Page 185 - WDT Magazine Egypt

corner on Montgomery in an old cottage, might have
that perfect gift for a new child in your circle.
I lunched at Nest across from the Arcade,
which opened last fall at the site of an old burger joint;
you order at a window to be served at communal
tables on the patio. There are fish and brisket sand-
wiches, but its vegan offerings are mind-blowing. I had
the cauliflower tacos with ancho chili cashew cheese,
shredded cabbage, sliced radishes and hemp and
pumpkin seeds and they were scrumptious.
One morning, I took a hike on the Ventura
River Preserve, one of several open spaces managed
by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (https://ovlc.org).
Just a few miles from Ojai’s center, the Ventura River
Preserve offers 1,600 acres of pristine land that once
was part of the sprawling Rancho El Nido and sits
next to Los Padres National Forest. About 3 miles of
the Ventura River are protected here, and after rains a
dandy swimming hole attracts lots of locals. This area
escaped the disastrous 2018 Thomas Fire, now the
largest recorded in California history, but updates on
the OVLC website tell hikers which trails might still be
closed because of that destruction.
Hiking is an excellent activity in Ojai Valley — OVLC
manages about 27 miles of trails in several preserves,
and other preserved areas surrounding the valley in-
vite hikers and equestrians, too. Some of the trails will

Cauliflower tacos at the Nest, a popular
outdoor cafe in downtown Ojai.

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