"Ojai, California" Top 5 Page for this destination Ojai by soozyd

Ojai is a sweet little town less than 15 miles from the Ventura coast. In the summer, it's a dry and HOT HOT HOT little pocket. Here, you won't find a Wild West museum, or a Wal-Mart supercenter, or suburban-housing tracts, or any of the like. I don't even think there's a Starbucks in town, though correct me if I'm wrong....

Ojai is like Santa Fe and Santa Cruz rolled up into one, condensed, and then sauteed with a hint of the more eclectic spices of Southern California. It's a town with its fair share of families, young people and old people, but what you may notice most are the artsy types, the nomadic wanderers, the dreadlocks, the Harley folk and the occasional massive mustache. And everybody that I've come across is friendly, very friendly. This is a place where people say "Good morning!" enthusiastically while looking you in the eye.

Some are drawn to Ojai Valley for its semi-remote beauty, others for its eccentric flavor, and others for its spiritual attractions -- lots of meditation, yoga, a Krishnamurti center, etc. I like it for all of the above, plus it's a really great place for a daytrip or short weekend away from Los Angeles.