21September2008
Posted by Lelah under: Activities; Ojai.
There are a number of great hikes in the Ojai Valley. One of the most popular is up Gridley Trail, a not-difficult but healthily strenuous hike you can take all the way to Nordhoff Peak, where there are fantastic views, sometimes all the way to the Pacific if it is clear enough. About half way up there is a horse watering trough at the so-called Gridley Springs Camp, and that makes a good turnaround point if you don’t want to go the whole way. You can also go just up to Nordhoff Ridge and then turn around, but the complete hike is all the way up to Nordhoff Peak. It is about 3 miles to the watering trough, 6 miles to Nordhoff Ridge and another mile or so to the Peak.
The trailhead is located at the top of Gridley Road. Head east on Ojai Avenue and then make a left onto Gridley Road and stay on it through the intersection with Grand Avenue. You’ll pass the Shelf Road trailhead on your left and go up a steep curvy hill and then it dead ends in a cul de sac with a gate. Beyond the gate is private property, but you can park along the edges of the cul de sac legally. Just a few yards back down the road you’ll see the trailhead on your right, with a couple of signs.
The path is dry and dusty, and there is little shade, so be prepared with water and sun protection. Dogs are allowed, as are horse back riding and mountain biking, so watch out for bikers. Sunny weekends are when the trail is most packed, so it is usually a good idea to get an early start.
Information on Gridley Trail for mountain bikers including topographical maps: VC Trails
11September2008
Posted by Lelah under: Arts; Events; Food; Ojai; Shopping.
Ojai Day is coming up on Saturday, October 18, 2008. Each year the city of Ojai holds an outdoor fair to celebrate itself and its heritage on the third Saturday in October. It covers several blocks, shutting down Ojai Avenue between Montgomery and Ventura Streets.
October is a beautiful time to visit Ojai. The heat of the summer has mellowed and mornings and evenings are crisp but not cold. The light in the mountains fairly glows. Ojai Day boasts dozens of vendors selling local goods, art, food. (It is a great place to find unique Christmas presents and get a head start on holiday shopping.) There is live music, dancing, performances, exhibitions of all kinds. Park on a side street and head into downtown on foot, as many downtown streets are closed. It’s completely free to walk around and look, smell and listen to everything going on, but you’ll want to bring cash to buy a tri tip sandwich or tamale, or to donate to one of the many causes that set up booths under the oak trees in Libbey Park. Read about Ojai Day’s history and see some photos.
This is where they will draw the mandala in the street come Ojai Day.
Ojai Day. Saturday, October 18, 2008. Downtown Ojai. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Parking on side streets is no problem.
31August2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai; Shopping.
Bart’s Books is a true Ojai landmark. It takes up a large corner of a block, under oak trees, most of its many stalls open to the sky. Walk into the courtyard and you will see a mini labyrinth of bookshelves, organized by subject, and then (sometimes) by author’s last name. The cashier sits in the center, waiting to sell books at half their cover price, and often less. They also take trades for credit Monday through Friday. Bring in your books and those that they want they’ll give you one third of their value in book credit. It is a good way of recycling old books for new.
Never go to Bart’s with a specific book in mind, or a time limit. It is so easy to get lost in thought, head bent to the side in order to read the titles, just wandering around looking for a good read. It is almost meditative, to just look at all the names, keeping your mind open, until one makes you stop and pull it from the shelf.
Look for prices penciled on the upper right of the first page or so. They have a large selection of science fiction, mysteries, and novels, as well as travel, history, art, children’s books, young adult, humor, biography and much more. They also have a rare books section, which is actually indoors. They take cash and credit cards. My personal rule is to not buy more than I can comfortably carry–I usually take home about four novels at a time, spending less than 10 dollars to do so.
Bart’s Books. 302 Matilija St. Ojai, CA 93023 p. 805.646.3755 www.bartsbooksojai.com
26August2008
Posted by Lelah under: Food; Ojai.
The Ojai Certified Farmers’ Market materializes in an otherwise always full parking lot behind the arcade on Matilija Street every Sunday at 9 a.m. It goes on until 1 p.m. I like going around lunchtime, when you can shop and then grab a quick lunch at either the tamale stand in the back of the market or at Rainbow Bridge across the street. The vendors are what you’d expect, local and area produce growers and sellers, plus a few stands that offer a variety of non-edible good, such as the lavender stand that sells lavender in all forms of soaps, lotions and sachets, and the beeswax candle people and various representatives from the arts and crafts sphere.
Edibles-wise there is certainly a bounty of those Ojai classics–citrus fruit and avocados. In addition, depending on the time of year, you will find tomatoes, berries, eggs, herbs, lettuce, potatoes, apples and squash. This past Sunday there was a lovely array of grapes and zucchini flowers. There’s also usually two bread stands, fish, lamb, cheese and honey to be had as well. Prices are reasonable, and even though you can find treasures you didn’t know you wanted, it is good to come with a list, so that you don’t arrive back home with more food than you can actually eat in the next week.
Tips for going:
- No dogs allowed
- It is sunny, so bring a hat
- Bring cash, more than you think you’ll need in case you get a hankering for some lamb chops, though there is a Wells Fargo bank half a block up and a Bank of America two blocks away
- Be prepared to park a block or two away, though parking isn’t really an issue. I recommend parking near the Kindergarten and walking the half block in
- Bring your own bags to carry your finds home
- During summer, go early before the heat of the day gets to you and the produce
9August2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai; Ojai Restaurants.
Treasure Beach and Cafe is a newish store and restaurant on the east end of Ojai Avenue. I ate dinner at the cafe part and browsed in the store while I waited for my party to arrive on a recent summer evening.
The store is in the front half of the square white building with plenty of free street parking in front. It’s owned by Mary Goldberg, who was there to greet myself and my party, and it has tons of thoughtfully selected items, from comfy lounge wear to jeans to Moleskin journals. Almost everything is on the expensive side–even with the 30% off sale they were having–but the items are tasteful and stylish.
Walk through the shop to the charming small white dining room, with its festive chandeliers. Chef Jeri Oshima, who’s known throughout the valley for her excellent catering services, offers a splendid menu of fresh, delicious items. There were three starters, three entrees and three desserts to choose from, as well as a good-sized winelist, with the organic options helpfully noted in bold text. Dinner was a real treat. I ate a beautifully plated first course of red and gold beets on a bed of a creamy horseradish sauce that had a hint of a bite to it. My entree of salmon was perfectly cooked, and the chicken with zucchini that another in my party ordered was so tasty, I almost wished I’d ordered one of each. The portions are not large, a plus in my opinion, leaving you room to sample all the freshly made desserts to come out of the kitchen that day. We tried a delightfully subtle homemade peach ice cream, an apple tart with homemade vanilla ice cream and a selection of cookies. Read the rest of this entry »
4August2008
Posted by Lelah under: Arts; Ojai.
This week marks the 11th annual Ojai Playwrights Conference, a marvelous event held each year at Besant Hill School (formerly Happy Valley School) in the hills above Ojai’s East End.
Several playwrights workshop plays there for a week, which culminates in readings done by professional actors in the Zalk Theater for a paying audience. The atmosphere is informal, but magical, with actors simply sitting in folding chairs in street clothes and not much in the way of lighting, no props. The stage directions are also read. I’ve seen several readings there over the years and it is always surprising how fresh and spontaneous these unproduced plays feel, some of the words you are hearing just having been written a few hours before.
Tips for going: Buy tickets early. Wear shoes you can walk in, as it is a minor trek up a hill to get to the theater. Be prepared to see a few famous faces both on stage and in the audience. The Conference is well attended by LA theater types and local actors with ties to the Ojai community.
29July2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai; Photos.
Ojai is a picturesque place, as anyone who has ever tried to capture the pink moment on film, or in digital, can attest. Even if you miss the orange-pink-purple light saturating the Topa Topa Mountains, pictures of those peaks are lovely in their own right. Here are a few of my shots from around the valley. I’d love for you to share yours. Email me at essentialojai@gmail.com with a photo you’ve taken in the Ojai Valley and I’ll publish it in a later post!
23July2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai; Transportation.
A fun, economical and energy-friendly way to get around the valley while you’re there is on the Ojai Trolley. For 50 cents you can hop on and ride on one of its routes. It travels around Ojai as well as Meiners Oaks. Lots of people use it for transportation, but it is also just fun to ride around and see where it takes you while sitting in one of its old-fashioned-on-the-outside, air-conditioned-on-the-inside cars.
Visit the official site for route information.
Just look for the Trolley Stop Signs like this one by Bonny Lu’s at the end of the arcade.
Ojai Trolley Facts
- Established in 1989
- Owned and operated by the City of Ojai
- Has about 9,000 riders per month
- Doesn’t run on Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day
- Cost: 50 cents
21July2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai.
How do you pronounce Ojai? At first glance, someone might attempt “O-jay,” but the j is an h sound, as in Spanish, and the ai translates to eye. So the right way to say it is O-Hi. The accent is on the Oh sound. Another tricky word you might come across is Matilija, as in Matilija Junior High School, Matilija Poppy, or Matilija Canyon. The name comes from the Chumash Indians, who were the first inhabitants of the valley. It is pronounced Matiliha–with another h-sounding j.
20July2008
Posted by Lelah under: Ojai; Weekend Roundup.
I spent Saturday in Ojai and here’s a roundup of what I saw:
Lots of people hanging out at Libby Park and playing tennis at the Libby Park tennis courts. It’s free to play on these courts, which are the site of The Ojai, a long-running tennis tournament that happens each spring in April.
Tragically, Ojai Video seems to have gone out of business. I rented a video from them just two months ago and had no idea they were leaving. All that’s left is a dark empty building and a forlorn handwritten sign: Closed, forever. Not sure what happened there, but they will be missed, as they had low prices, a huge selection, and it was always nice to be able to rent from there and ignore the Blockbuster that opened in Mira Monte.
Local Hero, the bookstore, seems to be undergoing renovations, but they were open for Casa Barranca wine tastings during the construction.
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Ojai Ice Cream is as popular as ever. In addition to their year round signature Ojai Orange flavor, they have seasonal flavors like peach. I recommend getting the “Hobbit” size. At $2.25 it is a great deal, and the modest single scoop is all most of us need! They are located at 210 Ojai Avenue in the arcade, and are open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
