I will be starting to post about the little unique Airbnb places that I stay at whether I am on vacation or doing a staycation! I really love using this service because it makes me feel like a local or allows me to step into an interesting micro life. Every stay is an incredible experience, so I will be writing about each of them just in case you are looking for a cool place to stay.

The last place I stayed at was in Topanga Canyon. My boyfriend, Dalton, and I wanted to do a one day staycation so we knew that we didn’t want to drive too far from Orange County. We’ve already done Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and San Diego, so we wanted to do something different! I did some researching and found Topanga. Just a little further North of Santa Monica, was this little stone cottage in the canyons with an outside jacuzzi. Sold.

We drove up at night after we were both done with work and it was a little scary at one point because we lost service and all we had with us was a screenshot of some very simple directions. Something along the lines of, “when you see the tree with a broken branch, turn right.” Not really. But close. You get the point. We finally made it to the cottage and as I made my way up the steps, I was convinced that the hills had eyes. For those who don’t know me, I’m a very paranoid person and I overthink everything.

We stepped inside the tiny little place and it was perfect. The place had very dim lighting and there was writing carved on the wall. It was reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. The bed was loft style with a big window on the side. I couldn’t wait to wake up to the sun shining on my face. My nerves calmed down and I was ready to get in the jacuzzi! It was amazing. We sipped on a glass of wine while we relaxed under the stars with only the sound of crickets. It was very romantic.

I forgot to add that this place was a little rustic. If you wanted to go to the bathroom, you had to go in this little hut outside the cottage. It was no big deal. There was also another little hut next to it. I can’t remember what it was for, so I didn’t pay it too much attention. At night before closing my eyes to fall asleep, Dalton casually shares with me that he heard noises in there when we first arrived. I panicked, “What do you mean?” In his head, he’s thinking I’m scared about a person hanging out by our cottage, so he says. “That THING was not human.” In my head, I was still thinking about the movie, “The Hills Have Eyes.” I went to sleep with my heart beating so fast. The next morning he says, “It must’ve been a raccoon. It sounded like one.” Well, I wish he would have mentioned that the night before. My poor heart.

The cottage was even better in the morning. There was so much natural light and you could really appreciate all the nature surrounding it. I was so sad that we had to leave. It helped me forget about the hustle and bustle of life and that there was such thing as traffic. It’s crazy to think that this place was only just over an hour away from my house. I will definitely be coming back again, but next time I will go when it’s cold so that I can use the fireplace that it has inside.

I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to stay local, but is looking for an experience rather than just a place to sleep. You have to come with a sense of adventure.

Click here to get $35 in travel credit when you book your first Airbnb trip of $75 or more.

If you’re interested, the link below will take you to the listing. Have fun!

Topanga Mountain Sanctuary