Looking For a Labor Day Weekend Getaway? Try The Ojai Valley Inn
Labor Day Weekend is just days away, and people are chomping at the bit to get on the road. One
Tristan Green
Labor Day Weekend is just days away, and people are chomping at the bit to get on the road. One of the United States’ most popular travel weekends, the Labor Day Weekend trip is a rite of passage for the exhausted worker looking to get away with the family for a few days. If you’re spinning your wheels but have no place to go, might we suggest the Ojai Valley Inn? It’s a luxurious destination in Southern California that will help you de-stress, unwind, and get in touch with the parts of yourself that nature invigorates.
Ojai Labor Day Weekend Getaway
Even though it’s not the official end of Summer, the Labor Day weekend is often celebrated as the last hurrah of lazy Summers and pool parties. For many, Labor Day weekend queues up the image of barbecues, football, and potlucks. But for some, Labor Day Weekend is a chance to hit the road and say so long to the season of wanderlust.
For this Summer’s farewell, the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, California, has a number of complimentary activities for guests. These nature-focused, interactive activities are for the younger guests and include, per the resort’s team:
- “Families can stop by The Inn’s daily Pixie Lawn Party from 12pm to 4pm, featuring croquet and other lawn games, crafts, music, and more on the Pixie Pool Lawn
- Custom-drawn caricature portraits, face painting with local artists, and balloon twisting
- Complimentary honey tastings featuring raw honey from Ojai Valley Inn’s apiary and other Southern California honey
- Weekly family craft hours at the Artist’s Cottage, where kids can create an array of complimentary crafts
- Weekly ‘Dive Inn Movies’ at The Indigo Pool featuring family-friendly favorites like Soul, Raya and the Last Dragon, Trolls World Tour, Luca, and more.”
But if you’re not one of the Inn’s younger guests, never fear. There’s a wide variety of activities and amenities to take advantage of for the 18+ and 21+ crowd, too.
A SoCal Luxury Gem
The Ojai Valley Inn is an all-inclusive destination, with everything from spas, pools, golf, fine wining and dining, horse riding and more. For those old enough to drink, take advantage of Ojai’s proximity to some of the best vineyards in the world in nearby Napa Valley, and indulge in the local flavor.
Ojai offers 9 separate dining options for guests, from the laid-back and kid-friendly, to trendy and quick, to the the top-tier, ultra-lux. Kids will enjoy the poolside dining options at Pixie Pool, while Indigo Pool is reserved for adults. The Farmhouse at Ojai is a one-of-a-kind, sensory-indulgent experience for the discerning foodie in you, offering an open-kitchen exhibition experience that can be booked for book signings, master classes, wine seminars and rare, multi-course meals.
If you’re looking to kindle some romance during your stay, visit Spa Ojai for an atmosphere-setting spa day for two. Or lock the door in your own private room or suite, from the affordable to the ridiculously lush. Prices run around $570 a night for the basic but beautiful Ojai luxury king rooms, all the way up through a variety of breathtaking and unique options to the ulra-lux Hacienda King Penthouse at $3,077 a night.
Each room comes with a variety of add-on options including dining and spa packages. The Ojai Valley Inn boasts thoughtful, relaxing decor set among the breathtaking natural beauty and unique atmosphere of Ojai itself. Activities accessible through the Inn from surrounding destinations include jewelry making, horseback riding, biking, art galleries, biking, hiking, wine tasting, kayaking, quaint trolley rides and so much more.
Ojai History
The Ojai valley is a unique place to visit in and of itself. Signs of human habitation have been found in the region dating back 11,000 to 12,000 years ago. Around 1,000 AD, descendents of the valley’s earliest inhabitants, the Chumash, claimed a huge area surrounding the valley, for hundreds of years after.
In the 1700’s, Franciscan Fathers from Spain established 21 missions in the region, which were eventually secularized by the government after Mexico gained its independence from Spain, with Mexican territory extending well up into the Ojai valley. The missions and surrounding lands were divided into ranchos, massive plots of land ruled over by rancheros. Eventually, these ranchos were broken up and sold to settlers, after Southern California became a part of the United States in the late 1840’s.
The town sprung up around these settlers, initially named Nordhoff. Nordhoff was a hub for pioneers who looked for civilization beyond the East Coast, and the peaceful, idyllic valley offered both rich farmland and ample opportunities. The Ojai Valley History Museum shares, “One Eastern couple who began wintering at the Foothills Hotel was Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife Florence. They first arrived in 1907. Mr. Libbey, a successful glass manufacturer from Toledo, Ohio, was charmed by the rural beauty of the area and decided to build a home here. Libbey soon became active in civic affairs and proceeded to give the dusty western town a facelift. In 1916, he hired the San Diego architectural firm of Frank Mead and Richard Requa to design a unifying Spanish style village, with Requa being the lead architect on the project.
Mr. Libbey, now known as our town benefactor, contributed to giving the valley its signature structures, including the Arcade, Pergola, Post Office Tower, The Oaks Hotel, St. Thomas Aquinas Church (now the Ojai Valley Museum), Libbey Park, the Ojai Valley Country Club (now the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa), and the Ojai Library property.
After the facelift was completed in 1917, the town changed its name from Nordhoff to Ojai and in April had a celebration called Ojai Day in the new Civic Center Park (now Libbey Park).
Today Ojai is known for its artists, educational institutions, rich musical presentations, delicious tangerines, tennis tournament, spiritual and health offerings, and scenic beauty.”
Ojai is known as a place to get in touch with nature and enjoy the intensely creative vibe of Southern California’s rolling hills. And if you’re looking for a place to get away for Labor Day and beyond; you’ve found it. Visit the Ojai Valley Inn website to plan and book your stay.