Val Zavala>> Can spirituality and upscale tourism coexist? Well, that's the question facing the residents of the Ojai Valley and now student journalist Shirley Shin of USC's Annenberg School of Journalism gives us the latest installment in our "Magical Mystery Tour of California".

Shirley Shin>> It's only an hour's drive from Los Angeles, but Ojai seems worlds away.

Mark Lee>> Sunrise, sunset, the way the moon comes up, physically it is quite dynamic and, this, people seem to sense. They seem to have an understanding that this valley has a presence.

Shirley Shin>> Most valleys in the world run north-south, but Ojai Valley runs east-west, a phenomenon that many say brings special energy to the land.

Michael Lindfield>> There's something deep and beautiful going on inside Ojai that is not seen with the naked eye. It's a place of deep stillness, but it's also a place of fiery purpose. People come here to get in touch with who they are at a deep level.

Shirley Shin>> Ojai has been a spiritual destination for hundreds of years. The first inhabitants, the Chumash Indian Tribe, considered this valley a pathway to heaven.

Mark Lee>> They felt that the valley was so special that they did not fight here. If they had a battle or if there was a conflict or a dispute, they would go out of the valley.

Shirley Shin>> One spiritual group after another came and settled in Ojai from the mainstream, Catholics, Protestants and Buddhists to philosophical groups and a theosophical society.

Judy Gabriel>> Because here is a place where we're saying that, no matter what your belief, we have a place for you to explore deeper and we have a way for you to explore your neighbors' spirituality also and find the common denominators instead of the differences.

Shirley Shin>> One common denominator? Everyone here wants to preserve Ojai's small-town atmosphere and stay as industry-free as possible. Walk down Main Street in Ojai and you're struck by the absence of chain restaurants. That's because town officials have worked hard to keep them out along with major roadways and other intrusions of modern life.

Joy Mills>> There's a great effort by many citizens in Ojai to maintain this kind of reverence for the land, for the flora and fauna, the animals that roam here, and to maintain that for future generations.

Shirley Shin>> Of course, there is a thriving tourist industry. Ojai has become a playground for the wealthy with spa resorts and high-end boutiques.

Joy Mills>> So in the morning, you see a lot of cars coming in and, in the evening, you see a lot of cars going out (laughter). I'm glad when they leave and then it's quiet.

Shirley Shin>> Locals say that this commercialism doesn't define the valley. It's the spirit of Ojai that draws people in.

Mark Lee>> Ojai makes no claims for itself. That is, other centers claim that they are a vortex of energy or that they have certain qualities in their water or that it's a pilgrimage place for whatever commercial or non-commercial reasons they can invent. Ojai doesn't say that. Ojai is just here and it has been here for thousands of years.

Shirley Shin>> It may be a weekend getaway for the rich, but you don't need money to enjoy Ojai.

Mark Lee>> It's the people who are looking for something deeper in life, who are hoping that, in retreat or where they can be away from the stimulation, the distraction of daily living, they can find out who they are, what's important in life.

Shirley Shin>> And like the Chumash Indians before them, they leave their conflicts behind. Reporting for Life and Times, I'm Shirley Shin.

Val Zavala>> That story, again, from student journalist, Shirley Shin, part of a program at USC's Annenberg School of Journalism.