Ojai Getaway

In celebration of my birthday and our 4th anniversary, Jason and I recently went on a little getaway to Ojai. Strangely, neither of us had ever been there and we had a really fantastic time exploring this quaint spot just a couple hours drive from our home. Jason made our plans for accommodations and warned me beforehand that it was a little but rustic. I wasn’t sure what to expect but when we arrived I was immediately enamored. It was an Airbnb with outdoor showers, tiny cabins and a ‘respectful nudity allowed’ policy. I was all about it (especially since we were the only people staying there!).

They also had an outdoor pool table and a jacuzzi and I was getting all kinds of ideas for redoing our backyard. I’ve big BIG outdoor shower plans now, because there is something truly magical about showering outside.

Our first day we explored the downtown area. What I liked most about it was that next to super fancy shmancy design shops, they had plenty of random, cheap thrift stores, where I found a pair of Wranglers in my size for $5. (happy birthday to me!!)

Loved these chairs from In The Field.

….and these lamps at Dekor caught my eye and when I found out they weren’t lamps at all, but planters, I had to have them. Happy birthday to me again.

A couple of my other favorites spots downtown? The museum, where I learned about (and fell in love with) the work of Jessie Arms Botke. This painting from the museum inspired my tropical watercolors/pattern:

We also sent Ida some silly pics from the museum.

The indoor/outdoor bookstore blew my mind. I mean…have you ever??

I loved just walking around and checking out the foliage and architecture in the area. A lot of really beautiful and lush Spanish-style homes and great landscaping. Many ideas to be gleaned for the Jungalow By the River! I love those huge agave planted in the front of this house.

And did I mention the whole town smells like orange blossoms? It was very romantic and refreshing. Also, I didn’t snap pics of our food — but we had a lot of really amazing meals. My two top spots were probably Papa Lennon’s Pizza and the Deer Lodge, which was just a block from our AirBnB. Another stunning spot (not to be missed if visiting Ojai) is Meditation Mount. My phone was dead when we went up there so I don’t have photos,  but the view is pretty mind-boggling. It made me think about what all of California must have looked like a few hundred years ago.

On the ride home, I made Jason bust a U-turn when I saw a cactus farm off the highway.

We came home with a bunch of plantastic souvenirs and I felt really rejuvenated and more in love than ever with my man.

My Little Ojai Cheat Sheet:
Our Cabin

Fave Shops:
Dekor & Co
Summer Camp
Fig Ojai
In The Field

Cultural Do’s:
Meditation Mount
Bart’s Books (indoor/outdoor bookshop)
Ojai Valley Museum

Favorite Yummies:
Papa Lennon’s Pizza
Deer Lodge