Ojai
Ojai (pronounced “Oh-Hi”) is a cute little town in Ventura County located about an hour and a half outside of LA. My dad took me there when I was younger for the Ojai Tennis tournament and for some reason the town quite the impression on me. I hadn’t been back since I was a little girl so I dragged Carlos along with me to figure out why this little town had made such an impression on me. Our day in Ojai ended up being one of the cutest most relaxing days I’ve had in a LONG time.
Our first stop was, Shop Summer Camp, a custom framing and lifestyle shop I discovered on Instagram while trying to plan out our day. The shop carries tons of cool vintage finds and the owners, a husband and wife team, hand select every item in the store. The space was so cute that we HAD to have a mini photoshoot inside. I also snagged to picnic basket, which I’ve been searching everywhere for, which we ended up packing our lunches inside for our picnic.
Next stop, Bart’s Books. It’s been in Ojai for over 50 years and it’s the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the U.S. Bart’s Books is the coolest bookstore I’ve ever been too. I picked up a book called Legends written by great women writers about women who have changed the world.
It was supposed to rain, so we headed over to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Meadow before it started to come down. It’s a restoration project that transformed what was once the dumping site of nearby construction into the beautiful wetland it is today. It’s such a beautiful thing to see the wildlife flourish without the interruption of human beings.
By now, we’re starving! Marche Gourmet caught my eye because of the blue window panels that made it look more like it belonged in Paris instead of Ojai. Turns out it was a European deli. We ordered our food to go because I couldn’t wait to use my new picnic basket (I know, I’m a child) and the owner was sweet enough to point us in the direction of the closest park. Lunch was as cute as it was delicious. I enjoyed every minute of it until it started to rain.
Last stop of the day was Ojai Vineyard tasting room. Now I know I said I was going to stop drinking alcohol, BUT everyone we spoke to in town advised us to go check it out and who am I to defy the locals. I didn't care much for their most popular wine, the Syrah, but there was a Rose that saved the day. (Ant-Man reference)/
This day trip to Ojai was the perfect mini getaway from work and the city. I spent nearly the entire day barefoot wandering around the town, chatting with locals, and allowing my inner wanderer roam freely. Sometimes the trips to places closest to home can be the most freeing and relaxing.
Photos by Carlos DeLaRosa Jr.
