Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [341]
Bart’s Books ( 805-646-3755; 302 W Matilija St), is one block north of Ojai Ave. This inviting indoor-outdoor bookstore, selling new and used books, demands at least a half-hour browse. Just don’t step on the lurking but nimble gray cat. Cowboy Babies ( 805-646-6950; 423 E Ojai Ave) carries ever-so-precious rodeo-to-go packs and hobby horses – not to mention Paul Frank – for tots ready to crawl the open range.
Mingle with residents at the farmers market (300 E Matilija St; 9am-1pm Sun), where you’ll find eggs, oils, jams, nuts and candles, in addition to locally grown fruit and vegetables.
Getting There & Away
Ojai is 35 miles east of Santa Barbara via Hwy 150, and 14 miles inland from Ventura off Hwy 33. Hwy 150 is the prettier route. The only direct bus service is from the city of Ventura. Take the Greyhound bus or Amtrak train to Ventura, then board bus 16 ($1.25, one hour, once hourly) at Main and Figueroa Sts, which goes straight to downtown Ojai. The bus company, formerly known as SCAT, is now called Gold Coast Transit ( 805-487-4222; www.goldcoasttransit.org).
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SUMMERLAND
pop 1545
This drowsy seaside community is locally famous for its supernatural-minded origins. The town was founded by Henry Lafayette Williams, a former Treasury agent, in 1885. Williams was a Spiritualist, a religion in vogue at the time, whose followers believed in the power of mediums to connect the living with the dead. Rumor had it that the spiritualists kept hidden rooms in their homes to welcome the dearly departed – a practice earning the town the indelicate nickname of ‘Spookville.’ Today, those wanting to connect to the past wander the town’s antique shops, where you won’t find any bargains, but you can ooh and ahh over beautiful furniture from centuries gone by. There are some hidden shops on the hill just up from the interstate. Head south on Hwy 101 to exit 91 at Evans Ave. Park on Lillie Ave and walk around town – you’ll never feel far from the hum of the freeway or the racket of the trains.
For the beach, turn right off exit 91, cross the railroad tracks and park at Lookout Park, where you’ll find grills, picnic tables, a playground, and access to a wide, relatively quiet beach.
Stop for lunch at Stacky’s ( 805-969-9908; 2315 Lillie Ave; mains $4-6; 6:30am-7:30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-7:30pm Sat & Sun), a pine-paneled, eat-out-of-a-basket diner where the waitress will tell you if something’s not good. If you want a plate and a waiter, walk across the street to the Victorian-style Summerland Beach Café ( 805-969-1019; 2294 Lillie Ave; mains $8-10; 7am-3pm), which is known for its fluffy omelettes. For drinking, tip back a draft or two under the watchful eye of a mounted jackalope at the Nugget ( 805-969-6135; 2318 Lillie Ave; 11am-9pm), a scruffy, wood-darkened locals’ lair where Bill and Hillary were kickin’ it on the 1992 campaign trail – see the photos.
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CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Don’t let this stunning five-island park loiter too long on your lifetime to-do list. It’s easier to access than you might think, and the payoff is immense. Hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, camping, whale-watching – you’d have to try hard to get bored.
Geographically, the Channel Islands are an eight-island chain off the Southern California coast, stretching from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Five of them – San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and tiny Santa Barbara – comprise Channel Islands National Park. Rich with unique species of flora and fauna, extensive tide pools and kelp forests, the islands are home to over 100 plant and animal species found nowhere else in the entire