AirBnB Review Every year since 2005 my wife and I spend a week in California, visiting friends and sightseeing. We stayed at the Hollywood Hills Best Western (home to the 101 Cafe) the first year but have used vacation rentals since. We’ve rented a converted garage in Beachwood Canyon; a cute place in the Hollywood Dell; a “knotty pine” spot in Outpost Estates; a house by the beach in Monterrey; a too-small room on Coronado Island and a memorable former ham radio “shack” on La Punta Drive with 360 degree “jetliner” views, subsequently torn down and replaced with a behemoth. Callie’s place might be our favorite... and it was a last-minute replacement for the aforementioned Beachwood Canyon location. When our Beachwood host contacted me to say she needed the space for family visiting to help with a sick relative, I spent an entire day two weeks out from our departure scrambling to find a replacement. Many rentals were unavailable... but then I stumbled onto Callie’s place. Callie being a photographer, the pictures are miles above what you usually find and truly representative. But until you physically occupy a space you never know how it will resonate with you. The drive from LAX took around forty minutes. Callie’s friend Lain met us at the house, gave us keys and a tour. My wife and I were utterly charmed by this storybook cottage, especially the tasteful ways in which it’s been updated while retaining a classic feel. I also appreciated the high-tech touches, like the Nest thermostat, the alarm system, Apple TV and - something new to me - Alexa in every room. We loved the layout, the amount of space, the cleanliness, the food and drink thoughtfully provided for hungry and thirsty travelers and especially the feeling of seclusion and privacy. That backyard is magnificent. The variety and amount of native trees and plants - including a mature redwood - put the zap on our heads and we loved sitting at the bistro set out back of a morning, sipping the coffee I brewed up in the Chemex, watching for the hummingbird we named “Jude”. The house is on a “No Outlet” street that ends in a cul-de-sac (where you’ll likely be turning around - the street is too narrow to risk pulling three-point turns in someone’s driveway), so you won’t be dealing with lots of through traffic or tourists traipsing up to the Hollywood sign (a constant presence when we stayed in Beachwood Canyon). The Franklin Hills is its own enclave and remote enough to be peaceful and quiet, while a quick ride away from tons of dining, shopping and major highways. The Shakespeare bridge is just around the corner and we found ourselves using Franklin Ave to get back and forth. We also discovered that the nearby Prospect Studios is owned by Disney and they shoot many TV shows there, including “General Hospital”. Our minor quibbles include the smell of fresh paint, which hadn’t entirely subsided by the time...