Matthew typically visits Ojai when he is out in California. It is a small valley town about an hour North of Valencia with a charming, crunchy vibe. The community is heavily made up of artists, writers, old hippies and young families trying to live an authentic life. It is refreshingly different from the plastic of LA and the strips malls of Valencia. Anyway, I have visited a couple of times and we have wandered the main street, done shopping, sipped wine at a tasting room and always eaten at the same place.

Matthew organized a weekend for us there to have some quality time in a place we both liked. We drove up on Friday past all the plant nurseries, orange groves and avacado farms along interstate 50. When you reach the town of Santa Paula, it is your cue to turn right and head up into the. mountains over which you find the Ojai valley. I love the drive as I scout farms far different than the ones I know back East. Matthew had arranged and Airbnb in Meiners Oaks which is a few miles up the road from downtown Ojai. We were staying in a beautiful apartment attached to a home in a quaint neighborhood. Our hosts were exactly what I expected them to be and were very helpful making recommendations for hikes, and restaurants we might want to try. The apartment was decorated with lovely neutral tones and cool art. We had our own little patio and access to a jacuzzi, sauna and cold plunge right outside the door.

After arriving, we hired an Uber to go into Ojai and started our evening at a wine tasting room I had not yet been to. We sat outside in the shade in spite of the 100 degree temperatures and people watched whilst sipping a delicious rosé and other fresh local wines. After wandering a bit, we decided to Uber to our little area and follow up on the recommendation of our host to try dinner at a noodle bar. We sat at the bar and shared bahn mi and a beautiful bun. It was delicious.

We walked home towards our b&b and stumbled on the next recommended restaurant from our hosts, “The Farmer and the Cook”. It was part market, part café and very busy. There was a huge outdoor patio and yard filled with little tables and chairs all lit by fairy lights. We decided to stop in because there was live music outside and it was such a lovely evening. Matthew got us a couple of glasses of wine and a slice of vegan, chocolate and raspberry cake that was divine. We sat happily among the families and patrons who were enjoying pizzas that are a special they offer on Friday nights. It was lovely.