Our stay at this lovely home for our daughter's graduation from UCSC could not have been more perfect. Beth and her husband, Dwight, are very gracious hosts. They were always prompt and friendly in their responses to our email correspondence and when we arrived, the house was as portrayed in the listing.

The weather was picture-perfect this past weekend, which enabled us to take full advantage of the hot tub, fire pit, BBQ and back deck picnic table. We arrived late afternoon and found music softly playing to welcome us, which I thought was a very nice touch. They had also left a bottle of champagne to congratulate our daughter on her graduation, along with a snack basket. There were little notes left in places to remind us of things or to let us know where things were, which was very thoughtful. The kitchen was clean and is nicely stocked with everything you need to cook your own meals.

There are 3 bedrooms, each with a large, comfy bed and drawers to store your clothes. Baskets were left on each bed with clean towels and washcloths for us to use. The master bedroom is on the first floor and the other two bedrooms are up a flight of stairs with a shared bathroom. The stairs are a little steep, so anyone with mobility issues should sleep downstairs. The living room has a flat screen TV with cable and we had access to their wireless network. There is also a large counter bar around the kitchen and a huge dining table.

On the back deck, along with the hot tub, fire pit, BBQ and picnic table is an amazing tiki bar that Dwight refers to as his "man cave". It was fully stocked and everyone in our family was quite impressed. We did not take advantage of it on this visit as we had brought plenty of our own provisions, but we may need to return one day just to use it!

From the moment of our arrival we could tell that this was someone's well-loved home and we felt very fortunate that they were willing to share it with us. I cannot say enough about what gracious hosts Beth and Dwight are or how wonderful their Santa Cruz home is. My only regret is that I did not know about this house earlier while my daughter was still in college and I will definitely consider staying here again next time I find myself in Santa Cruz. It is so much nicer and cozier than an impersonal hotel room. Thank-you Beth and Dwight for allowing us into your home and making our stay so special.