We arrived 15 minutes after the official check-in time, and were happy to grab a parking space right in front of the gate to the lovely old Victorian house. The friendly assistant handling check-in was still there to greet us and give us a tour.

We had the Lavender room, a small room with double bed on the second floor that looked out over the front yard. We only had a couple of small bags since we were there for one night; people with a lot of luggage may find it difficult to fit it all in the room. A shared bath with a quaint claw-foot tub and shower was a few steps down the hall. Only once was the bath occupied when I tried to use it; two baths downstairs were available, so there was no real wait.

Once we settled in, we walked down to Little Italy, had pizza at one of the many eateries, and browsed through an art gallery. We did not feel uncomfortable walking through the neighborhoods, even though it was dark when we walked back and we passed by a small homeless encampment under a bridge.

The bed was definitely a treat - very comfortable mattress & bedding. I could hear the airplanes coming in to the nearby airport, but the noise was muted and not annoying. A background sound device was playing bird songs, which was very relaxing.

I know most or all of the rooms were booked the night we were there, but we only saw one other guest (sitting in the living room when we got back from Little Italy), and only once was the bathroom occupied when we needed it. We hardly heard anyone else - just a creak of the floor or two when someone moved around. We felt like we almost had the place to ourselves.

We didn't get to meet Michael, but he was very prompt about responding to questions I emailed him before the trip. I'd definitely like to return when I have more time to enjoy the gardens.