Girls Gone Ojai: Beef Jerky, Booze and Hippie Hunting

Ojai Valley
The Ojai Valley (Photo: Ken Lund)

My friend Trisha lives in Los Angeles, Jackie lives in Dallas, and I am in New York City — basically, it’s hard to get together. So when Trisha suggested a girls getaway in Ojai, Calif., just 75 miles north of Los Angeles, Jackie and I jumped.

At first I was skeptical.

Ojai has gotten an annoying rap in the past as a healthy, vegan, spiritual hippie hangout.

And there are still some things that make you roll your eyes and giggle a bit. The “No Talking!” signs posted alongside the anti-cellphone warnings at the famed Meditation Mount lookout are a bit much, as are the plethora of signs warning you that everything is organic. (Doesn’t it all become a little like a double negative after a while? Like: “organic organics,” “vegan organic,” “farm fresh organic vegan.” At some point you just want to say, “Come on — I know this is all made from genetically modified cow hoofs!” Except, fun fact, vegans don’t have the most developed sense of humor and probably wouldn’t think that’s funny. Must be the lack of protein.) Or the shops that sell dream catchers alongside crystals and spiritual self-help books.

But I was about to get schooled.

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The Ojai Valley Inn is a little slice of heaven. (Photo: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa)

Jackie, Trish, and her friend Peg and I all met up from our various cities at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, famed in the area for its food and setting, as every evening around 4:30, before the sun goes down, the light changes and hits the mountains surrounding the hotel in such a way that everything turns bright pink.

“This is heaven,” Jackie sighed while sipping her drink at the hotel’s Wallace Neff Heritage Bar and watching the sun go down.

“I told you!” Trish said.

And it was. Over the next few days we got massages, shopped, hiked, and ate some very good food — one meal was even vegan (don’t tell anyone). The entire trip made me reevaluate the stereotypes I’d held on to for so long — yes, there were signs posting to be quiet and to not be on your cellphone at Meditation Mount, but for good reason. Too many times I’ve been at a beautiful place and spent the entire time trying to post the right Instagram about it, or been deep in thought only to be interrupted by someone else’s conversation.

There are more than a few aging hippies who eat strictly vegan, but they are really, really nice … and some own shops that are really, really interesting. Yes, you can walk into a knickknack shop and be offered a spiritual cleanse, but, I asked myself, “Who doesn’t need a spiritual cleanse every now and then?” And, while parts of Ojai smack of gentrification (a gaggle of Hollywood stars like Drew Barrymore and Jason Sudeikis own houses in the area), it still retains its original feel of a small California farming community that just so happens to be nestled in the San Fernando Mountains at the perfect jewel box spot.

It was the recharge Trish, Jackie, and my new friend Peg and I needed, and, it’s only an hour and a half drive from Los Angeles — not as far away as we’d thought.

Here’s how to have the perfect Ojai weekend:

Stay

For those of you wanting to splurge, check into the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Ask for a room with a fireplace and just … relax. Get a hot Himalayan Stone Massage at the spa and truly forget about whatever it was that was annoying you in the office.

If you are on a budget, head straight to the Lavender Inn, a historic bed and breakfast in the heart of Ojai built in 1874. It not only has wonderful, large, and comfortable rooms, it serves the best breakfast in town. (Side note: Even if you aren’t staying here, call and reserve a place for breakfast. It’s that good.) Even better, the Lavender Inn offers cooking classes and created INNcourage, a three-day retreat for women with cancer.

If you don’t do bed and breakfasts, the Su Nido Inn is located right in the heart of Ojai Village, and each room is like a miniapartment, where you have your own kitchenette, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Rates are extremely reasonable (around $150 a night).

Eat and drink

As mentioned, you should have at least one breakfast at the Lavender Inn, but there are other places you need to try as well, including:

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If you haven’t tried the garganelli pasta with lobster at Nocciola, you haven’t tasted heaven yet. Photo: Nocciola.

Nocciola

Located in an old home, this Italian restaurant is sublime. The pastas are homemade, the vegetables organic and locally sourced — as is the meat. There’s almost too much good stuff, so be safe and try the tasting menu with the wine pairing. You will thank me for it.

Olivella

The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa’s in-house restaurant offers a mix of Californian and Italian cuisine. It is delicious.

Farmer and the Cook

This all-organic café and market is run by Steve Sprinkel (the farmer) and his wife Olivia Chase (the cook) and is mostly vegan and delicious. Try the tacos, pizza, corn tamale, nut loaf, or Indian coconut curry.

The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room

For almost three decades the Ojai Vineyard has been on the cutting edge of wine production in the Santa Barbara area and makes some of the most compelling wines in the central coast region. The Tasting Room is located in downtown Ojai at 109 South Montgomery and has over 300 Ojai Vineyard wines in stock. Ask for Fabien — he’s the best.

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Shops along the main drag in Ojai are filled with treasures. (Photo: Ken Lund)

To do

With the exception of a few gas stations, chain stores are not allowed inside the town, so local commerce can thrive and the town stays unique.

And there are treasures to be found everywhere.

Bart’s Bookstore bills itself as the “world’s greatest outdoor bookstore,” and it is magnificent. Anything can be found here — from classics and first editions to new releases — and at reasonable prices (some books are as low as 50 cents or even free).

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Browsing at Bart’s is heaven.

Beyond Bart’s are stores like Fig that sell home goods to die for and a thrift shop that fashion connoisseurs will drool over. Other stores that rate special notice are Tipple & Ramble, the clothing shop Hattie, Modern Folk, Made in Ojai, In the Field, and Summer Camp.

Then there is the “pink moment” every evening — when the sun sets and hits the Topatopa Mountains at just the right angle and you find yourself in the middle of a hot pink cauldron — it is as beautiful, awe inspiring, and yes, powerful, as the locals claim.

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The entrance into Meditation Mount is very yoga zen. No, this is not me. I am not that limber. (Photo: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa) 

No trip to Ojai is complete without a stop at Meditation Mount, a sacred site on 32 acres of land at the east end of the Ojai Valley, which offers a panoramic view of the mountains and valley … and, for those who need higher help, a spiritual center.

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Bonus: If you are as big of a beef jerky fan as I am, then Watkins Cattle and Livestock Butcher’s jerky is your dream come true. Seriously, the beef jerky is made and packaged fresh daily and is the best I’ve ever had. And, considering I’ve sampled beef jerky all over the world, that’s saying a lot. It is that good.