Perfect Beach Getaway

Guest: The H's (Northern California)
Date of Stay: 08/21/11 Review Submitted: 09/03/11

My husband, seven-year-old son and I stayed at Pacific Bungalow (the smaller of the two properties) for four nights and found the home to be an absolutely perfect getaway location. I really (really!) wanted to be right on the beach and this house did not disappoint. The house was very clean and well-appointed with everything from beach towels and laundry detergent to comfortable beds and games. As described in the listing, it was ideally situated on a small beach cliff with wonderful views and excellent, easy beach access. I often felt a bit guilty as we simply stepped out of the gate and walked around the corner while others were schlepping towels, chairs, shovels, and sand buckets from longer distances. In August when we were there, the weather was foggy in the morning (which made for fun, quiet a.m. walks on the beach) and then cleared up to bright blue sky and warm temps by 11:30 a.m. or so. My son was often happily on the beach and in the water until 6 p.m. Pacific Bungalow is also a reasonable walk to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and at the end of our day there, we walked back by way of the beach. (If you do this, plan on getting a little wet depending on the tides, but it was very fun). Another fun activity was driving out West Cliff Drive to Natural Bridges State Park and visiting the tide pools. Sea urchins, sea cucumbers, star fish and crabs were all found (some with the help of locals), but definitely some of the coolest real tide pools I've seen in a while. In terms of local eateries, we enjoyed pizza from Engfer Pizza Works (within walking distance - try the "no name" pizza), as well as great breakfasts from Linda's Seabreeze Cafe (also walking distance) and The Harbor Cafe (driving distance, but worth it for outside seating, yummy eggs benedict and super nice staff). For other treats, we recommend the Buttery on Soquel for pastries (yum!) and Penny's Ice Creamery (downtown Santa Cruz) for organic ice cream in both traditional (e.g., chocolate sorbet) and unique (e.g., black sesame, stout, brown sugar with oats) flavors. Flavors change weekly so check their website. In addition to a local Safeway, there is also a Whole Foods near the Rite Aid on Soquel if you're looking for groceries. This was a great place to stay to get away from the craziness of our normal lives. Thanks Joanna for the opportunity to stay at your lovely home. We hope to be back some day!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

LA Family

Guest: Charles (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 05/22/11 Review Submitted: 06/23/11

My family of four stayed in the Pacific Bungalow for 5 days. We were very happy with this house, its surroundings, and the owners. The location is excellent. It overlooks Seabright Beach and the beautiful Pacific Ocean from atop a small bluff. The beach is a very short walk around the house to the sand. The view from the house itself (through a very large 6' x 4' window), and also from the grass backyard, is breathtaking. There are fire pits on the beach, and twice my family made a fire at sunset, kept warm, and marvelled at the beauty around us. The second time we made smores - fun & memorable. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is very close by - a 5 min. drive or long walk along the bluff. Parking for the house was not a problem - there is no offstreet parking, but there was plenty of parking in the neighborhood, with no restrictions when to park or for how long. The neighborhood is nice and quaint. The house was very clean, nice furnishings, and the kitchen is well equipped. There were games, videos, beach chairs and toys, 2 flatscreen TVs, a DVD player, etc. Our only complaint is that the house is a little on the small side, and the beds are both doubles, rather than queens. I would have preferred larger beds. The quality of the mattress, bedding, towels, etc. are all very good. There was plenty of closet space, excellent bathrooms and showers (one with a bathtub). A few times we BBQ'd in the backyard, looking out onto the beach and ocean, with a bottle of wine. Excellent way to spend an evening. Overall, we had an excellent stay -- we very much recommend it. Things we recommend in Santa Cruz: tour the University campus, its large and very beautiful. If you have kids, go to the Roaring Camp Railroad a few miles away, in Felton - it's an old time, huge black steam locomotive chugging through the redwood forest for an hour. Pretty amazing. Zachary's for breakfast in the Pacific Garden Mall - order a Mike's Mess and a plate of sourdough pancakes. Wow.

Owner response:I'm so pleased your family enjoyed Pacific Bungalow! Thanks for sharing your feedback on the house, along with details on things to do in the area. Building fires on the beach out front, and making s'mores, has been a favorite evening activity in my family for years. One note on the beds: all of the beds in Pacific Bungalow are queens. For a king bed, come and stay in Seabright Bungalow next year ;) And note...I am working with another interior designer to re-do the houses and exterior patio spaces, with a completion goal of this Fall. You'll be able to follow the upgrades on our website. Thanks again for the 5 star review!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, families with young children.

GREAT PLACE TO EXPERIENCE THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LIFESTYLE

Guest: not2worry (Naples, FL)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/22/10

We had the good fortune to select Seabright Bungalow for our week in Santa Cruz. This location and the Bungalow is a fantastic experience. Located right on Seabright Beach and within walking distance of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and a number of other beaches it doesn't get any better. The larger Seabright Bungalow is great with terrific views and more privacy than we expected. However, be aware that the adjacent Pacific Bunaglow is immediately next door and shares common areas. The beach is closed down by the City at 10PM and they do a great job of keeping the neighborhood safe and quiet. The propety is kept in excellent condition and the housekeeping was top-notch. You won't be disappointed with the VRBO!

Owner response:We appreciate this 5 star review! There truly is no place like Seabright, and we've made every effort to create an environment -- on our favorite beach -- where guests can relax and recharge. It is rewarding to share it with others and receive positive feedback on our attention to detail at the property! I'm pleased to hear our guests enjoyed the beach out front, the lovely neighborhood and the fact that you can walk to nearby attractions like the Boardwalk amusement park. For guests who want private outdoor space, I always recommend Seabright Bungalow, since it has a large patio on the far side of the house that is not shared or seen by Pacific Bungalow. The ocean views are panoramic from the side patio, as they are from the front lawns and shared areas.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Great Santa Cruz Bungalow

Guest: Chris (Yuba City CA)
Date of Stay: 06/21/10 Review Submitted: 06/28/10

We recently stayed at the Seabright Bungalow in Santa Cruz and we had the greatest time. The bungalow had everything we needed and was very clean and well maintained. The ocean view was fantastic. It's right on the beach, so you can go anytime of the day. It's also within walking distance to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and lots of other fun places. I would definitely return to Seabright Bungalow in the future!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Harold Jones

Guest: hjones (Linden, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

This is the second year in a row that we have stayed in the Pacific Cottage. The owner, JoAnne is easy to work with and the units are clean and have everything you need to have a wonderful vacation. This is a great location! You are literally on the beach and it is an easy walk to the boardwalk. We will be back next year!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.