Words can't express how in love I fell with this house!! It has such a magical essence and just felt like "home". Granted I am a retro/hippie gal at heart so everything about it just resonated with my soul. Felt like we were in a mountain cabin, but with an ocean/lagoon view and 6 minutes from civilization & the 5 Freeway! The dirt road and long steep driveway just added to the feeling of being so remote, but yet so close to the beach, stores, restaurants. It felt like an adventure. We were displaced due to a house flood and got to stay here for 2.5 weeks. Helped make the disaster become a blessing. The game room was so fun for the kids and there was plenty of space to spread out. It probably isn't for everyone if modern amenities are your jam... but I loved all of the retro touches with the old school cookware and items from the 60's/70's - felt like we were camping in the woods. Couldn't recommend it enough if this is your style. And the special tree that had a perfect seat to watch sunsets was beyond amazing, and the birds! Oh the birds... the hawks fly at window level and a ton of crows flocked to my favorite tree most every night at sunset. Sometimes there were what felt like 50 of them. It was amazing!! Even had a few nights where the moon set over the ocean, which felt like such a gift (a rare occasion on the west coast).

Anytime I can get my kids to do puzzles and play ping pong…win. Very cozy with the wood stove and the town is full of easy walking enjoyment.

All great other than our bad luck with the weather and our sensitivity to highway noise.

We truly enjoyed our 11 night stay at the Retro Retreat and would not hesitate to return. The photos online were spot on, with the view being just as wonderful as it was portrayed. It was hard to take our eyes off of it, except to go down to the lagoon itself and hike, which we did daily — to bird watch, go to the beach & town, or to the visitors center. Getting to the lagoon requires either walking down the driveway or driving about a mile to park at an access point for the lagoon trails. We chose walking the driveway, which is about 50 yds long and very steep. It could be seen as either an interesting challenge or a bit much at the end of a hike. Brenda and Georgia were great to work with. They were very responsive to a request we made and proactive regarding a hiccup in internet service, giving us a heads-up and the easy solution. There were many nice, unexpected amenities such scissors, tape, ziplock bags, and a good first aid kit (which we used). A tool box in the cabinet was also available to us. And, the access to outlets in every room was a dream come true. There were a few drawbacks. The master bathroom vanity is far higher than the industry standard and required the shorter of us to literally stand on her toes in order to be barely over the edge of the sink. A short, sturdy one step stool would easily alleviate that problem. The front outdoor rail resulted in no fewer than four splinters on a first descent. Luckily, having arrived from a cold climate leather gloves were donned for future trips up and down the stairs. Again, it seems an easy fix. The 2 sling chairs on the lagoon side need some mending as they have large tears that make them seem unsafe. There were a lot of plates and a rather odd assortment of bowls - several huge bowls, some very small bowls, and no medium or average sized bowls (except for some wooden bowls more suited to nuts than soup, oatmeal, or ice cream).

Great mid-century modern home on a secluded street with views of San Elijo and Cardiff. Close to everything you need but away from the crowds.

The view was fantastic! The house was very clean and organized. I would recommend this property to anyone.

Brenda’s home was the perfect home base for my family on our Solana beach vacation. The House was clean, spacious, well stocked, and had an incredible view. The beach was a quick 5 minute drive down the road, and the hiking trails to the beach and Annie’s canyons was an unexpected bonus. Highly recommend, can’t wait until next time

Brenda’s home was the perfect home base for my family on our Solana beach vacation. The House was clean, spacious, well stocked, and had an incredible view. The beach was a quick 5 minute drive down the road, and the hiking trails to the beach and Annie’s canyons was an unexpected bonus. Highly recommend, can’t wait until next time