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A Brook Babbles Through It

Santa Cruz's Rustic, Historic Place to Stay

Enjoy a mood of peace and contentment among the lush gardens, pines, and redwoods at the Babbling Brook Inn. Settled by the Ohlone tribe over a thousand years ago, the property is rich in California coastal history. During the mission age, circa 1796, Franciscan friars, capitalizing on the brook that flows through the land, built a grist mill to grind corn. They were also responsible for planting the Matilija poppies that still grace the gardens. Subsequently, a tannery replaced the mill. In the early 20th century, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Place, itinerant actors, built a cabin home on the grounds. It was here that Jesse Grant, son of our eighteenth president, wrote his memoir, "In the Days of My Father, General Grant" in 1925.

For years William Boyd, famous for his film and television portrayal of cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy, vacationed on the grounds. The original cabin was expanded several times over the years and housed various restaurants. In 1981, it opened as a four-room bed and breakfast inn and was expanded to thirteen rooms that same year. Now an Inns by the Sea property, the Babbling Book Inn is close to the beaches of Santa Cruz but tucked away from the hubbub of the Boardwalk and the downtown area, ideal for the ideal for the romantic interlude or family weekend.