In short, the place is absolutely wonderful for a family with children; however, the property is managed by an external agency, and communication with that agency is not always as smooth as it could be.

Miriam was very friendly and reached out to me once the booking was made, even though she was herself travelling at the time. The day before checking in, I re-contacted her just to be certain all was is order, and she introduced the external property management company. Apparently, the company had attempted to send emails before that point, but there was some issue with AirBnB email addresses not forwarding through (or something - was never truly clear to me). Regardless, we were able to get everything sorted out and the check-in process at the end went smoothly. This was the only slight oddity about the whole experience - although please note that the management company does impose a check-out time of 10 am.

Otherwise, the property was wonderful in general, and perfect for children! A protected backyard playground and sandbox, a nicely warmed jacuzzi, and plenty of outdoor seating space for the adults provided an environment in which everyone could relax and enjoy themselves. The kitchen and dining areas are very large, and therefore excellent for larger groups with active "small people"; and the house very comfortably sleeps 4 adults and 3 children (nice king-size beds for the adults, too!).

Other than the slight bobble on check-in, the management company was helpful, providing operating manuals for everything in the house and detailed instructions for how to contact them (even outside of normal office hours) should we need assistance.

The main nearby towns are within 5 minutes' drive: Pacific Beach, which is more of a surfer town; and La Jolla, which has some high-end shopping, views, and picturesque beaches complete with seals and sea lions. And although the beach is a 10-minute walk from the house, I would strongly advise having access to a car while visiting.

All in all a great experience! I would most definitely stay there again with my family.