On Hwy-150, 20 miles East of Carpenteria. Surrounded by orange and avocado groves and set in the secluded crescent-shaped valley that played the part of Shangri-La in the 1937 film, Lost Horizon, serene and beautiful Ojai (say “O-hi”) casts an instant spell. This being California, though, much of the magic is being packaged and sold off as desirable real estate: sprawling luxury homes dot the hillsides, as do tennis courts, golf courses, and the spa resorts that pamper the bodies of rich visitors from Los Angeles. A cheaper way to keep trim while exploring the valley is by cycling: there are plenty of bike rental outlets in the town and several sign posted cycling routes.

Ojai’s background is described in the Ojai Valley Historical Museum (http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org), 109 S. Montgomery Street, where you will become aware of the numerous writers, artists and musicians who have settled in the town over the years – and of the Indian mystic, Krishnamurti, who lectured here during the 1920s. Krishnamurti’s presence gave rise to the Krishnamurti Foundation (http://www.kfa.org), 1130 MacAndrew Road, which is open for tours. An equally esoteric stop is the Krotona Institute, across town on Krotona Hill, its mission-style buildings holding the West Coast’s largest library of theosophical tomes.