The place:
The house was very spacious, with lots of windows and a bright living area upstairs.
The dining area featured views of the Aptos village and of the ocean.
The kitchen had everything you’d need for a multi-night stay, with various pots and pans as well as food prep tools.
The laundry machine was mildly bothersome, with the door bumping into a toilet, but it did the job for a small load.
There was plenty of extra towels and washcloths available in the closet by the master bedroom.
Talking about the master bedroom, it had a comfortable bed and it was very quiet even at night.
Our children appreciated the large bunkbeds in the second bedroom, although there was no ladder to climb up to the top bed (which didn’t have a safety rail either). They could have both slept in the bottom bed, but I wouldn’t put a 7yo in the top one.
There’s also a little courtyard in the back with a shower to wash off after going to the beach.
Off-street parking was easy to pull into and made unloading our suitcases a breeze.
The location:
This is a quiet town in the Santa Cruz area, a 1+ hour drive from San Francisco/East Bay.
The place can be a bit tricky to find at first, with a sharp turn to take from the main road, but once you’re there it’s a 5 minute walk from Seacliff State Beach.
The Forest of Niese Marks, with its old-growth and new-growth redwoods is about 10 minutes away by car.
There’s major grocery stores (Safeway) just 5 minutes away by car, along with natural groceries and various shops.
Conclusion:
We’ll definitely stay at Kathleen’s place again next time we want to go for a long weekend in the Santa Cruz area!