Brian D.
Yelp
Ojai Love
After a few hectic but fun days at Disneyland, I was ready for some downtime. Cue Ojai, California, home to Jaimie Sommers: The Bionic Woman.
As we made our journey to Ojai, we made detours at Karen Carpenter's house (her final resting place), the exterior filming location of Fantasy Island (Da plane! Da plane!), and the house from Poltergeist (Carol Anne!).
In between locations we grabbed lunch at by Chole, and provisions at Whole Foods, in Silver Lake.
Stocked with nibbly things and adult beverages, we finished the last leg of our journey with a drive up highway 33. It set the tone for the relaxation to come. It's a pretty stretch of road. The weather was much better then we had further south, sunny and 75°.
Parking:
We pulled into the parking lot and knew we were home!
Charming and rustic. This is what I always thought Ojai would be.
Office:
The office smelled really good, essential oils lingered in the air. The lady behind the front desk was a sweetheart, (I forget her name, but she was blonde with retro glasses) and let us check in early.
Sidebar: the morning coffee is served in the lobby.
Check in:
super easy.
Rooms:
We were traveling with a girlfriend, and met up with another friend, who was also staying at the ranch. Our posse rented out three different rooms.
My husband and I choose the Garden Cabin which is located at the back of the property. It's connected by the pool and sauna.
The cottage had It's own entrance to the pool area via the back door, located by the bathroom.
We had a restful nights sleep amongst the quiet surroundings.
The only downside I found was the room lighting. It was extremely dim, but lovely to look at. I wanted to purchase the folksy ceramic light fixtures that were attached to the walls in our room.
There was easy access to the back gate at the edge of the property. The gate opens to a paved trail that goes into town (an easy 15 min walk).
Eucalyptus trees adorned the trail. Ahhhhhhh, I love that smell!
Our friend's rooms were smaller than our cabin, but equally adorable.
I'd rent any of the rooms. I look forward to many more visits.
Pool:
it came equipped with plenty of comfortable chairs and lounges. Plush towels were provided courtesy of a basket near the sauna. The crowd was a mixture of young Instagramers, ready for their closeups, and older folks looking to relax in the sunshine. Well kept and clean. We lived at the pool during the daytime.
Fire pit:
After the sun went down on our first evening we wanted to make a fire. My friend asked the people at Chief's Peak (the tiny bar attached to the pool area) where to find wood, etc. The bartender's boyfriend helped us locate the wood and fuel, which was located in a shed beside the Garden Cottage out back. I built a fire, and soon our friends and some of the staff joined us in the celebration. I was a little leery about building a huge fire, since Ojai was still recovering from the Thomas fire, that ripped through the area a few months prior. One of the locals said it was safe because anything that was going to burn had already.
Wine was drank, stories were told, laughter happened, and memories were made.