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112-115 DEST Ojai Valley Inn_SU07 10/27/13 5:05 PM Page 2 D E S T I N AT I O N S OJAI VALLEY INN & SPA Ojai, Califor nia BY SABRINA SPEIDEL N estled against the Topa Topa Mountains, which glow pink at sunset, is the picturesque valley of Ojai. Abundant sunshine and dry heat makes the region, just south of Santa Barbara, ideal for growing such delicacies as Meyer lemons, the Ojai Pixie tangerine, olives, walnuts and avocados. Horse ranches abound, as do golf courses and tennis clubs, while the Pacific Ocean and town of Ventura are a short distance away. The valley is rumored to have a special energy that draws loyal residents and visitors, and at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, that magic is apparent. Built in 1923 and now celebrating its 90th anniversary, the five-diamond resort sits on 220 acres with an 18-hole championship golf course, four swimming pools, an herb garden, a wedding lawn, tennis courts, and a world-famous spa. "There is a serene connection that clicks in people when they get here," says Marketing and Public Relations Manager Brooke Atkins. "They decompress." An artist cottage and apothecary offers guests custom classes where they might create a mixed-media work, paint tiles, draw, paint scarves, weave herbal wreaths or blend their own natural scents into perfumes or body lotions. Guest speakers, like local resident and self-help expert Byron Katie, offer wellness retreats, while daily fitness classes include Pilates, yoga and mediation. The award-winning, 31,000-square-foot spa offers relaxing massages and treatments like oxygen facials, lavender sugar body polishes, and orange blosAll photos: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa som and honey wraps. Salon treatments, like manicures and pedicures, are tied by ingredients to the seasons. Cocoa and pomegranate inform the winter offerings, Ojai Pixie tangerines scent spring manicures, lemon verbena and avocado blend into summer products, and pumpkin spice is the basis of autumn options. Activities and dining options at the resort's seven restaurants have seaC ARMEL M AG A Z I N E • H O L I D AY 2013 113