backporch in ballard via airbnb (for wine tasting in los olivos)

Steps leading up to the apartment where there is a nice balcony.

(Ballard, CA).  On a recent wine tasting trip in Los Olivos, we decided to get accommodations through airbnb instead of a hotel.  I've used airbnb previously and have had a decent experience but there's always a sense of nervousness that you might end up with something disappointing.  Fortunately, the reviews and pictures on airbnb are usually reliable (at least in my personal experience).  It is also a very easy website to maneuver - just plug in the place you want to visit, the dates, the number of people, whether you want the entire place (i.e., the whole house, condo, apartment, etc.), a private room or a shared room, and you'll get a variety of options with very comprehensive photos, descriptions and reviews.

Since our trip was a bit impromptu, there weren't a lot of options but we were fortunate to come across the Backporch in Ballard.  They only required a one night minimum, the reviews were fantastic and the pictures were lovely.  Since we visited Los Olivos many times, we knew Ballard was very close (about a 5 minute drive) and we were planning to dine at the Ballard Inn anyways (which turned out to be walking distance from the apartment), so the location appeared promising.

So how was the stay?


Absolutely lovely!  My biggest concerns when renting from airbnb are always cleanliness and privacy.  The apartment appeared to be a remodeled apartment over the garage of the main house, and I was nervous that it would feel as we were imposing in someone's private residence.  Fortunately the layout was well-planned and while it is attached to the main house, you really feel like you have your own space.  The apartment was also very charming and well designed to maximize the space.  Most importantly it was spotless!

The common area.

The bedroom.

The TV room.

When you walk in there is a nice common area with a kitchenette (small fridge, microwave and coffeemaker), a small dining area with a nice view of rolling hills and trees and a sitting area in front of an electric fireplace.  On one side is the bathroom with washer and driver.  (Random note - the shower is super tall so if you are very short, this may be an issue.)  Then there is a small tv room with a comfortable sofa and another room where the bed is - It felt a tad smaller than a queen so it may have been a deluxe full.  All in all, very cozy and comfortable.

The bathroom and laundry area.

The super tall shower.

The hosts (Ken and Dawn) were very gracious and left a "welcome" gift of cookies and apples on the dining table.  Then to our surprise, they also left a cheese plate with cherry tomatoes, chocolate almonds and peanut butter pretzels, some coffee and cream, and 2 breakfast yogurts in the fridge.  Very thoughtful!

How sweet!

Very handy late night snack/breakfast!

There is a hot tub in the backyard which is available for use before 10pm.  Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try this out but it would have been very nice after a hot day of wine tasting.

As noted above, we were able to walk to Ballard Inn for our dinner.  But note there really isn't anything else within walking distance.  You will need to have a car or other transportation to get to Los Olivos and the vineyards for wine tasting.  (The closest vineyards that are worth going to, in my opinion, are Beckman and Rideau; but if you are a big fan of pinot noirs, then you should go into Los Olivos and check out the Los Olivos Tasting Room and Wine Shop, which I'll write about in next week's post in more detail.)

If you are looking for a clean, quiet place to stay while wine tasting in the area, I would definitely recommend this place.  In my opinion, it's better than staying at most of the hotels in Los Olivos, Buelton or Solvang - many of which are quite expensive and nothing more than glorified motels.