Best AirBnB experience to date! We travel a lot and have come to appreciate the wide diversity of offerings in vacation homes but Michael's forest retreat in Corralitos set a new bar for us. For context, our family of 3 adults and 4 teens were visiting as part of a 10 day tour of California. Two of us are long time residents but it was a first experience for the rest of the group and we all had a blast. Michael's home provided a perfect balance between the tranquility of upland redwoods and reasonable proximity (~30-40 minute drive) to activities along the coast. We visited the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium, explored the pacific coast including Point Lobos and Big Sur, and went on a whale-watching tour from Moss Landing (Blue Ocean: excellent, lots of humpback whales and many dolphins including some rare species). There's a great little market in Corralitos at the base of the road leading into the forest. We wish we'd had more time to just hang out at house: plenty of great places to relax inside and outside. The photos are representative but don't fully convey the peace and quiet; the only sounds are what you bring with you plus birdsong and the rustling of trees. The place is popular with birds and deer. The lack of cell service is offset by good wifi access, evidenced by the lack of complaints from our teens who were pretty diverted by all the outdoor activities (hot tub, table tennis, etc). The house itself is truly unique - clearly designed by the owners around century-old wisteria and grape vines and ancient stained glass windows. It reminded us of something out of a Tolkien novel, a perfect setting for kids wanting to play Dungeons and Dragons every night. It's homey yet everything works. We felt very much at home given the similarities with our own family's rustic cabin in the woods and some nice touches from Old Hawaii (where we also have roots). The owners clearly put a lot of aloha into their home and in offering it up to guests. Michael himself was very thoughtful and responsive - offering up ideas for activities and sharing some of the rich history of the home. If we ever get a chance to really retreat from the world for several weeks, this will be high on our list. MAGICAL. Mahalo nui loa to Michael and his family for their hospitality!