Sunny Cove Retreat was built in 1957 for the sister of Lloyd Bridges, and had only a three owners since then, each putting their mark on this well-loved house.

summer camp and winter lodge. I've decorated the house to look like a 1950's summer camp and winter lodge. Like real summer camps, SCR has a ping-pong table, basketball hoop (ball and pump in the garage), volleyball set, outdoor shower and giant gas grill. In the hallway closet are tons of games for kids of all ages, from dominoes to monopoly to chess and real clay poker chips. In the living room, overlooking the ocean, is a nine-foot pool table with professional bumpers. Like a winter lodge, you'll find a giant fireplace, a sheepskin rug, extra blankets, etc. There's a collection of CDs and even an old tape collection.

sleepover parties. The house sleeps 20+ people. There's 1 king bed, 1 queen, 2 twins, 1 bunkbed, 4 couches, a heated waterbed in the "tiki" room, floorspace, backyard camping and of course the beach. There are sleeping bags in the garage.

home cooking and eating out . No kidding, there's 3 ovens, a 4-burner stove, broiler, and oversized outdoor gas grill. For large sit-down parties, the pool table has a custom tabletop. The strip mall across the street has a liquor store (open late) and full service grocery store (closes early). If you don't want to cook, there's breakfast/lunch spots like Sunny Cove Cafe, Aloha Island Grill, high-end restaurants like Star Bene, a nice taqueria (Michoacan), and mexican market. The nearest coffee shop, Mad Jack's, makes great coffee. Further afield, my personal upscale favorites: Ristorante Italiano (casual italian), Shadowbrook; casual favorites: Saturn Cafe (24hr vegetarian diner, best fries, etc.), Caffe Pergolesi (punk cafe downtown, edgy art, snacks), The Crepe Place (full service bar and restaurant, beautiful decor).

reach the beach. Sunny Cove aka Johan's Cove aka Santa Maria Cliffs aka aka aka is apparently one of the great hidden spots-- it's unmarked from the roads much less freeways, and you'll meet people who have been coming for 10 and 20 years. Complete set of beach accessories in the garage. Bonfires are legal (!) before 10pm, and off-the-record, after the cops make their second-check around midnight. If you walk over and around the cliffs on the far side of the cove, there's a long beach perfect for long walks. The cliffs on this side are more challenging, but there's ways onto them too. Please no surfing in the cove (wrong waves anyway), but it's one of the top body boarding spots. A 4/3 wetsuit is recommended; there's an adult men's medium in the garage. Pleasure Point is a famous favorite, just down the road.

work from home. With wireless DSL internet that reaches the beach and the cliffs, you can be the person in the Mac commercial. If it's down, you can also get internet access from nearby cafes.

tourist spots. Santa Cruz is famous for tourist attractions like the boardwalk, the Mystery Spot, vineyards like Bonny Doon and Santa Cruz Mountain. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is about 45mins away and the Gilroy Garlic Festival is in late July. For more tourist info, click here. Here's a listing guide circa 2003.

Contact Adam Sah (asah@sunnycoveretreat.com).