California Local: My Favorite Destination for a Weekend Trip Is Ojai

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have visited many beautiful places in California over the years.

My hometown offered easy access to coastal cities like Santa Cruz and Monterey. I’ve also explored popular destinations like Sonoma, Napa, and Palm Springs in search of the perfect weekend getaway.

Recently, while in Los Angeles, my husband and I planned a weekend stay in a place I’d always wanted to visit — Ojai (pronounced “Oh-Hi”).

The Southern California city has long been a favorite destination for creative types, attracting writers, artists, and actors for decades. Many Hollywood stars, like Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and John Krasinski, have even owned homes in the area.

Ojai seems a mix of quiet luxury and bohemian eccentricity, but I think what really draws people in and invites them to stay is its authenticity.

Now, it’s my No. 1 recommendation for a SoCal weekend getaway.

Ojai feels remote, but it’s surprisingly easy to access

Situated between the Western Transverse Ranges in Ventura County, the Ojai Valley is surrounded by rolling hills and steeply rising mountains.

As you descend into the valley, the small city of Ojai (with a population under 8,000) seems to materialize out of nowhere. Ranches and barns give way to dozens of restaurants, shops, and spas in the walkable town center, just right for weekend exploration.

It’s an easy hour-and-a-half drive from Los Angeles, and less than 20 miles inland from Ventura, making it a quick escape from the city that feels worlds away from everything — the stunning views of the Topatopa Mountains certainly help.

The small city feels built for relaxation and wellness

Ojai offers a variety of accommodations for relaxing. There are large resorts, like the Ojai Valley Inn, offering glittering pools and a championship golf course, or smaller options, like the Hotel El Roblar, a Spanish-style retreat situated in town.

We chose to stay at the Hummingbird Inn, a boutique hotel, because we liked its easy access to downtown and amenities that included a pool and complimentary bicycles.

Aside from relaxing resorts, Ojai is famous for its focus on wellness. For centuries, people have flocked to the area for its mineral hot springs and crisp air, which many believe have healing powers.

Today, you’ll find dozens of wellness-focused experiences, from the Kuyam communal treatment at Spa Ojai, which combines desert clays with traditional Indigenous Chumash storytelling, to lymphatic drainage treatments at The Spa at the Lavender Inn.

On our weekend trip, we opted for traditional massages at Honest Rituals to tap into the serenity of our Ojai experience.

In Ojai, you won’t find corporate chain restaurants — and that’s part of the charm

Ojai has heavily restricted large chain restaurants and retailers within city limits, which has prevented many big names from taking root in the small community.

Instead, residents seem dedicated to supporting local businesses, which only adds to the town center’s distinctly tight-knit feel.

Inside the Topa Topa Brewing Company, we devoured the Katsu Sando from the Asian-fusion kitchen, Little Sama Ojai. For breakfast, we tried a local favorite, Bonnie Lu’s. It feels like a place where everyone knows your name, and if they don’t, they’ll ask.

Ojai Coffee Roasters and Three Birds provided our caffeine fix and offered easy breakfast options, plus plenty of outdoor seating.

Our dinner at Ojai Rôtie was especially memorable, with its mouth-watering Lebanese dishes and perfect wine pairings. The eatery is also known for its sourdough bread, and it deserves all of the hype.

Ojai’s unique boutiques are also great for souvenir shopping

An especially impressive spot to visit in Ojai is Bart’s Books, which seems quite unassuming from the outside.

Greenery covers the one-story brick-and-wood structure, and tons of books are lined up on the built-in outdoor shelves, inviting anyone passing by to take a look.

Inside the open-air shop, the largest outdoor bookstore in the world, you’ll find over 130,000 books from every genre and a selection of locally-made souvenirs like ceramic mugs and canvas totes, perfect for carrying your literary haul back home.

Along Ojai Avenue, there are also dozens of boutiques for every taste.

We loved stopping by thrift shops, home-decor stores, and specialty food shops, like Ojai Olive Press and Heavenly Honey Company of Ojai.

Antique shops like Treasures of Ojai felt like perfect places to find colorful barware and vintage jewelry. I also bought a handmade ornament from Ojai’s family-owned department store, Rains, as a memento from our trip.

There’s no place like Ojai, and I hope it stays that way

Many towns offer similar experiences to Ojai — after all, you can find charming shops and restaurants almost anywhere.

But to me, what makes Ojai unforgettable is its lack of pretense. Every person we encountered seemed truly friendly and happy to offer a recommendation or thoughtful suggestion. It felt like a place where people stop you on the street just to make small talk.

Ojai welcomed us with open arms, and that authenticity, combined with natural beauty, made for an unforgettable experience.

The city is absolutely worth visiting — and if you’re lucky, you might just catch one of its famous pink sunsets glowing over the Topatopa Mountains.