Vortices Away! An Overnight Getaway to the Spiritual Smalltown of Ojai, California

Vortices Away!  An Overnight Getaway to the Spiritual Smalltown of Ojai, California
By Kat Thomas, Editor In Chief, Edible Skinny
 
A few weeks ago, Edible Skinny was lucky enough to do an overnight getaway to the ultimate spiritual smalltown of Ojai, California (pronounced Oh-Hi!).  Situated deep in Ventura Valley just 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles, this tiny town is home to 7,500 residents who embrace the Woo-Woo side of life! ;-)

Ojai Valley’s original spiritual gangsters were the Chumash Indians before becoming one of many Spanish land grants along the California coast.  The local tribe named the area “Valley of the Moon” for its surrounding breathtaking mountain valley views.  Later, it became the home base for Indian sage, philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti and his followers.

The Ojai space has long been a spiritual refuge for those who believe in its energy and mystic powers.  If you chat it up with any of the locals they’ll tell you of the town’s “magnetic pull” (created from the Topatopa Mountains) or how the area is situated on a vortex of energy that has medicinal healing qualities.

Last year the town was spared during the horrendous Thomas Fire, surrounded on all sides by a ring of fire.  The residents say the vortices saved the town, but the karma of the Ojai housing and feeding the firefighters for free didn’t hurt either!  But whatever the reason the Gods chose to save this little hamlet, Edible Skinny gave gratitude in our ability to embrace all that Ojai had to offer for 24 hours!

From mid-century retro boho hotels to the country’s largest outdoor bookstore to local organic wine tasting flights, read on!  Here’s to life being delicious, all your moments being postcard worthy, and all your travels involving magnetic pulls from energy vortices! ;-)

The Capri Hotel
The perfect writers retreat!   Our accomodations for the night were at the mid-century modern The Capri Hotel.  With a funky architecture, a hip bohemian design, and a FAB price point, the hotel is the perfect place to work on that screenplay for a couple of days...

With mint green Googie rooms and a GREAT pool, this classic 1960s getaway motel is a retro-hip favorite of baby boomers, pet lovers, young urbanites, and witches alike.  Plus, the hotel offers one of the the best views in town overlooking the Topa Topa Mountains. It’s the perfect refuge to craft the next Citizen Kane! ;-)
http://www.hotelojai.com/

Bart’s Books
Books, books, and more books!!!  Bart’s Books the home to the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the U.S.A.

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 bookcases along the sidewalk so that passersby could peruse the titles.  In lieu of a cash register, “Bart” left coffee cans atop the bookcase shelves.  People would then select a title or two and leave payment in the cans, giving birth to Bart’s world famous tradition of selling books via the honor system.

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.  While there Kelly was able to grab The Sea by John Banville for half what she was planning to buy it on Amazon.  It seemed the energy vortices were alive in manifestation as two people had recommended the exact book to her in the week leading up to her trip to Ojai!
www.bartsbooksojai.com

Casa Barranca Organic Winery & Tasting Room
Drinking, organically.  There’s nothing more spiritual than a good glass of wine, and Casa Barranca Certified Organic Winery fit the bill!

Casa Barranca building, originally known as The Pratt House, was designed in 1909 by the nationally renowned and revered architects, Greene & Greene, and is a National Historic Landmark. Purchased in 1994 by Bill Moses, and restored over the ensuing four years to its current grandeur, the Pratt House is now more commonly known in the wine world as Casa Barranca.

Casa Barranca is the first certified organic winery in the Santa Barbara region.  With a tip of the hat to the Indian concept of Seven Generations, all the grapes used in winemaking are farmed without the use of pesticides or herbicides.  All the water used on the estate is drawn from an artesian spring and their power is solar. 

While there we enjoyed their sumptuous summer tasting flight ($15 per person, but waived with a 2 bottle purchase).  Our favorite was their 2016 Bungalow Red a Rhone blend consisting of Syrah and Grenache from two vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.  The taste was bright with notes of crushed raspberry, cherry aromas, and white pepper.   Cheers to living the pesticide free life!
https://www.casabarranca.com/

The Wallace Neff Heritage Bar at Ojai Valley Inn
We finished our night with nibbles and drinks at The Wallace Neff Heritage Bar at the Ojai Valley Inn.  This luxurious five-diamond, award-winning resort features hotel accomodations, an award winning on-site spa, tennis courts, four pools, multiple dining venues, and a historic championship golf course.

The newly restored Wallace Neff Heritage Bar bonds the history of Ojai, California with a renewed spirit in a timeless setting.  Wallace Neff was an architect based in Southern California and was largely responsible for developing the region's distinct architectural style known as "California" style. 

With noshes from the award winning Olivella we knew were in good hands.  The space’s food philosophy is to embrace the seasonal whims of the region, focusing on the bounty of year-round produce provided by the California Central Coast.  While there we dined of some Spicy Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with local avocadio, micro cilantro, scallion, and crispy papadum, Crispy Calamari with spicy tomato sauce, and FAB truffle fries.  Trés Yummm (with 3 Ms!)!
https://www.ojaivalleyinn.com

Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy. She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures. You can find more about both brands at http://www.thiswayadventures.com

Workin' The Tease at the Oaks at Ojai

My burlesque brand Workin’ The Tease was at the all inclusive spa the Oaks at Ojai last weekend for a body empowerment seminar Beauty is an Inside Job– How to LOVE Yourself Naked and our presentation and accommodations were simply fabulous!

It was a fantastic weekend of sharing all the amazing lessons we have learned from interviewing women, and men; of all shapes and sizes comfortable enough to take off their clothes for perfect strangers.  Beauty is an Inside Job's seminar aims to empower you to in the real world, the bedroom, and everywhere in between!  We spent the weekend discussing body image, confidence and beauty with women almost three times our age in the most beautiful setting: The Oaks at Ojai! 

Nestled in northern Ventura County, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, the Oaks at Ojai is a peaceful, healthy fitness retreat offering guests everything from guided hikes into the mountains, to aquatic workouts under the warm Southern California sun, and winding down the day with calming restorative yoga.  The Oaks was voted by Refinery29 as one of the “20 of the Coolest Spas in the States” along with being “One of the top five destination spas in the U.S.” by Conde Nast Traveler. 

Founded by internationally known fitness expert Sheila Cluff, who began her career as a Sonja Henie professional showgirl skater.  Cluff, known as the Grandmother of Aerobics, is a wellness visionary who created cardiovascular dance in the 1950s, later known as “aerobics,” and pioneered the concept of the modern destination spa in the 1970s.  Long before the fitness industry came up with the term “aerobics,” Cluff drew from her choreography as a professional ice skater to create “cardiovascular dance,” adding a spark of fun to exercise. 

 

In the ’70s when those seeking to lose weight on vacation had little choice but to trudge off to the grim “fat farm,” she conceived of a contemporary spa that combined luxurious European body treatments with exciting exercise and healthy delicious food. Thus was born The Oaks at Ojai, which would come to be declared the best destination spa in the United States by Spa Magazine.

In 2005 after a 45-year absence, Miss Shelia Cluff returned to figure skating as Mrs. Santa Claus in Holiday Magic on Ice and helped raise thousands of dollars for Ventura County Foster Children, a role she reprises each year. Since 2006, Cluff has competed in the Ice Skating Institute Adult Skating Championships and in 2011 she swept the competition by skating to perfect scores and wins in six events.

Here’s to life being delicious, ice skating at any age, and always remembering Beauty is an Inside Job!

The Art of Pampering Yourself at the West ISPA Event

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to attend West Coast International Spa

Association Media Event a few weeks ago at the Montage Beverly Hills where we discovered the art of pampering yourself.

From creating Tangerine scrubs with the Oaks at Ojai, to the healing vibrations of Miraval Resort Tibetan Healing Bowls (on both our feet and head), to dinning on cocktails, ceviche, and trail mix ice cream cones we definitely embraced the art of indulgence.  

While crafting our Pixie Tangerine (which is exclusively grown in Ojai) scrub we learned more about the all-inclusive destination spa of the Oaks at Ojai.  Nestled in northern Ventura County, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, the Oaks is a peaceful, healthy fitness retreat offering guests everything from guided hikes into the mountains, to aquatic workouts under the warm Southern California sun, and winding down the day with calming restorative yoga.  The Oaks was voted by Refinery29 as one of the “20 of the Coolest Spas in the States” along with being “One of the top five destination spas in the U.S.” by Conde Nast Traveler. 

 

Founded by internationally-known fitness expert Sheila Cluff, a wellness visionary who created cardiovascular dance in the 1950s, later known as “aerobics,” and pioneered the concept of the modern destination spa in the 1970s.  Long before the fitness industry came up with the term “aerobics,” she drew from her choreography as a professional ice skater to create “cardiovascular dance,” adding a spark of fun to exercise.  In the ’70s when those seeking to lose weight on vacation had little choice but to trudge off to the grim “fat farm,” she conceived of a contemporary spa that combined luxurious European body treatments with exciting exercise and healthy delicious food. Thus was born The Oaks at Ojai, which would come to be declared the best destination spa in the United States by Spa Magazine. 

 

Another spa that we discovered while at the Montage was the Miraval Resort in Tucson, AZ.  Situated on 400 acres in the warm shade of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval is a top-rated all-inclusive destination resort and spa dedicated to helping guests live life in the moment.  Since 1995 the property has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s top destination spas by Travel + Leisure, SpaFinder, and Condé Nast Traveler.

While being housed in a vibrating Tibetan Healing Bowl we learned of Miraval’s Himalayan Sound Bath treatment.  This spa treatment tunes your body into its natural state and creating a balance emotionally, mentally, and physically as the sound from these ancient healing bowls radiates profoundly through the water.  The result is an increase in mental clarity, stress relief, and a decrease in anxiety as you float effortlessly in the warm water of their therapeutic pool and surrender to the healing vibrations.

So where ever you end up, here’s to treating to treating yourself and life being delicious!