Amazingly this was out first ever trip to Ojai. I’ve heard about it for years. We both had. We know people that live there. Received multiple invites to visit prior. But somehow this was out first. We have been missing out!

I left my heart in Ojai

We hitch hiked up the PCH stoping at Thornhill Sand dune along the way which is always a favorite spot for us. Daniela and Star ran up and down the dunes in the gray early morning light. The only sand dune for miles this place feel like an anomaly surrounded by rocky cliffs.

Like a modern Neil Young, Ray LaMontagne has for me become synonymous with country side road trips. This was the soundtrack of our trip:

We took the back way into Ojai driving from Ventura east on the 126 tot he 150 through miles of agricultural land.  Apricot orchards were green and yellow with spring grasses blooming everywhere….   We stop to walk in fields of flowers and observe the golden light.

As the heat of the day presses on we move east of town to explore the rocky cliffs and reservoir.  Home steaders, missionaries, and the native americans before them all found something special here and its very clearly still here.  Ojai is California Gold.