![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/51a5e-ojai-valley-trail-riding-company.jpg?resize=551%2C379&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Courtesy of Oso Ranch, Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company<\/p><\/div>\n
Featuring trail rides into the Enchanted Forest, along the Ventura River valley through some of the most beautiful horse country in California is\u00a0Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company<\/a>.<\/p>\n Riding is one of LIV Sotheby\u2019s International Realty sales associate,\u00a0Cathy Titus’<\/a>\u00a0all-time favorite ways to spend an afternoon.<\/p>\n As Cathy puts it, “You can truly enjoy a piece of the Ojai Valley’s history. The land conservancy where you ride was once part of the Mexican land grant known as Rancho Matilija, and was a working ranch that farmed and raised cattle until the 1980’s.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Between the rich history and gorgeous views, rides with the Ojai Valley Trail Riding Co are something you won’t want to miss!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n French Toast at Paradise Pantry. Photo courtesy of Paradise Pantry<\/p><\/div>\n With nearly 1,000 glowing reviews between Yelp, Google, Facebook and TripAdvisor.com, it’s no surprise why more than half of our agents and staff voted Paradise Pantry<\/a> in Ventura as one of their favorite places to eat. Not sure what to order? Our top picks:<\/p>\n YUM!<\/p>\n “Paradise Pantry is one of my favorite restaurants in town. Their menu features local farms and all their options are delicious!” says LIV Sotheby’s International Realty associate, Shanoah Curran<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Matilija Falls, Matilija Canyon, Ojai California<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n One such location is the Shelf Road Trail \u2013 a hidden gem, featuring a 3.5 mile hike through the backwoods of Ojai between Gridley Road and N. Signal Street. This trail was noted by Goop.com as, “On the gentler side (a 3.5-mile out-and-back), Shelf Road Trail passes through fragrant tangerine orchards and leaves you at a scenic lookout over Ojai Valley.<\/em>”<\/p>\n Shelf Road is a great, easy hike right in town and the views are spectacular! The road is flat with mild slopes, and is close enough to downtown that a few minutes by car can get you to one of our local breweries, wineries or organic restaurants for a bite to eat afterward,”<\/em> says Gail Graham<\/a>, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate and Ojai resident.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or head down to Ventura and visit the Botanical Gardens. As a lifelong resident of Ventura and locally noted nature photographer, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate, Phil Ranger<\/a> describes the Botanical Gardens of Ventura best when he says,<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Phil Ranger, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty<\/p><\/div>\n The Ventura Botanical Gardens is comprised of 107 acres in Grant Park behind City Hall where the area was created based on the five Mediterranean climate zones on earth, with plants from each area.\u00a0 It’s a great place to get some exercise, observe our magnificent downtown area, as well as\u00a0coastal views from a unique and elevated perspective.\u00a0 Tuesdays are free and those with canine friends are welcome to bring their dogs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.\u00a0 Best times of year are after our first few showers of rain when growth begins to return, through April and into May.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Looking for more? Take a short drive to Sycamore Canyon in Malibu. Although technically outside of county limits, the close proximity and\u00a0spectacular views make this outdoor spot a must have on our list.<\/p>\n The ocean views are phenomenal! Hiking and mountain bike riding in Sycamore Canyon is like being on top of the world. And lots of wildlife, flowers, and streams,” <\/em>input\u00a0Clarence Shaw<\/a>\u00a0and Leann Langolf<\/a>, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty team. “You can also camp there!”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Courtesy of bairdphotos.com. \u00a9 Michael L. Baird bairdphotos.com<\/p><\/div>\n Ventura County is home to two of the eight remarkable islands that make up the Channel Islands archipelago of California.<\/p>\n The best thing by far about Ventura County is our Channel Islands, and a day kayak trip around the islands is spectacular! It’s my absolute favorite thing I’ve done here,” <\/em>says LIV Sotheby’s International Realty office administrator, Angelika Jedrasik.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or if you can stay longer, go a little further south and visit the resort town of Avalon<\/a> on Catalina Island, a popular tourist destination known for its pristine beaches and clear azure waters, boutique shopping, and breathtaking views.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Century 10, Downtown Ventura<\/p><\/div>\n Looking for a leisurely and convenient, yet sumptuous experience? Look no further than the Century 10 in Downtown Ventura, or the Century 16 in Riverpark.<\/p>\n There’s going to the movies, and then there’s experiencing the cinema,”<\/em> contributes Gwen Mulligan<\/a>, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty associate. “Both Century theaters feature large, reclining leather seats and smaller theater rooms, keeping a show-going experience comfortable, relaxing and uninterrupted.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or go a little further southeast and you can experience the luxury of the Cinepolis<\/a> in Westlake Village, offering all of the above, plus \u2018at-your-seat\u2019 waiter service for everything from gourmet appetizers to restaurant quality entr\u00e9es, wine, cocktails and more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Old Creek Ranch Winery. Photo courtesy of OldCreekRanch.com<\/p><\/div>\n With a wide array of reds, whites, ros\u00e9s and sparkling wines, and a family friendly approach, it’s no wonder why Old Creek Ranch Winery<\/a> at\u00a010024 Old Creek Road is on this list.<\/p>\n The Old Creek Ranch is an 850-acre cattle ranch with a winery and fruit orchards and houses beautiful sprawling grounds, a tasting room, grassy picnic areas and outdoor guest spaces with handcrafted lounge chairs and couches. And for those busy parents with kids or fur-babies, your little ones are welcome as well!<\/p>\n Famed Ventura shores<\/p><\/div>\n Ventura, Oxnard and Carpinteria are home to several popular beaches. The State Beaches off Seaward and Pierpont offer a one-of-a-kind experience where you can walk from the sand to delectable dining and social hubs.<\/p>\n I love the warm days at the beach! It feels like I’m in Hawaii on some days!”<\/em> says Gwen Mulligan<\/a>, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or if you have kids, you may want to check out Mother’s Beach<\/a> in the Ventura Harbor, popular for its jedi-enclosed shoreline, convenient walk to and from parking, and easy restroom access.<\/p>\n Looking for the best surf spot? As LIV Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate and owner of the Makos Surf Camp<\/a>, Jeffrey Belzer<\/a>, puts it,<\/p>\n You can’t beat Rincon, the queen of the coast. The Ventura coast has several excellent surf spots, but Rincon is where you want to go and vibe with the new young line of board shapers and get some of the best rides of your life.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Ojai Valley Trail. Photo courtesy of user snapper on Flickr.<\/p><\/div>\n One of the unique offerings of Ventura County is the\u00a0Ojai Valley Trail running between the quiet hills of Ojai to the dynamic beaches of Ventura, catering to\u00a0bicyclists, walkers, joggers and equestrian riders alike!<\/p>\n I actually love Water’s Edge Restaurant and Bar Happy Hour. Elegant waterfront bar and grill with a piano bar and scenic views, specializing in steak and seafood. Their Happy Hour is one of the bests.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some of Samantha’s favorites from the happy hour menu are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that you’ve heard from us, what are your favorites? Leave a comment below!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the temperate summer of Ventura County continues, there is no lack of outdoor fun, night-life and good eats within…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":237480080,"featured_media":837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[135],"tags":[159289,1337,133454,7869154,6786896,3432,765165334,765165335,873,10667,1722,256742,258844222,278,408404211,765165370,318499075,224555,4587376,192041,2155747,13092639,101373,24941,53341451,33782719,36887,67318,765165428,765165429,765165430,348591,4894862,1458547,61258929,765165437],"class_list":{"0":"post-749","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles-of-interest","8":"tag-best-of-the-best","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-central-coast","11":"tag-central-coast-california","12":"tag-consumers-choice","13":"tag-experience","14":"tag-experience-ojai","15":"tag-experience-ventura","16":"tag-experiences","17":"tag-favorite","18":"tag-favorites","19":"tag-gold-coast","20":"tag-gold-coast-california","21":"tag-lifestyle","22":"tag-liv-sir","23":"tag-liv-sothebys-realty","24":"tag-liv-sothebys-international-realty","25":"tag-ojai","26":"tag-ojai-california","27":"tag-sir","28":"tag-sothebys-international-realty","29":"tag-sothebys-realty","30":"tag-southern-ca","31":"tag-southern-california","32":"tag-things-to-do-in-ojai","33":"tag-things-to-do-in-ventura","34":"tag-top-10","35":"tag-top-10-best","36":"tag-top-10-things-to-do-in-ojai","37":"tag-top-10-things-to-do-in-ventura","38":"tag-top-10-things-to-do-in-ventura-county","39":"tag-ventura","40":"tag-ventura-california","41":"tag-ventura-county","42":"tag-what-to-do-in-ojai","43":"tag-what-to-do-in-ventura"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/176fe-insiders-guide-to-vc_feat-image.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peJ6Dp-c5","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/237480080"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=749"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4019,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/749\/revisions\/4019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/spu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n
\nLUNCH AT PARADISE PANTRY<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/049c8-frenchtoast-web.jpg?resize=550%2C348&ssl=1\")
<\/a>\n
\n(Seasonal)<\/li>\n
\n(Added bonus! This is dish is dairy and gluten free!)<\/li>\n
\n
\nHIKING<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/4e486-matilija-falls.jpg?resize=550%2C367&ssl=1\")
\n
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\n
\nKAYAKING AROUND CHANNEL ISLANDS<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/23e7e-kayaking-channel-islands.jpg?resize=550%2C275&ssl=1\")
\n
\nCENTURY 10<\/a>\u00a0THEATER, CENTURY RIVERPARK 16<\/a> AND\u00a0CINEPOLIS LUXURY CINEMA<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/312bb-centurytheatreventuraca.jpg?resize=550%2C425&ssl=1\")
<\/a>
\n
\nOLD CREEK RANCH WINERY<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/f097d-img_3221_large.jpg?resize=550%2C413&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/h4>\n
\n
\nBEACH GOING AND SURFING<\/h4>\n
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\n
\nBIKING BETWEEN OJAI AND VENTURA<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/296e3-3158798294_5bf4aa6deb_o.jpg?resize=550%2C412&ssl=1\")
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHAPPY HOUR AT WATER’S EDGE<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/livsothebysrealtyca.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/64af9-waters-edge.jpg?resize=550%2C367&ssl=1\")
<\/a>With a generous happy hour menu available and gorgeous views, it comes as no surprise why LIV Sotheby’s International Realty marketing director, Samantha Moon loves Water’s Edge<\/a> in Ventura.<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/h6>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"