Art & Inspiration Anyone near Ojai, CA?!?

This should be good. Too bad it’s just a little too far for me to push mine…

 

Beautiful area, there were some good restaurants up there.

 

Only thing I know about that city, I think that’s where the “Bionic Woman” grew up.

Hope you are able to click pics!

 

It's a living breathing monster that nothing can kill.

 

Hot rod travel influence in Ojai, CA window shopping.

Hello,

We made our annual Thanksgiving road trip to the Santa Barbara area arriving at Goleta, CA prior to the pandemic. Hardly anyone was on any of the roads other than Highway 1 on the coast. But, we decided to take some back roads to get to the inland destination. We originally planned on staying at one of the nice resorts in Ojai, but our favorite place in Goleta always calls us “home.” The Goleta resort today (Kimpton Goodland) is a reconstruction of the old Holiday Inn from back in 1966-67, when my wife and I were returning South from our Northern California road trip.

All the way back to our almost disastrous road trip during one of the most horrific rain/wind/fog storms we have ever driven in and survived. We got caught in the rainstorm up past San Luis Obispo. But as most storms go, the wipers and slowing down usually makes things better. Our El Camino was doing fine and as we got closer to northern Santa Barbara county, the storm intensified. Coming out of the valley heading for the ocean on the big curving Highway 1 was almost a disaster. We had to move over to the slow lane and drop our speeds down to a crawl, like other were now doing.

So, the cars left on the highway heading to Goleta were virtually empty, except for two of us in separate lanes about three car distances apart. But, the fastest speed of the wipers was almost impossible to see, once it made its journey across the windshield. We were going a snail’s pace and hoping to see some offramps up ahead.

Luckily, the rain kept coming down, but I spotted an offramp off of the highway. Somehow, we ended up in northern Goleta and safety. And, as a big smile came across our faces, the bright sign of the old Holiday Inn popped up down the street. Safety and room service coming right up! Yeah!

Jnaki

The East-West freeway/country road allowed us to go on the backside of the burned out fire areas of Malibu coastline and skirt into Ventura for a side trip to Ojai, (on the way to the late afternoon, Goleta hotel check in.) This was an area that we have not driven in quite some time, 35+ years. It was pure back woods, So Cal, country, roadside attractions. Yes, there are still empty roads ahead in various portions of So Cal, not called Los Angeles or Orange County.

“Ojai, which means 'nest' in the native Chumash language, is a stone's throw from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.”

The Ojai city location is in the Los Padres National Forest. Nearby, there is Lake Casitas, the site of the 1984 Olympic Rowing events. The Highway 150 from Ojai to the lake, continues and ends up in Southern Carpenteria, between Rincon Point Beach and Carpenteria’s Nature Preserve. It is very scenic and a cool cruising road for hot rods or anyone.

In the late 60s and into the 70s, the Santa Barbara area hot rodders had several car rallies and shows in downtown, Ojai. It is home to the famous Ojai Valley Inn. (Starstruck? This place has them in droves...)

But, the two scenic highway drives into Ojai from the South and East are worth the trip. The Western highway (150) towards Santa Barbara is just as scenic and creates a fun atmosphere on the winding country road, ending up right at one of the best surf spots on the California Coastline. Rincon.

The downtown area is full of little shops. There are tons of restaurants and coffee shops, too. In one of the little shops along the covered downtown area, a little old Ford pickup sign kept swaying in the breeze as people went in and out of the small store. I was waiting for the door to open to get a clear shot of that hanging old Ford pickup sign.

One of the oldest and for us, the best Mexican Restaurant is Agave Maria’s. It was established in the mid 60s. But, the new owners recently renovated the restaurant and it was outstanding. No waiting and the food was superb. It is located on a side street, so one must know where it is as other restaurants are littered all over the main street.

The most historic building just happens to stick up by the side of the main road through the town. It is the old, Bell Tower Post Office at the Southern end of the street. It just exudes history and is located next to a scenic, community park and playground.
Vnak photo
San Diego architect Richard S. Requa designed the domed, four-story Spanish tower after the Campanile over Christopher Columbus' tomb in Havana. It was built in 1917. The tower is closed for viewing, but the post office lobby is open 24-hours a day.

The 65-foot bell tower of the Ojai post office tolls every hour between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and peels out patriotic tunes at noon on amplified Westminster chimes. The tiny door to the spiral staircase is locked to all except volunteer bell keeper, a local contractor, who has kept the chimes tolling over Ojai for 21 years.

On June 30, 1975, the Ojai Post Office tower and sidewalk portico became Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 26, along with an old Sycamore tree in Libbey Park nearby.

Being avid readers, we could not p*** up the very unusual converted old house and outdoor patio into a giant bookstore. (So, we actually asked for directions to this unique place!) Bart’s Books is off of the main street and is/was a converted, old, Ojai home. The roofline covers most of the bookshelf areas. But, during a blinding rainstorm, the open roofing tile areas probably get the books wet.


"In 1964 Bart’s Books was little more than a sparkle in the eye of Richard Bartinsdale whose collection of books had gotten so overwhelming that he constructed a series of book cases along the sidewalk so that p***ersby could peruse the ***les."

"In lieu of a cash register, “Bart” left coffee cans atop the book cases. People would select a ***le or two and leave payment in the cans, giving birth to Bart’s world famous tradition of selling books via the honor system.

Since that time Bart’s Books has become host to nearly one million books ranging from the thirty-five cent specials which line the outside walls and are still for sale on the honor system, to rare, out of print first editions, and art books valued in the thousands of dollars.

Nearly half a century after its inception, Bart’s Books continues to mystify patrons, journalists, and book lovers with a character and charm that beggars description and a selection of books that is beyond compare."

Note:

Ojai is a little out of the way, but portrays some of the small roadside attractions all over So Cal. Like other historic places, this whole portion of the inland, coastal area has many places that would fit in the category.

My wife and I have been coming to this area since 1966 together countless times. Before that, our dad took us up the coast several times to San Francisco and back down through central California’s desert/mountain areas to stop at his favorite trout fishing lake. After our drag racing days, my brother moved his family to Santa Barbara and that was his last house, which is still there.

There were countless days of coastal drives to and from Santa Barbara for photo shoots and we always made sure it was part of a short term vacation. If it is there, then we used it countless times… Then in the 90s, our son went to school at UCSB, so countless days of visits tied in with vacations was the norm. The area never gets old… YRMV