Archival
10/10 Excellent
Catherine C.
5 Sept, 2017
Wow, what a special property
My husband and I stayed here for five nights in mid-August. It is absolutely as lovely as it appears in the photos, except that the photos don't quite capture the remarkable character and charm of the place, and the view from the back porch is even better than it looks in the pix. It very much feels like a home, rather than a typical rental property. The house is extremely well equipped, with a terrific cook's kitchen and has so many lovely, comfortable places to park yourself that it's hard to decide where to relax with your book - will it be the back patio with the expansive view overlooking Santa Barbara, the lovely courtyard with the fountain and its resident hummingbirds, the outdoor fire pit or that comfy sectional couch in front of the great room fireplace when the evening cools down?
This was our first visit to Santa Barbara and the location was a bit of a question mark for us, but we ended up extremely pleased with it - the house is beautifully sited on the hill, very private and peaceful but a quick drive to downtown. Downtown is fun but it was nice to get away from the crowds at the end of the day.
Highly recommend an afternoon at the wineries around Los Olivos (we especially loved Beckmen Vineyards), the farmers market and hitting the historical sites including the local history museum, which we stumbled upon while doing the red tile walking tour - the museum doesn't seem to get any ink but we enjoyed it quite a bit. We also enjoyed hiking in Gould Park although that is one of the most confusing, anonymous public spaces I have ever been - one of the area's best kept secrets, and I think they want to keep it that way.
Catherine C.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2017
