We stayed in this lovely space for almost a week, and it was so perfect. Bill + Shelby made themselves available to us + offered excellent suggestions of what to do while there! Listing is exactly as described, but even better in person -- so homey + easy to get to the grocery store, the beach, the Verve (a fun + beautiful artisan coffee shop just up the street, a must-visit spot!). Santa Cruz is an ideal location if you want to be able to visit the beach, the mountains, and the city. We did not hike while there, but we drove to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, only 20 minutes away. We spent hours on the beaches in Santa Cruz. One day we drove down Hwy 1 to Big Sur + visited Pfeiffer Beach, had lunch at Nepenthe. Over the weekend, we drove north to SF + could have gone to Napa, but it was rainy + we weren't really prepared for the rain, so we stayed in town + ate lots of good food. So, if you are looking for a lot of variety in your trip or want to take a few day trips, I highly recommend it. Santa Cruz itself is a fun town to explore...very laid back, it would be hard not to relax :)