{"id":1598,"date":"2012-12-15T10:13:34","date_gmt":"2012-12-15T10:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theduanewells.com\/?p=1598"},"modified":"2024-12-04T08:33:05","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T08:33:05","slug":"do-you-know-the-way-to-ojai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/do-you-know-the-way-to-ojai\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Know The Way To Ojai?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you know the way to Ojai? Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon do.<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/a>
Robert Pattinson on the set of Water for Elephants in Ojai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ojai might only be about 85 miles outside of Los Angeles, but it couldn\u2019t be more different from its glitzy Tinseltown neighbor. \u00a0While Los Angeles is a classic example of urban sprawl, tiny Ojai, California (pop: 7,862) is the epitome of small town America. \u00a0That is to say, if Los Angeles were Kim Kardashian, then Ojai would be Carrie Underwood\u2026and I mean that in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

One main drag, not surprisingly called Ojai Avenue, runs through the center of the town where you\u2019ll find just about one of everything you need — one antiques store, one lovingly aged movie theatre complete with timeworn marquee, one country store\u2026you get the idea.<\/p>\n

\"Ojai-Downtown\"
\nThere\u2019s no ego, no paparazzi and, refreshingly, no attitude. \u00a0In other words, La La Land it most definitely ain\u2019t. \u00a0Though stars including Reese Witherspoon, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell all have homes in Ojai, they all also seem to leave Hollywood happily behind when they arrive in this rustic slice of southern California. \u00a0However it does not necessarily follow that Hollywood hasn\u2019t taken notice of Ojai. \u00a0Quite the contrary, Hollywood is in fact quite enamored of Ojai.<\/p>\n

\"Ojai-Water-for-Elephants\"<\/a>If you were a \u00a0fan of the hit ABC series, Brothers & Sisters,<\/em> you might know that Ojai foods is the name of the family fruit business that features prominently in the show. \u00a0Ojai obviously provides the picturesque backdrop against which all that high-strung Sally Field drama is set. \u00a0Ditto for the hit teen comedy, Easy-A<\/em> and thebig-budget film Water for Elephants<\/em> starring Robert Pattinson, Christopher Waltz and Reese Witherspoon,<\/p>\n

Though the film wasn’t a box office smash despite its A-list cast, , quaint little Ojai surely got \u00a0quite an up tick in tourism since much of the film takes place in \u00a0the nearby downtown Filmore area on the \u201cMovie Trains\u201d and facilities of the Fillmore and Western Railway, whose vintage train cars date back to the1920\u2019s and have been used in over 300 movie, television and commercial shoots. \u00a0Throughout the week, the Filmore and Western \u00a0Railway offers all sorts of rides ranging from murder mystery lunches and dinners to holiday specials. \u00a0A ride on one of these trains is truly a bit like stepping back to a time before body scanners, long security lines and attitudinal flight attendants\u2026but I digress.<\/p>\n

Hollywood aside, Ojai is just a great little quick getaway where you can get in touch with nature on a hike through the expansive Los Padres National Forest, visit local farms like Friends Ranch and swoop up armloads of fresh produce, indulge in yoga at one of the local studios, visit a spa or grab your didgeridoo and make your own kind of music in a quiet, out of the way corner. \u00a0Personally, I love sampling the food at some of the town\u2019s most popular haunts like Azu (www.azuojai.com; 457 East Ojai Ave; 805.640.7987) which has a truly superior tapas menu complemented by a mighty fine wine selection or Feast Bistro (www.feastofojai.com; 254 East Ojai Ave; 805. 640-9260) where the root beer BBQ sauce on pizza or on pork is an unexpected delight.<\/p>\n

\"Ojai-Emerald_Iguana_Inn_Hotel_Ojai_California_Iguana\"<\/a>In terms of where to stay, the Emerald Iguana Inn (www.emeraldiguana.com; 108 Pauline Street; 805.646. 5277) and the Blue Iguana (www.blueiguanainn.com; \u00a011794 N. Ventura Avenue; 805.646.5277)are ideal choices. \u00a0Both hotels are lush, well-manicured treasures owned by an Ojai couple and both make for excellent retreats. \u00a0At the Emerald Iguana Inn, definitely request the spacious Cricket King Suite which is two stories of loveliness, bordered by swaying bamboo and blessed with the feel of a retreat within a retreat. \u00a0Tucked away at the end of residential street just a few blocks from downtown Ojai, the Emerald Iguana Inn offers a lovely and romantic (if you wish it) escape from the hustle and bustle of life.<\/p>\n

Similarly the rooms and cottages at the Blue Iguana Inn are equally charming and \u00a0homey. \u00a0What I particularly love is that the rooms at both these properties aren\u2019t cookie cutter so you never feel as though you\u2019re in a hotel. \u00a0Instead the rooms feel more like little guest houses on a big private estate. \u00a0And as an added bonus, guests of both hotels get exclusive access the Taft Botanical Gardens in the foothills of the Ojai Valley.\u00a0 Renowned for their South African and Australian native plant collection, these stunning gardens are not open to the general public. \u00a0However, the Inns have special access to the gardens. \u00a0How\u2019s that for VIP?<\/p>\n

\"Ojai-Los-Padres-National-Forest\"<\/a>
Los Padres National Forest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Find out more about Ojai, California at http:\/\/www.ojaivisitors.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Until next time\u2026never stop Living Wells! \u00a0Cheers!
\n<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you know the way to Ojai? Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon do. Ojai might only be about 85 miles outside of Los Angeles, but it couldn\u2019t be more different from its glitzy Tinseltown neighbor. \u00a0While Los Angeles is a classic example of urban sprawl, tiny Ojai, California (pop: 7,862) is the epitome of small […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":1601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,1609,1289],"tags":[1133,1134,1183,1210],"class_list":["post-1598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-california","category-livingwells-travel","tag-entertainment","tag-travel","tag-celebrity","tag-california"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88889"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1598"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14399,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1598\/revisions\/14399"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theduanewells.com\/staging3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}