Travel Diary: Ojai California
Last spring, my husband and I visited Southern California for the first time. Here’s a roundup of where we stayed and what we did during our trip:
We spent the first day of our trip in Santa Barbara and it was so fun walking around downtown SB and exploring the various shops and boutiques. We grabbed lunch at Santa Barbara Fish House on our first day in CA and sat outside overlooking the Santa Barbara pier. I especially loved the Ahi Tuna ceviche! Beautiful views and delicious eats!
That night we made our way to Ojai Valley Inn, which was about 45 minutes from Santa Barbara. Surrounded by scenic hills and mountains, the Ojai Valley Inn features an award-winning luxury spa and a championship golf course. Named one of the best resorts worldwide, the property offers a number of outdoor excursions and is an epicurean culinary destination.
We stayed here and I cannot speak highly enough! The property is absolutely stunning with breathtaking views everywhere you look! The staff is so helpful and friendly & the food is excellent. We got spa treatments, played tennis, had a golf lesson and went on several excursions offered through the resort.
One of the highlights of our stay was renting bikes and riding around the property and into town, about 1.5 miles from Ojai Valley inn. I loved that there was a dedicated bike path from the resort to the town and it was so fun to explore the boutiques, restaurants, cafes and artist markets in downtown Ojai.
Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours offers tours of wineries, olive oil farms, botanic gardens, beer tasting & more. Exploring Ojai by jeep was a highlight of our trip!
Ojai Olive Oil is an award winning olive oil company known for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil Cosmetics. We got to visit the farm and do an olive oil tasting & learn about the olives and vinegars. They also offer shipping throughout the US so we bought a few bottles to enjoy at home.
Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve lies on a 264 acre property located in the foothills of Ojai near Lake Casitas. Visitors can schedule a self-guided tour through a 1.5 miles walking loop through the gardens to the South African, Australian and Studio Garden, where the Taft Art in Nature Residents reside.
Located within Oso Ranch, Ojai Valley Trail Riding is a fully operational horse establishment featuring trail rides along the Ventura River valley through some of the most beautiful horse country in California. We rode horses through the valley for about 40 minutes and it was so beautiful! Pro tip: There was very little shade along the trails so don’t forget to wear a hat and lots of sunscreen!
Cruise along the Santa Barbara coastline on this luxury yacht with Santa Barbara Channel Cat. Experience the American Riviera while taking in views of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range and the silhouette of the Channel Islands, just off shore.
My husband and I loved our time in Ojai! It was the perfect place for us to recharge our batteries and come back renewed and refreshed. Read more about our trip in my Instagram highlight.