Privat stuga! Lätt promenad genom parken till Encinitas och Moonlight Beach.

Growing up in Encinitas was an amazing gift. The beach, town, and my elementary school were all an easy walk or bike ride from my home. Tom's grandparents lived just above Coast Hwy 101 in the home built by his great-great grandfather. Tom's great-great grandfather built the first Encinitas school house in 1883. Peggy moved from Oceanside to Encinitas while in high school. She lived on Briggs Avenue with an ocean view and a 5-minute walk to town. A local sports park was named after her father, Leo Mullen. Leo's passion for youth sports was legendary. Life twice took both of us away from Encinitas and finally brought us back home. The economic reality of starting a life together took us to Vista and then Carlsbad for nearly 37 years. During this time away the goal of living where we could walk to our home town crystalized. We knew the property would need some income potential to make this dream come true. And, we hoped to design and build our forever home. In 2013 the ideal property came on the market. It was a large lot with a funky old 1940's 860 SF block house. We out bid 13 other buyers and closed escrow early August. We started work to make the home livable for us. This was no small challenge as we were living in nearly 4,000 SF. We sold our Carlsbad home, put most of our belongings in storage and starting living our dream. A little over two years later we moved into our dream home. The next phase was to renovate the old block home and turn it into a charming cottage with all the modern amenities. We relied on our extensive travel experience to create a place that would be a retreat. We tried to include all the little details that we found ourselves wanting so many times when we were traveling.

Cottonwood Casita has much to offer. Tops on the list is location. You can easily walk to public transit, a jewel of a public library with a panoramic ocean view, Moonlight beach, several great restaurants and coffee houses, and some great shopping and night life. Your path to old Encinitas runs through neighboring Cottonwood Creek Park. Look for the quote from Tom’s great grandmother, Annie Cozens, on the walkway between the playground and bathrooms. Bring your binoculars as the park is a haven for birds. Speaking of birds, San Elijo Lagoon preserve is about 10 minutes away. When relaxing at the cottage try out the two-person swing hanging from the pepper tree. Practice your yoga or martial arts in the studio that is just for your use. Enjoy the large front patio. The Wi-Fi signal is strong and secure. The full size laundry with ironing board and iron are perfect for longer stays. There are two beach chairs, towels, an umbrella, cooler, and a wagon to haul it all to the beach. There is a pack and play and a few toys for your young child. There is also a single airbed and a roll away bed.