Ojai travel piece

This is from my food writing boot camp class I took in West Hollywood. This was supposed to be a food/travel piece, but somehow the mention of how to get there using the scenic route was considered somehow irrelevant???? And the whole getting away from it all angle was considered trite:

Anyway, here it is.

Ojai: Getting away on a road less traveled

When life is too hectic, when traffic is too traffic-y, crowds are too crowded and you head’s wound so tight it could snap off with the slightest jostle, it’s time to get away. But this can’t be a getaway that causes more stress than it relieves. This needs to be a getaway that offers ease of access along with an entirely different, laid-back environment.
Ojai, California, is nestled in the mountains just north of Los Angeles in a place that seems far, far away from the endless mini-malls and big box stores that seem to be the norm in the Southern California landscape.
Getting there can be a delight. Sure, there is a more direct route – you take the 101 Freeway north to Hwy 33 and go on north to Ojai – but half the fun of getting away is getting there, especially if it’s scenic. Take the 101 Freeway north from Los Angeles. In Ventura, take Hwy. 126 to Santa Paula. Get off at the signs for State Route 150 and follow the two-lane marked road though the town and up into the hills.
This is a drive, with its Alps-like views, and a two-lane road that meanders alongside the Santa Paula Creek that can quiet the most stressed soul as soccer games and payback dinners fade into the background and an obligation-free weekend away beckons. In the spring the mustard weed blooms and the hillsides explode in yellow, rising into the deep blue that is the sky. Other times of year are equally delightful, unique and waiting to be discovered. The road rises through the hills and levels out in what is known as the Upper Ojai, a series of ranches set in a high valley, with fields of apricot trees and grazing cattle..
You pass by Beatrice Woods’ Ojai Foundation, the Boccali tree farm and end up at the village/crossroads of Summit, where a lone hamburger stand, which is almost always closed, sits by the side of the road. The road starts to wind again and right at the top is an overlook where visitors can view Ojai stretched out below, evoking a Van Gogh landscape, with its Medeterranian-style vineyards, fields of oranges and red-tile roofed homes all nestled at the foot of Topa Topa mountain, which forms a distinctive backdrop for the western half of Ventura County.
Highway 150 delivers visitors outside of town, where the road is lined by stone walls and the orange trees spotted from above. A local favorite, Boccali’s restaurant, which serves pizza and pasta where the not-so-secret ingredient is the homegrown tomatoes, is immediately on the left where the old California oaks offer dappled shade over the picnic area where diners enjoy their meals.
The center of town is heralded by the downtown arcade, with its distinctive scalloped arches facing Libbey Park, the heart of the town. Libbey Park is home to an annual tennis tournament, a music festival, Shakespeare and other performances in the small ourdoor amphitheater.
While Ojai is home to the Ojai Valley Inn, which is a high-end escape for the privileged, there are a number of smaller places available for the weekender. The Lavender Inn, 210 E. Matilija St., is a bed and breakfast that offers rooms that are as quaint as the bed and breakfast’s name. The inn offers cooking classes through the Ojai Culinary Institute, with such topics as farmers market specialties, Italian treats and holiday cooking taught by local chefs and food experts. But if even a cooking class is too much pressure, the Lavender Inn offers massages and other relaxing spa services.
After a morning of travel has generated a healthy appetite, it’s time to take a break and grab a sandwich or salad at Rainbow Bridge Natural Food Store, directly across from the Lavender Inn. The store offers a variety of organic foods and pre-made or made-to-order specialties. Take your lunch and head to nearby Libbey Park, where you can enjoy small town people-watching in the sun. If you’re lucky, local performers will be entertaining. You can stroll around the wooded park after lunch and visit the Libbey Bowl. The outdoor stage offers kids – and childlike adults – a chance to perform, if only for the local frogs.
Spend the afternoon shopping and browsing at the local galleries. Ojai is an artists’ retreat and there are many local artists who display their works. This is the kind of small town where shopkeepers are relaxed and friendly. Visitors have been asked to “watch the store” as owners run down the street to “grab a bite.”
One of Ojai’s great joys is the Pink Moment. When the sun sets on most days, the unique topography causes the rosy rays to appear to get trapped by the atmosphere, bathing the town in a pink glow. The very best place to watch this is Meditation Mount, a facility where people are welcome to contemplate the unspoiled view in the Peace Garden.
Dinner in Ojai offers a multitude of possibilities, from fine dining at Suzannes, Azu and Auberge to more casual, but still high-end fare such as that offered at Pangea or Feast Bistro. One thing about all restaurants in Ojai share is an emphasis on local fresh produce. Chefs tend to be inspired by the abundance and variety of vegetables and fruits that are locally grown and they use them well. Just outside of town is the Deer Lodge, 2261 Maracopa Highway (Hwy. 33) where wild game is prepared by a chef who is adventurous enough to offer a smoke trout chile relleno with a chili cream sauce that will have diners licking their plates.
After a good night’s sleep, wake up to a buffet breakfast at the Lavender Inn or try out the more traditional fare at Bonnie Lu’s Country Café or Eggs N. Things. After getting a bellyful, head to the local farmers market where vendors from local farms offer all kinds of treats – from fresh, locally grown apples and strawberries to root vegetables and a myriad of greens and herbs. This is a great place to gather flowers for the week or to stock up on salad greens and fresh, local eggs. Try out the “soap lady,” with her homemade soaps, the “salt lady,” who offers organic Celtic salts to be used as rubs alongside her many herbal potions, or the lavender booth, dedicated to all things lavender.
Ojai is nestled at the foot of Los Padres National Forest. There is a ranger station on Ojai Avenue, just outside of town where visitors can get day passes and directions to area trails. A number of hot springs can be hiked to in the area, along with a bike trail that runs from Ojai down to the ocean in Ventura.
If you’ve worked up an appetite from the morning fun, don’t overlook Rubens Burritos, which is a tiny little hole in the wall that serves huge and tasty burritos, or Ojai Pizza, which also has a great lunch menu.
You can head out of Ojai from whence you came, along Highway 150, or you can choose to go down Hwy 33 to where it swings by the ocean and runs into the 101 Freeway. Either way, the unique small-town charm of Ojai will stay with you – at least until the Monday morning productivity meeting.