Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hidden hot spots in Pacific Palisades



I was looking for somewhere I could meditate.
"Lake Shrine" is only 10 minutes away from Santa Monica. This was actually a former movie set that became a temple.






"Lake Shrine Temple"
17190 Sunset blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310)454-4114
http://lakeshrinetemple.org






Just strolling around relaxes you or sitting down on one of the chairs watching the waterfalls will calm you down.






There is a small gift store inside the shrine which I loved.
I found a few treasures from the store.

There was incense from India and beautiful handmade crafts. 
(incense$1~$3, stand $10)



My most favorite thing was this kids shirts from India which is $17, not so bad a  price in Pacific Palisades.





Lake Shrine is a touristic spot so it is OK to use your small camera but not a big camera. It is a temple so please try to keep quiet when you visit.


Monday, September 20, 2010

Hidden hot spots in Ojai

In the middle of September, I went camping at Wheeler Gorge in Ojai.



"Wheeler Gorge Campground"
17017 Maricopa Highway
Ojai CA 93023
(805)640-1977 for information
(877)444-6777 for reservations




Ojai is about 2 hours drive time from LAX. North on the 405, 101 and 33 freeways gets you there.   

This camp ground with beautiful rivers and lush greens is only 10 minutes away from a quaint Ojai downtown.




It was a very warm, clear night and I could sleep with much more comfort than I expected. This camping thing is pretty nice.















The next day I went to Ojai downtown for a stroll and some lunch..
Ojai, which means "Valley of the Moon", is the smallest city in Ventura county.  It may be small in population, but it is big in character.





I think Ojai has one of most beautiful downtowns in California. 
They have a cute park in the middle of town, unique art around every corner, classic Native american architecture, interesting shops and good-looking restaurants.










 Every Sunday from 9am to 1pm there is a really nice farmer's market.

300 E. Matillija, Ojai, CA 93023    (805)698-5555
Ojai is famous for lavender products (there is a farm    you can pick own between June to July), Olives (also there is a farm you can do tours and tastings of olive products) , and herbs are very popular as well.

















Ojai has a spiritural environment I really like, I will be back soon.