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EAT
Ojai offers a tasting
menu of contemporary
Californian cuisine,
from the green juices
and grain bowls at
Hip Vegan (hipvegan
cafe.com) to the
homemade pastas
at Nocciola (nocciola
ojai.com). For a jolt
of caffeine, head to
Beacon Coffee, an
inland offshoot of
the Ventura roasting
company (beacon
coffee.com). And on
Sundays, hit up the
farmers’ market
(ojaicertifiedfarmers
market.com) before
grabbing a coveted
loaf of bread at Kate
Pepper’s bake shop,
operated out of a
converted woodshop
(katesbread.com).
DO
Nature is each day’s
main event in this
tranquil valley. Take
in the pink moment—
when peach evening
light washes the
mountains—from Shelf
Road Trail. Bathe in
healing hot springs.
Or delight in reptilian
company at the Turtle
Conservancy, a stylish
sanctuary founded
by New York nightlife
impresario Eric Goode
(turtleconservancy
.org). Shoppers,
meanwhile, will find
ample treasures, from
the orange-blossom
candles at deKor & Co
(dekorandco.com) to
the desert fashions at
In the Field (inthefield
ojai.com) and the
vintage design tomes
at Bart’s Books
(bartsbooksojai.com).
T
he eye has to travel—true—but the eye
also has to rest. For Angelenos in the
know, that means retreating up the 101
to Ojai, a quiet nexus of natural beauty
bordered by the Topatopa Mountains.
Here, quintessentially Californian
charms abound, from orange groves and lavender
fields to apiaries and apothecaries. Local ordinances
prevent the arrival of chain stores and restaurants,
preserving a small-town feel. And, as believers will
tell you, calming currents course through the valley
thanks to its perfect east-west alignment. Visitors from
near and far will certainly relax at the Ojai Valley Inn,
a 220-acre pleasure playground dotted by Spanish
Colonial Revival buildings, among them Wallace Neff
originals (ojaivalleyinn.com). And what better time to
go than now, with the recent arrival of the Farmhouse,
a new culinary venue designed by architect Howard
Backen. The barn-style complex, complete with a
state-of-the-art Viking kitchen and organic garden,
plays host to special dinners, wine tastings, and classes
courtesy of stars like chef Nancy Silverton, author
Ruth Reichl, and butcher Dario Cecchini. Tempting
though it may be to never leave the grounds, more
inspiration awaits throughout town. AD gathered all
the ingredients for a perfect weekend. —SAM COCHRAN
DISCOVERIES
TRAVELS
Farm Fresh
Culinary excitement and
newfound creative spirit arrive
at haute hippie Ojai, California
1. THE FARMHOUSE AT THE OJAI VALLEY INN.
2. FRESH STRAWBERRIES AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET.
3. ONE OF THE HOTEL’S POOLS.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA SAMPLE
