Not all trips derive from a desire to see a major European city, a famous landmark, or a national park. Some trips are inspired by something smaller—much smaller.

For me, it was an open-air bookshop that led me to Ojai, CA.

A few months ago, I stumbled upon an article about a California bookstore road trip featuring historic and unique shops worth a stop. That’s how I learned about Bart’s Books and quickly set my sights on visiting.

This might not seem like a reason for a trip, but I’m an avid reader and this is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore, after all!

Despite being only an hour and a half away from Los Angeles, Ojai feels like it transports you to a different part of California entirely, making the drive itself part of the day trip experience.

Highway 126 takes you on a journey through one of Southern California’s last agricultural regions—and yes, you can get stuck behind a tractor.

The farms and orchards are full of citrus trees decorated with lemons, oranges, and tangerines, avocado groves, and, as you inch closer to Ojai, olive trees. Roadside fruit stands with striped awnings and hand-painted signs tempt you to stop for fresh produce.

Prior to leaving Los Angeles, I did a quick search to see what else there was to do in Ojai and decided on an olive oil tasting at Ojai Olive Oil Company. Upon arriving in town, we headed there first due to their hours of operation, with the final tasting at 3:30 p.m.

I’ve done a couple olive oil tastings before. Usually, they involve standing at a counter and dipping tiny pieces of bread into assorted oils resting in plastic ramekins.

They aren’t very impressive.

This was the complete opposite.

Ojai Olive Oil Company is located off the beaten path, with a dirt road leading you to the property lined with olive trees. As you walk from the parking lot toward the main building, there are picnic tables shaded by large trees with fabric swings hanging from the branches.

I said, “Oh wow,” immediately realizing there might be more to this place than I thought.

The tastings are purchased inside the store, where the air conditioning provided a nice reprieve from the heat. A staff member gave us a rundown of the tasting contents, informing us at the end that the board was $15 total, not per person, “because that would be diabolical.”

Pretty good deal!

The board included an assortment of nineteen olive oils and balsamics, with both regular and infused varieties. It is supposed to include twenty, but they had sold out of their 1850 varietal.

I am in no way an olive oil connoisseur, and I don’t have a developed enough palate to notice the subtle differences between the extra virgin varieties.

To me, all four I sampled tasted light and fresh with a silky, smooth texture. And even though we remarked, “Yep, that’s olive oil,” they tasted noticeably better than my Kroger brand—or my Trader Joe’s splurge.

The infused olive oils are really where the fun began!

My favorites included the Tuscan, infused with Italian herbs and perfect for pizza, pasta, or just dipping bread, and the Pixie, infused with the pixie tangerines for which Ojai is known.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the white truffle as well, though it was extremely truffle-forward and definitely best in small doses.

The balsamics were more hit or miss for me. The white varieties were very fruit-forward and a little too sweet, while the fig-infused brown balsamic was the standout. I could easily see myself using it with a cheese board or caprese panini.

Before leaving, I purchased a bottle of the Tuscan as a gift for a friend and a bottle of the Pixie for myself.

As we left, we both agreed that this somewhat lackluster-sounding activity was actually so much more than it appeared, offering relaxation, scenery, education, and, of course, amazing olive oil.

Now, onto the reason for this trip: Bart’s Books.

From the outside, Bart’s Books doesn’t look like much. Sure, there are cute books on the exterior shelves, but for a tiny moment, I made a face that can only be described as the “hmm” emoji.

That feeling completely disappeared the second I stepped through the door.

Bart’s Books was founded in 1964 and has since become a locally loved establishment and tourist stop. I overheard a man telling a staff member that his family had come from Arizona specifically to visit the shop.

The bookstore is a large rectangular space with shelves lining the walls and jutting out to create tiny inlets throughout. Metal awnings cover the shelves to protect the books, while the courtyard area is sunny and filled with tables for reading, of course!

As you follow the shelves, it feels like the place just keeps going and going, with each turn revealing more books.

That was exactly what I had hoped for.

There is something especially satisfying about visiting a place you have built up in your head for months and realizing it actually lives up to the idea you created. I had come to Ojai because of this bookstore, and once inside, I understood why people make the trip just to wander its shelves.

I made sure to check out some of my favorite authors like Sedaris, Jenkins, Hemingway, and Hilderbrand.

The selection is secondhand, with lots of Sue Grafton and James Patterson and newer releases more sparse.

I love wandering around a bookshop where you can’t expect to find a specific title, but rather must browse the unsuspecting shelves and wait for a story to jump out at you. The experience mirrors reading itself: countless turns and unexpected outcomes.

Will you be drawn to a new read or a familiar favorite?

For me, it was David Sedaris’ Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim that caught my eye this time. And even though it’s a hardcover, it will fit nicely in my travel bag for Barcelona.

Despite the olive oil and quarter of a baguette acting as a lovely midday snack, it was time to get this girl a proper lunch.

My friend recommended a restaurant called Ojai Deer Lodge, which she described as a known biker spot. She had previously recommended it to a couple friends of ours who frequently take motorcycle rides from Los Angeles.

Deer Lodge was a ten-minute drive from Bart’s Books on Maricopa Highway. The restaurant looks like a rustic wooden cabin surrounded by a stone wall that doubles as a bench for waiting parties. A sign stating “Established in 1932” immediately hints that this must be a beloved tradition.

Evidently, that’s true. Deer Lodge holds the title of the oldest restaurant and tavern in Ojai.

Despite it being a slow Friday afternoon, I can imagine this place really draws a crowd, offering live music, a pool table, and a patio with fire pits for cooler evenings.

When we sat down, there was one gentleman at the bar and one table of, wouldn’t you know it, bikers. And I will admit that in my beige linen vest and matching skort, I screamed “from Los Angeles.” 

The atmosphere inside feels cozy, inviting, and warm. There are charming furnishings throughout and shelves filled with books and knickknacks, giving it the allure of a homelike setting.

Our server was also the bartender, a life I’m all too familiar with. He promptly delivered our menus and gave us a few moments to check everything out.

Deer Lodge has a menu I would describe as roadhouse-style with California inspiration. It is in no way dive bar food, instead serving elevated burgers, sandwiches, salads, barbecued meats, and appetizers like truffle Brussels sprouts and roasted green chile queso.

I was on a “no bread kick,” so as much as I wanted the pulled pork sammy, I opted for the healthier Roadside Cobb salad with crispy chicken!

Reader, the Cobb salad is my favorite kind of salad. Few places offer one, and even fewer serve it with fried chicken, so when I stumble upon this culinary unicorn, I have to order it.

Our server was patient as I asked multiple questions about the dressing, which was described as a creamy vinaigrette, for fear that it was ranch-based.

As it turns out, it is.

I opted to get it on the side—I am not your ranch dressing girl—along with a side of red vinaigrette.

When the salad arrived, it did not disappoint.

It was absolutely fantastic! The vegetables tasted fresh, with generous portions of egg, blue cheese, and, of course, crispy chicken. Strangely enough, I didn’t hate the creamy vinaigrette either. It tasted like a tangy buttermilk ranch.

My friend enjoyed her three sliders as well, noting that the tri-tip was particularly delicious.

After we wrapped up lunch, we got on the road back to Los Angeles in hopes of avoiding some rush-hour traffic. As quickly as the orange trees of Ojai had crept into view, they disappeared again as we made our way back toward more familiar territory.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how, despite all three stops being completely different from one another, an olive oil ranch, a bookstore, and a restaurant, they all had something in common: each was more than meets the eye.

The olive oil tasting turned out to be an experience rather than a quick activity. The bookstore looked modest from the outside but opened into a maze of stories, history, and community.

And then there was Ojai Deer Lodge, a place neither anticipated nor planned, where I found something completely unexpected:

The best Cobb salad I’ve ever had.