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Wine trip to Ojai, CA.

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Home Stager with Design by Marla

Wine trip to Ojai, Ca.

My husband and I decided to take a mini-getaway to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary.  We thought about going to Temecula to do a couple of our favorite things- wine tasting and golf.  However, we decided to go north from L.A., instead, to Ojai (pronounced "Oh-hi").  We left midday on this past Saturday in March.  The weather was beautiful- in the high 70's.

Old Creek Ranch Winery

Our 1st stop was the Old Creek Ranch Winery (www.oldcreekranch.com) in Oak View (just outside of Ojai on Hwy. 33).  It is a little tough to find because they are not allowed to have a sign on the highway.  Apparently, people are not having any trouble finding the tasting room because when we arrived, shortly after noon, the place was packed.  This is the second time we have been to the tasting room.  We weren't disappointed either time.  The staff was friendly, the tastings are free and the wines are well made and tasty.  I understand that they will be charging for their tastings in the near future, but, for now, they are free.  They have a nice selection of red and white.  Personally, I prefer red wine and my favorites were the Petite Sirah and the Pinot Noir.  I brought a picnic lunch with us and was hoping that we could enjoy lunch at the winery under the Oak trees.  Unfortunately, the place was so busy that all of the tables were filled.

We ended up enjoying our lunch on the balcony of our motel room at "The Capri".  The motel is a wanna-be "boutique" hotel.  The rooms have some nice touches like the 42" plasma hanging on the wall and the retro white "leather" lounge (very comfortable).  However, I was disappointed that they have not been able to follow through with their vision for the motel. The upgrades like paint and crown molding were poorly done.  The carpet and drapes didn't match the updated modern lighting and color of the walls.  With a little work,  this place could be a really great place to stay.  The pool area looked very nice although we ran out of time and didn't get the chance to enjoy it.

 

For dinner, we went to the Auberge at Ojai.  We had  a superior dining experience.  It is located above street level in a converted house.  We sat outside on the heated, wrap-around porch.  It felt like we were in a treehouse.  The service was excellent.  They have a limited menu that changes monthly.  Their wine list has something for every budget and taste.  The food was excellent.  When they found out it was our anniversary,  they brought us a crème brulee for dessert.

 

After dinner, we stopped at the Movino Wine Bar and Art Gallery.  They have a nice tapas menu, a wonderful selection of wine by the glass and live music.  It is a popular place for locals and tourists with a very friendly atmosphere.

Soule Park

Sunday, we got up and drove across the street to the Soule Park golf course.  This golf course has been renovated in '05-'06.  It's a municipal course but we enjoy the course and the layout.  It has a lot of interesting holes.  The one down side was the pace of play.  We started about 20 minutes late and it seemed like we waited on just about every hole.

 

Overall, we had a very nice mini-getaway, wine tasting in Ojai, Ca. for our anniversary weekend.  When you are in the Ventura/ Santa Barbara area, you should visit Ojai.  Next time we visit Ojai, we want to check out the shopping, antique stores, and art galleries.

Show All Comments Sort:
Danny Thornton
R & D Art - Knoxville, TN
WordPress Guru
Maria, this sounds like it would be fun to do.
Mar 12, 2008 12:18 PM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA

Yes, it was a lot of fun.  I would highly recommend it!

MARLA

Mar 12, 2008 03:19 PM
Debbie Malone
Londeree's Real Estate & Property Management - Lynchburg, VA
From Lynchburg To The Lake (434) 546-0369

Marla, this looks like a beautiful area and a wonderful winery. I've only been to a few places in California, I'd love to visit this area one day. Consider posting this in the http://activerain.com/groups/TravelingRainers group as well.

 

Apr 02, 2008 11:16 AM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA

Debbie,

I have not heard of the TravelingRainers but I will check it out and post to it.  My husband and I don't have a lot of vacation time so we love to take weekend mini-getaways.  They are good for the mind and soul.  This mini-getaway was really great!  I definitely recommend the area.

Apr 02, 2008 12:32 PM
Debbie Malone
Londeree's Real Estate & Property Management - Lynchburg, VA
From Lynchburg To The Lake (434) 546-0369
Marla, sometimes it's the weekend getaways we need the most. I'd also like to get up to Carmel and just spend some time on the coast. Thanks for sharing your trip.
Apr 03, 2008 11:40 AM
Mirela Monte
Buyers' Choice Realty - North Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Kudos to you Marla for knowing how to live the good life! 

You are a romantic at heart, you have passion for life and you create "every day enchantment". 

I am so happy to have you in our TravelingRainers group! 

 

Apr 05, 2008 06:49 AM
Mirela Monte
Buyers' Choice Realty - North Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Kudos to you Marla for knowing how to live the good life! 

You are a romantic at heart, you have passion for life and you create "every day enchantment". 

I am so happy to have you in our TravelingRainers group! 

 

Apr 05, 2008 06:51 AM
Michelle Bowman
Keller Williams Flagship - Stevensville, MD
MD Realtor, GRI
I have heard that going on a wine tasting tour is fun.  I also heard Northern Cali wine touris awesome too!
Apr 06, 2008 06:46 AM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA
I have not yet been to Northern California wineries (Napa, etc.).  There are tons of great ones up there- someday!
Apr 07, 2008 02:55 AM
Cindy Glatkowski
ResortQuest Outer Banks - Corolla, NC
Rental Manager, ResortQuest Outer Banks
It sounds like you had a great get-away.  Thank you for sharing!
Apr 10, 2008 08:35 AM
Glenda and Steven McDaniel
Long and Foster Smith Mountain Lake Office - Smith Mountain Lake, VA

Hi Marla, I love the adventure of traveling to Wineries and their homes, villas, castles and caves.   Heres to the Good Life and sharing.

Apr 13, 2008 02:49 PM
Julie Kippen
Vernal, UT
Looks like a wonderful place. I have always wanted to stop by a winery and taste the wine, but have not gotten a chance to stop.
Apr 14, 2008 10:38 AM
Rich Dansereau
Positive Real Estate Professionals - Knoxville, TN

What a great way to celebrate your anniversary! The whole thing sounds like it was a lot of fun and quite relaxing!

May 22, 2008 04:41 AM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA

For anyone in the area on June 8th.  Ojai is having its annual Wine Festival with Wineries, Breweries, musical entertainment, food and arts and crafts vendors.  It sounds like a great time!  I haven't been but it looks like a fun day.  Their website is www.ojaiwinefestival.com.

May 29, 2008 06:11 AM
Anonymous
Clarita

My husband and I are going to Ojai tomorrow for our wedding anniversary, and I come across your blog.  Thank you for the tips - our trip is going to be great.

Sep 25, 2008 12:27 AM
#15
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA

Clarita,

Well, happy anniversary.  I'm sure you will have a great weekend as we did!

Sep 27, 2008 11:29 AM