further than this idyllic little seaside stroll which you can tackle before a meal at Dom’s and an ice cream at Rori’s.

Rose Valley Falls Early spring is the ideal time to make the short trek up to this waterfall that will be in full, cascading display then.  By the end of fall it’s a less impressive trickle but still a lovely place for a picnic.

Piedra Blanca Formations Conversely, you do NOT want to attempt this hike in the spring as a winter’s worth of melted snowpack will create a river crossing too high to forge early on in the hike (it’s about three minutes into the walk so you can easily turn around and call it a day if you feel overwhelmed).  But once you make it to the other side and hike about a mile up the trail, you’ll find yourself amongst a moon-like series of white canyons and rounded boulders that are a blast to scramble about with friends on mushrooms or kids on trail mix.

Shelf Road A classic walk that starts right on the edge of town and can be as simple or challenging as you want, depending on the number of alternate loops you tack on, allowing you to go deep into the mountains or catch an aerial view of the town.

Swimming Holes Essential to staying cool in the sweltering summer months, these are holy, top-secret affairs—often filled with eldery, grumpy nude men—but along the road out of town leading to Rose Valley there are some great ones.  Just don’t mention my name when you find them….

SHOPPING

You don’t come to Ojai for the shopping but if you do want to bring back a souvenir, here’s where to go.

Bart’s Books One of the most special bookshops I’ve ever seen—anywhere—the sprawling space is just a series of courtyards endless sections of second-hand books.  An indoor room houses a decent collection of first edition art and photography volumes.

The Crystal Corner When in Rome…of all the crystal and crystal-related paraphernalia stores, this is the gold standard.  Stop in here before your trek to Meditation Mount and get kitted out.

Heritage Goods and Supply On your way to Caprinteria Bluffs Preserve, stop in here for a perfect Pendleton picnic blanket, some snacks, or earthenware for the kitchen back home.

Ojai Farmer’s Market What it lacks in size, it makes up for in quality.  Seeing as Ojai is a veritable Eden of produce, this Sunday market is the gold standard.  Definitely make sure to check out Friend’s Ranches wonderful citrus selection, along with the mushroom guy and the cherimoya gals.

Santa Barbara Fish Market If you want to go straight to the source and gorge on fresh uni or local black cod, come here and be blown away.  A great selection, and literally fifteen feet from the boats bringing in the day’s catch!!!

SO OJAI

Meditation Mount Just out of town, atop a mountain that looks out at the valley below, this special retreat offers beautifully landscaped gardens ideal for sunset views, along with a couple of pavilions dedicated to group meditations.  Make reservations in advance to secure a spot, and lose yourself in the calm of nature.

Turtle Conservancy Ultra-cool hotelier Eric Goode (Bowery, Chateau) eventually decamped from New York to Ojai and founded a turtle conservancy tucked away on a quiet street on the edge of town.  From giant tortoises to fingernail-sized terrapins, this place has it all, a veritable reptilian paradise.  The one hitch?  It’s not open to the public. But if you make a generous donation, you can spend an idyllic afternoon on the sprawling property.  Donate a bit more (okay, a lot more) and you can spend the weekend in one of the beautiful guest houses on the property.  Funny note, it was in researching a documentary on illegal tortoise trading that Eric came across Joe Exotic and created the Tiger King phenomenon.

The Krishnamurti Center Jiddu Krishnamurti traveled the world lecturing on his investigations to the fundamentals of life for close to six decades, but his downtime was split between India, the UK, and…Ojai.  His former residence is now a retreat, learning center, and orchard open to the public.  It’s the perfect place to contemplate the meaning of your life, and whether you should sell everything and move to this amazing Southern Californian Shangri-La.