This place was like a dream from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. Dan, the owner, was very good about communicating rules to us. He was also good at telling us about things like how to put the garbage out, how to use his Siri Apple home, and most importantly, he made sure the pool was nice and warm for us Northeasterners. We came with 5 adults ranging in age from 37-65, and 3 kids ranging in age from 16 months to 6 years old. The gate around the pool is a HUGE safety feature for the kiddos. There’s also plenty of dishes, silverware, dish soap, and even washer soap and the washer and dryer came in clutch with the kids. He even provided pool towels. If you’re going to visit the area, and you stay here, you don’t have to go out and do something “touristy” every day. The house alone is entertaining enough with the pool, grill, and nice neighborhood. It’s very close to a lot of things that most people would want to do. We were about 30 mins from the Santa Cruz boardwalk/beach, about 60 minutes to the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, and probably 90 minutes away from the Muir Woods where you can see the massive Redwood trees. Dan is also incredibly responsive to any needs we had. There were issues with the garbage disposal…he had it looked at within 12 hours of letting him know, and had it fixed within a day with a brand new one. He’s always available if you need anything, not to mention he is a very personable individual.
I really don’t have anything negative to say about this stay, except that if you have a child who isn’t super steady on their feet, but loves to play (and gets into everything like my daughter) it could be a little more child proof. Like maybe just some soft things on the edges of the tables, and some cabinet locks. That being said, it wasn’t unsafe for the kiddos in any way, I just thought it might help to mention that to anyone who will be bringing kids around the 1-3 year old age range.
Bottom line: you can’t go wrong with staying here. I went to visit family with some other family from around the country who all met there. If my family member we visited in Santa Cruz wasn’t moving soon, I would go back every year and stay here. Dan, you’re the man, and thank you again for letting us stay at your beautiful home.