The first week in May, Maryana and I headed south for a five-day road trip to Ojai and Santa Barbara. No remote work - just five days of pools and sunshine and spa days and ocean waves and fancy dinners.
First, we spent two nights at the Ojai Valley Inn, which is a completely worthwhile splurge. The best word to describe the property is expansive - the antithesis to how many of us have felt this past year, cooped up in our homes under quarantine. This is a pictures-speak-louder-than-words kind of place.
One of several pools on the property
Huge oak trees everywhere
Gorgeous Spanish-inspired architecture throughout
Dinner at The Oak on property
Our full day there we made a spa day, both of us getting massages and facials for the first time in over a year, spending the remaining hours by one of the spa pools. A highlight was ordering poolside food - they'd bring it on a pop-up tray and place it right over your legs in your lounge chair. The service was fantastic.
Much of our days were spent lounging in the shade of our giant umbrellas by the pools, sipping margaritas, reading, napping. It was not a bad time.
Not all the Ojai Valley Inn restaurants were reopened post-COVID yet, so one night we went out to dinner in Ojai at Osteria Monte Grappa, which we'd highly recommend! Everyone was so laid back and friendly in Ojai - we loved the vibe.
After enjoying the pools one last day well beyond checkout, we headed to Santa Barbara and checked into the Kimpton Canary downtown.
First stop was dinner at Loquita, which we absolutely loved. This was probably our favorite meal of the trip, as it was so unexpectedly fun and delicious!
Cocktails at Loquita
The next day we spent exploring Montecito: enjoying brunch, perusing the shops (especially Jenny Kayne and Lost Horizon Bookstore), hiking the Ennisbrook trail, rubbernecking every driveway to catch sight of the wondrous houses hidden from view, and driving by Ellen's house.
The best surprise of the evening was when Maryana said, "Hey, is that Rashida Jones?" She was just one table over from ours, and within direct line of sight for Maryana all evening. We enjoyed pretending to take selfies to snap this one, as well as imagining what new project she was discussing with her Hollywood friends.
The weather was less than optimal the next day, but we made the most of it with visits to the Botanical Gardens and the Mission Rose Garden.
For our last afternoon we decided to go back to Rosewood for a drink.
And who did we find stalking us? Yep, Rashida Jones again. Just one set of chairs over. She couldn't get enough of us!
After our final dinner at The Lark, it was time to head back home. We had such a fun, recharging week together!
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