Santa Barbara County Wine Country / About Wine, Food, and and Wine Country Living

Posted January 2006

Destination: A Relaxing Detour to Ojai, California

By Heather Irwin

Emerald Iquana Inn

Located just about 30 minutes inland from Santa Barbara, the town of Ojai is a taste of small town California. Accessible only by a twist and turn ride through the Topa Topa Mountains over Route 150, it remains a secluded bastion of orange trees, oaks and quaint old buildings recently converted into contemporary restaurants, clothing and book stores, and spa centers.

With only a single main street running through town, Ojai all but forces visitors to explore the many hidden gems tucked away behind oak trees and down quiet lanes. Here you can embrace the majesty of nature; nibble on spa food, or just sit quietly in the park and read a book.

We’ve picked some of the best places in Ojai to visit:

EAT
Azu Restaurant
457 E. Ojai Ave.
Ojai, California
805-640-7987
The town’s only gelateria and tapas bar, Azu is the kind of funky chic restaurant that could easily be found in Santa Barbara or even Los Angeles. You’ll find friendly, helpful service, however, and a sense of camaraderie (as locals sip espresso at the bar and stop in for a gelato or two). Don’t miss, however, Chef Laurel Moore’s interpretation of Spanish and Mediterranean tapas—or small plates—filled with garlicky shrimp, salads, cassoulet, fresh breads and hand-cut fries with aioli. www.azuojai.com

Suzanne’s Cuisine
502 West Ojai Ave.
Ojai, California
805-640-1961
Called the Chez Panisse of Ojai, Suzanne’s features contemporary French-Californian cuisine with plenty of local ingredients. www.suzannescuisine.com

SHOP
Bart's Books
(805) 646-3755
302 W Matilija St
Ojai, CA 93023

A favorite local bookstore, you’ll find books both inside and outside, year round. If you happen on the shop when it’s closed, there’s an honor box for your purchase.

STAY
Emerald Iguana Inn
11794 N. Ventura Ave.
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-5277
A funky bed and breakfast with eight enchanting cottages. Using names (rather than numbers) like the Treehouse, Peacock and Feather, the inn stands out for its whimsical décor, mosaic tiles and snuggly interiors. Neatly tucked away, the Emerald Iguana (who stands guard at the gate) is intimate, serene and located just a few blocks from downtown. Rates from $189 per night. www.emeraldiguana.com/

RELAX
The Oaks at Ojai Health Spa
122 E. Ojai Avenue
Ojai, California
1.800.753.OAKS

For those ready to get serious about fitness and health, the Oaks at Ojai is a relaxing spot to refresh and renew for a day…or a month. With more than 15 classes and activities offered each day, an on-site spa restaurant, treatments like massage and facials, body bronzing and all the luxuriating you can stand (after that hike), you’ll return home fit, trim and relaxed.

Selected treatments:
Mind-Body Awareness:Stretch and refresh your body and mind with range of motion movements tomelt away stress and tension
Mini-Mountain Hike: A brisk 4 mile hike in the foothill terrain of The Ojai Valley. Morning Stroll: A gently paced 30 min stroll around town.

Ojai Valley Inn and Spa
950 Country Club Road
Ojai, California
805-646-5511

One of the largest resorts in the area, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, which has been serving guests for some 80 years, recently underwent a $70 million renovation. The spa features a golf course, restaurant, more than 300 rooms and various daily activities and relaxation treatments for guests.

Selected Treatments:
-Pixie Tangerine Body Scrub: Using the specialty citrus variety called the “Pixie Tangerine” that is grown locally as the key ingredient. Pixie Tangerines are high in vitamin C, which cleanses and hydrates the skin and stimulates healthy cell growth. The treatment begins with an exfoliation with dried orange peel and turbinado sugar, followed by a pressure point scalp massage. After a warm shower, an application of our ‘Citrus Grove’ massage oil further relaxes and hydrates the guest. The Pixie Tangerine Body Scrub is available from March 1 through the end of May when the Pixie Tangerines are harvested.

-Girlfriend Package: This package – designed exclusively for women -- includes accommodations, a Kuyam – Spa Ojai’s signature mud treatment that combines heat, mud and inhalation therapy for up to eight women in one session, a group reading with our AuraSoma expert, choice of an art class, a guided horseback ride at our ranch, and a copy of Spa Ojai’s signature “Friendship Journal” for the group. Each girlfriend will write her thoughts or wishes in the Friendship Journal and pass it on to the next friend who in turn writes her own “story.” Each written entry is a link in a chain of friendship and is a way to keep friends connected after the trip has ended.