The house and surrounding area of Ben Lomond were beautiful and serene. The pictures on the listing are accurate; in fact if anything, they don't do the cottage justice. This is a great place to go if you want to chill in the hammock, the hot tub, or take a shower outside among the redwoods (which is amazing).

The only downside was that the neighbors were annoying - they had a dog that barked periodically throughout the night. Not Joe's fault, of course, but it still diminished the serenity a bit.