My mom and I stayed in the cottage in April. Jack was in the cottage when we said we would be arriving (in the afternoon) making sure that everything was working. He allowed us to check in early since I had an interview I had to prepare for. He showed us how to use various things like the gas stove/fireplace, the electric candles, and showed us the location of the light switches. On the second day there, he left us a bag of wonderful ground coffee to enjoy from his coffee shop. The beds were comfortable, and it was a beautiful weekend to open one of the large doors of the cottage to let in the sun and breeze. Other than our first encounter, Jack and Cris gave us our privacy and we came and went as we liked. The neighborhood was nice and quiet!

The only things I would add to the cottage are more cooking utensils and supplies. We did not cook while we were there as we had a short visit, but we usually cook when we are on vacation and it would have been hard with the supplies that were in the kitchen.

Other than those few minor touches that I would add, the cottage was a very cool place to stay! The backyard was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and it was down the street from some amazing restaurants and shops. You are only 3-4 blocks from Division Street, where you can find Salt & Straw ice cream (the sea salt and caramel is the BEST ice cream in the world), Pok Pok food truck (and many other food trucks), and many other wonderful places to eat. Downtown Portland was only a 10-15 minute drive over the bridge.

We would definitely stay at the Serene Cottage again the next time we visit Portland. Jack and Cris were wonderful hosts and we had a very peaceful stay!!!!