Should Race Matter When Airbnb Hunting?

It’s such an adventure when preparing to watch someone’s wedding vows. In June 2021, we witnessed a Catta Verdera Country Club wedding, in Lincoln, CA. If you're looking for one of the best places to stay in Sacramento, keep reading. We believe we found a wonderful runner up!

WHERE SHALL WE STAY?

Travel planning 101 teaches securing housing is essential to travel success. Naw, I made that up but you get the point. Both my co-worker and I decided on an Airbnb. We could save money by cooking our own meals and splitting the cost of everything else.

She found a cute little cottage on Airbnb named, Casa Dragonfly, in California Gold Country. It was 15 minutes from the wedding venue. PERFECT! We could drink, UBER around and be merry! No need for a rental car or SO WE THOUGHT!

TIP ONE:

Read 10 to 25 negative reviews before moving to the positive ones. There's always little nuggets of information hidden within them.

Most of the reviews for Casa Dragonfly were glittering. But there was this one little sticky review that gave me pause.

A past guest blatantly called the owners racist

HOLD ON! STOP THE PRESS! I’m going on a vacation. I don’t intend to wear an activist hat slapped on top of my wedding attire. So, of course my antennas went up!

I hurriedly skipped to the positive reviews to cast judgment and make a decision. The majority of guests said the owners were attentive and pleasant. They described the rental house as amazing and superb. There were no more mention of racism. "Whew – we’re in the clear." We went with the majority and booked. Heck, why not? Where else was I going to see sheep where I slept?

I’M GLAD WE DID!

I had so much fun sitting on the porch talking to the chickens. Yep, this little GEM has live chickens and sheep right on the premises. You can feed them if you want – be sure to get instructions from the owners. The house is a cliffside cottage with breathtaking views. The driveway is gravel filled that leads to a pair of rocking chairs on the porch. It’s a shoeless home to prevent bird poop tracked into the premises. There’s a murphy bed in the living room, one bedroom, and one bathroom. We had fresh eggs and treats waiting for us on the counter. The cottage was immaculately clean. It was a home away from home.

Did I forget anything?

Sue me - LOL.

So, here’s my tips and why I titled the post as such.

TIP TWO:

If you stay here, YOU WILL NEED A RENTAL CAR.

This cottage is in the country of Loomis, CA. Our Uber drivers kept cancelling the trip once they found out our location. We ended up promising drivers a larger tip if they didn’t cancel. One black driver asked us confusedly, “What are you ladies doing way out here in the country? Do you know where you are?” After revealing we rented the house because it was near the wedding venue, he said for us to be careful – this is Trump county.” We didn’t know if he was alluding to our race or assuming we were democrats. He didn’t speak more about it. Deep inside I wished he had because I began to worry. Whatever his reason, he believed it was something we should know. My co-worker and I thanked him, we stayed alert and continued to explore the area.

His comment weighed heavy because it made me wonder about the city we called home for three days. I did wonder how dangerous it could be if we’d gotten stranded after dark – especially since we had such a hard time getting Uber’s in the area in the first place.

TIP THREE:

Be sure to follow the directions provided in the welcome package.

We landed in California pretty late. It’s easy to take a wrong turn when trying to find the rental house as the roads coil up the mountain side. Stay the course and pay attention.

“Wrong Turn,” wasn’t that a scary movie? EEK!

TIP FOUR:

If you are wearing heels, they will dig into the gravel leading to the house.

WEAR SNEAKERS INSTEAD, or park as close to the house as possible.

TIP FIVE:

Get a Rental Car!

If you dare not get a rental car and have a wedding to attend, please give yourself enough time. We promise you, some drivers will cancel when they see your location. THIS ISN’T AN EXAGGERATION.

Conclusion

We didn’t have any personal encounters with racism while on the trip. The hosts were nice. They even offered to take us to the grocery store when they realized we were stranded. We didn’t witness any inflammatory drawings or paintings in the home. Outside a few news articles, I found on the web about Loomis, CA., we weren’t faced with any overt racism or microaggressions (the linked article is from 2010). Am I saying this doesn’t happen here? NOPE! Just saying we didn’t experience it.

We agreed with the majority – the hosts were pleasant and thoughtful. So if you're looking for things to do in Loomis, CA., this is an option.

As with anything, be alert and be prepared but try things out for yourself when there’s minimal risk factors. Currently, racism is a hot topic here in the U.S. Determine the hazards, develop an emergency plan, and enjoy your life. Had we listened to the one scathing review we never would have experienced living on the edge of the world – LITERALLY.

We rate this cottage 10 out of 10 – Solely from our experience!

But if waking up at the break of dawn to roosters crowing doesn’t sound good to you – DON’T DO IT! It’s all about preferences remember – LOL.