Ojai, California City Guide

For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Ojai, California Travel Guide has been your connection to Ojai's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.

Ojai Attractions

Ojai made its movie debut in 1937 as Shangri-La. The movie was Lost Horizon directed by Frank Capra. It has since appeared in numerous movies, television shows and music videos. When you make your first Ojai bed and breakfast visit you will understand why. Something unique to Ojai that must be experienced is the “pink moment”. The moment occurs when the sun sets over the nearby Pacific Ocean and casts a beautiful pink glow on the mountains. This mystical beauty has attracted the many artists and New Age spiritualist who live in Ojai.

The more than 35 artists living and working in Ojai have studios in which they work in a variety of media. There works are available for sale at the galleries in the downtown area. Beatrice Wood is Ojai’s most famous artist. In the 1997 movie Titanic, James Cameron loosely based the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater on Beatrice Wood. If you plan your Ojai bed and breakfast sojourn in October you can visit the art studios and meet the artists at your pace.

The Krotona Institute and School of Theosophy invites visitors to their library and bookstore where you can find publications on a variety of metaphysical and philosophical beliefs and attend classes and workshops. Your friendly bed and breakfast innkeeper will be able to direct you to all the local places of interest.
The Los Padres National Forest has hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding in the Ojai Ranger District for the bed and breakfast outdoor enthusiast. Maps are available with trail descriptions, difficulty and lengths. It’s a great way to get some exercise and be with nature.

The Lake Casitas Recreation Area offers water adventures in guarded water playground. Enjoy boating, bike trails, bird watching, fishing and disc golf. It also hosts a variety of special annual events such as the Ojai Wine Festival, Renaissance Festivals and Pirate Faire. Coordinate your bed and breakfast escape to Ojai during one of these events to take home some great memories. Your bed and breakfast innkeepers are your best source for information on these events and remember to book your bed and breakfast accommodations early so you won’t miss out.

The Center for the Arts hosts live theatrical performance throughout the year and special music events. Theater lovers will enjoy the live performances of classic and musical theater.
Visit the Ojai Valley Museum to learn about the cultural and natural history of Ojai. The museum is the only Ojai building listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The exhibits include ceramics produced by Beatrice Wood, Ojai’s most famous artist.

The Ojai Film Festival takes place annually in the fall. The list of celebrities and lifetime achievement honorees is worthy of note and makes for a great place for you to see your Hollywood favorites. Other great activities that you can arrange with the assistance of your bed and breakfast hosts are spa and healing treatments and of course a round of golf, combining the beauty of nature in peaceful surroundings and the added benefit of the exercise.

Wine tasting is available at Ojai’s Casa Barranca Winery. The grapes are grown using organic, natural and sustainable practices. The organic grapes are crafted into fine boutique wines, sure to please your palate. Be sure to ask your bed and breakfast innkeepers about their favorite wine.

Eating is a favorite pastime in Ojai and with that said you’ll find a wide selection of cuisine, atmosphere and prices. Your bed and breakfast innkeeper may have some favorite local restaurants to share with you. Ojai actively pursues being a green community. This makes for fresh seasonal ingredients, organically grown and prepared in creative ways. For the bed and breakfast diner this means great tasting food. There are wine bars and bistros, outdoor cafes salad bars and sushi. Great to-go options make for delicious picnics or eat-in nights when all you feel like doing is kicking off your shoes and taking in a movie in your peaceful bed and breakfast room while sipping on some great wine.

The shopping in Ojai does not include malls with big box stores. If that’s the type of shopping you’re looking for you will need to drive to a neighboring community such as Oxnard, Camarillo or Ventura. What you will find in Ojai are boutiques, galleries and quaint shops selling funky, trendy and artistic items. Unique jewelry items, glass, ceramics, paintings and other art media are the real shopping draw in Ojai so treat yourself to something original to remind you of the wonderful getaway you had while staying at an Ojai bed and breakfast inn or cottage.

Ojai is a bed and breakfast destination that cannot be compared with anywhere else you’ve travelled. Find the joy of planning a memorable bed and breakfast sojourn at LanierBB.com where the accommodations are as individual as you are.
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