Sheltering-in-place since March has been difficult on all of us. Thankfully, Donnie and I were finally able to sneak away for a night in Monterey a few weeks ago, but we knew the kids needed a change of scenery too!
We decided on a vacation rental at the coast. After looking at few different properties, we found a wonderful house right on the sand in Aptos, CA, a small town right by Santa Cruz! We jam-packed the car with everything we needed (and much more…), and headed through the mountains out to the beautiful California coast!
The house
We rented a house through AirBnB for the first time! We figured in the midst of a pandemic, this would be the safest route for traveling with kids – we could sanitize the house, wash all dishware before use, have plenty of space to spread out, and let the kids run free without worrying about running into other people. We could also buy food and cook our own meals, or do takeout and eat comfortably in the house.
The house itself was amazing! It was right on the sand, with windows all over the place, and plenty of space for us to spread out and relax. It was in a gated section of houses, making it quiet and removed from most other beachgoers. There was a rooftop deck complete with benches and a table, and a large deck on the main level of the house with stairs that led right into the sand. One bedroom had 2 sets of bunk beds and a loft, so Logan slept in that room, and Roman slept on his inflatable toddler mattress in the second guest room. It was nice because the kids had their own hallway and bathroom, so they weren’t disturbed by any noise in the rest of the house once they went to sleep.
Rio Del Mar Beach
This small beach is tucked away in a residential area of Aptos. We lucked out being able to rent a house in this part of the area, because it’s one of the quieter beaches in the Santa Cruz area! The actual parking lot for the beach is very small, so arrive early if you plan on venturing to this beach. Aside from the almost constant stream of people walking their dogs along the water, there was no one playing at the beach. The kids had plenty of space to spread out and enjoy our time staying at the house. They could practically run from our house, across the sand, to the water, without running into a single other person!
What we ate:
Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar (Santa Cruz, CA)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kiantis-pizza-and-pasta-bar-santa-cruz?osq=kiantis
We were pretty tired from our long drive (long story short: car sick toddler), so we opted for takeout instead of cooking on the first night. Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar had a wide range of options, so that made it a great pick for our family. We were able to order plain penne noodles for Roman, which he gobbled right up, and a pizza for Logan, which he also enjoyed. You could also choose from several sauces, pasta, and toppings for a build-your-own-meal option (you can also do this with their calzones), and each meal came with garlic bread. Definitely a good option for families who want to simplify dinner!
Little Tampico (Soquel, CA)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-tampico-soquel?osq=little+tampico
I’m not sure who we were kidding, but on vacation, no one really feels like cooking dinner. So, we opted for takeout again on the second night. This Mexican restaurant had a ton of options for order customization, so it was a great pick for our whole family. The boys are pretty easy when it comes to Mexican food (must be in their genes…?), and they’re usually happy with chicken or carne asada tacos, rice, beans, and tortillas. I really appreciated how diverse the menu was and how many vegetarian and vegan options there were! Most of the entrees could be made with chicken, beef, or cheese – but you could also substitute eggplant, spinach, and tofu for a vegan option. Of course, I didn’t really take advantage of this and ended up ordering the “Blue Nachos” – blue corn chips, black beans, monterey jack/cheddar/goat cheese, ranchero sauce, jalapeños, and guacamole – and it was amazing! I would definitely eat at this restaurant again in the future.
Fat Boy Burgers and Grill (Watsonville, CA)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-boy-burgers-and-grill-watsonville
Pretty standard burger place. There was a veggie burger option for me, so that was nice, and the kids had burgers, hot dogs, and fries. You could also order chicken sandwiches, chili dogs, patty melts, grilled cheese, corn dogs, or burritos. The delivery was fast, but the food was a little soggy by the time it was delivered and they didn’t give us nearly enough ketchup, but overall the food was okay.
Marianne’s Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mariannes-ice-cream-santa-cruz
The weather was unseasonably warm, so we decided to get ice cream from Marianne’s in Santa Cruz. I got “Chocolate Ripple” and “Peanut Butter Cup,” and both were delicious! Logan got plain chocolate, and Donnie got “Salted Caramel” and chocolate. Roman opted not to have anything since he’s not a fan of ice cream (he’s broken). They’re offering contactless payment and curbside pickup during the pandemic.
Pacific Coffee Roasting Company (Aptos, CA)
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-coffee-roasting-company-and-cafe-aptos
We underestimated how much our kids eat on a daily basis, so we ran out of breakfast foods on our last day. Donnie went out for a coffee and pastries run in the morning so we’d have something to eat! All the pastries he chose were really good: a blueberry muffin, banana bread, and a bran muffin. Everything tasted fresh, and they even gave him a free cup of brewed coffee since he ordered a bag of ground coffee while he was there. We’ve been enjoying the ground coffee at home!
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Overall, we had a great trip and would definitely rent this house again in the future! The kids had such a great time exploring wide open spaces, and we all needed a break from home life!
