We had an amazing stay at Joyce’s place. The house has tons of room including a front outdoor deck where you can see the ocean and a back outdoor deck overlooking the garden as well as a solarium area that also faces the ocean. It is a view between the houses across the street but it totally makes you feel like you are right on the ocean. The weather when we were in Santa Cruz was great but we have been there many times when it is foggy and the solarium seems like it would be so great on foggy days because you could still feel like you were out and about in the air but you would be warm and cozy. There are three Bedrooms downstairs with full beds (not pull outs) which were perfect for my husband and I and two kids. One is part of a sitting area but still works great as a bedroom and it was so nice that they had a comfortable bed in there instead of relying on a pull out. When we come again we would have our in-laws stay in the full beautiful master bedroom with bath upstairs as that is in the main living area as that way they don’t really have to do the stairs except to go out once or twice a day. (The stairs were great for us and our kids and our dog.) The kitchen is very well appointed with all sorts of dishes and cooking items including a traditional milkshake maker which my 11-year old daughter loved! The house is only a few blocks walk to three great surfing spots which are all accessed via stairs, including:
Privates - small beach mainly for surfing but with a small sandy area and a bench/view at the top I know my in-laws will enjoy next summer;
The Hook - a more intermediate/advanced surfing spot where the stairs go right into the water; and
38th Ave - this one has a small sandy beach area but you have to be prepared to wade through a little water at the bottom of the stairs to get to it, depending on the tides. We took private surfing lessons through Club Ed which were great, call outs in particular to Christina and Jack who gave my 11-year-olds great lessons, one child a first timer and the second about a fifth timer and they met us at the Hook parking lot and took us down to 38th. Walking over to your surf lesson; not a bad way to vacation. Depending on the tides and waves 38th Ave is generally a very good spot for beginning lessons. None of these beaches are really the typical California wide open endless sand sit and read a book kind of places. They are more like surfing spots (and a little boogie boarding at Privates and 38th) with a little nook of a beach. This was perfect for our family as we loved feeling like we were a part of the Santa Cruz surfing vibe, tons of people in the neighborhood getting in and out of their sprinter vans changing into their wetsuits, just really felt like we were a part of the surfing scene and everybody was super friendly. But not that wide open space thing you get down by the boardwalk so it really depends what sort of beach thing you want. I think Capitola is only like a 15 minute walk down to the other side of the hill, so you could get the easy beach feel with hardly any waves and lifeguards and a cute little town and everything down there if you wanted that. We didn’t happen to go down to Capitola as dogs are not allowed on that beach. We had our doodle with us and he loved 38th so much! You are also a super easy walk to 41st Ave. which has a number of surf shops and good hamburger and pizza places and excellent “artisanal” ice cream down at the Penny creamery. You’re also a very short drive over to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and Lucky supermarket. My daughter and I actually walked it but it’s a bit of a long walk. As you can prob tell we are already planning to book Joyce’s place for next year just have to decide if it’s one week or two or three! If you look at the pictures and have read this review and decide to book Joyce’s place you will not be disappointed. It is fantastic! Oh and the hot tub in the backyard is awesome. And we watched a lot of movies they have all sorts of accounts set up for streaming. Oh and I highly recommend the New Bohemia Brewing Company on 41st, best pretzel ever, and of course Betty‘s Burgers. Pleasure pizza is also awesome. All the eateries have outdoor spaces so we felt fine for Covid. Joyce, thank you so much for opening your vacation home to us. It could not have felt more beachy or been more wonderful! Hope this review gives everyone a picture of what you can expect at this fantastic home!