| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 9 positive, 0 negative]
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| 11/14/09 |
Positive
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We had a fantastic stay at the Valley View Cabin this November. I can't believe we got so lucky and I can't believe this place isn't booked up all of the time! We were looking for a nature-centered relaxing cabin vacation, and this was it. Brianne gave us advice about where to go for the best hikes, the best sunsets, and the best food, all of which we took advantage of. She was also nice enough to stock our cabin with coffee and an assortment of teas for the mornings when the sun was coming up (my favorite part of the day to sit on the porch and listen to the birds).
We had originally been concerned about safety (being city folk), but the Valley View cabin is close enough to Brianne's home that we can see her house from the cabin, so we always felt safe. And on top of that, Brianne made us feel so welcomed.
We had originally been considering staying at one of the many cabins for rent in the campgrounds around Big Sur, but we're so glad we didn't -- when we drove through the campgrounds on the way to our hikes it was clear how close they all were to the highway and to each other.
Heart Circle Mountain retreat was perfect, and the hikes at the nearby Garrapata and Andrew Molera and Pfeiffer parks were breathtaking. Rave reviews all around. We can't wait to go back! |
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Allison & Christian, Chicago, IL |
|
| 11/05/09 |
Positive
|
| We enjoyed our stay at the cabin - the owners have done a spectacular job remodeling the interior, including a modern clawfoot tub. The owners are super nice and unintrusive, but are around if you need anything. The hot tub is unchlorinated and has a lovely view of the night sky and canyon, the yoga studio is amazing (sadly, I didn't get a chance to use it) and there are some nice private hiking trails on the property. You're up on a hill in the forest away from everything, yet it's convenient enough to drive down to Big Sur or up to Carmel/Monterey for dinner. Would definitely stay here again. Thank you for your hospitality! |
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Riya K., San Francisco, CA |
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| 11/04/09 |
Positive
|
It's always refreshing to book a
vacation rental where the owner is
helpful and outgoing. My girlfriend and
I had an absolute wonderful time at the
Little Gem Cabin. The drive up the
mountain was very entertaining and it
was perfect distance from Carmel and
nearby parks. This is an excellent
place to spend some vacation time away
from work! |
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Ankur Desai, Durham, NC |
|
| 07/25/09 |
Positive
|
Living in Santa Barbara, we have been coming to Big Sur for a long time. It definitely lives up to all of the talk. Heart Circle Ranch also lives up to the description. We went in the spring, and all of the flowers were blooming. It was truly breathtaking. My wife is not easily impressed, and we always choose Big Sur because it is hard to beat.
We wanted to experience Big Sur, but we didn’t want to stay somewhere too rustic. We stayed at the Gate House and it was perfect. I have a bad back, so I need a really good mattress, and I had no trouble sleeping in the comfortable bed, listening to the creek outside. The stars through the skylights were pretty spectacular. We once had dinner at the main house, which was very nice.
While we were in Big Sur, we went to Deetjen’s for breakfast, which was great. We went into Carmel a lot to eat dinner and go to wine tastings there and in Carmel Valley. I would also recommend a trip to Carmel beach.
I would definitely recommend Heart Circle Ranch. It is like sleeping in Carmel and waking up in Big Sur, because the cabins are done in a Carmel style and are very clean, but then you get to wake up to an amazing Big Sur view.
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Mark Jones, Santa Barbara, CA
805.452.2310 |
|
| 07/24/09 |
Positive
|
Bob VanZant, Boulder
We stayed in the Gate House and found it to be very clean, and really lovely. The property is beautiful. Our friend stayed in the Cabin. It was really nice to go on vacation together, but also have our own place.
We liked that Carmel is very close to Heart Circle Ranch. We went into Carmel many days that we were there. There are a lot of great restaurants, galleries, and shops close in Carmel, Carmel Valley and Monterey. We especially liked the Monterey Fish House and Lucas in Carmel.
While my wife went shopping in Carmel, I went with our friend to Carmel Valley to play golf. It was excellent.
We spent our days walking around Carmel looking at the beautiful houses and gardens, going to Carmel beach, and hiking Point Lobos. My wife’s favorite trip was to the Carmel Mission.
We are looking forward to the next time we can come and visit Big Sur. We will definitely stay at Heart Circle Ranch, because it is beautiful in of itself and you really feel like you are in Big Sur, but you are still very close to Carmel. We also had a private yoga session, which was relaxing and taught in a very skilled manner. |
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Bob VanZant, Boulder, CO
(303)882-3592 |
|
| 07/24/09 |
Positive
|
I really needed a vacation, and I am so happy that I went to Big Sur this summer. You can’t find a more beautiful place. The property of Heart Circle Ranch is large and beautiful, and I had a great time hiking the trails on the property. I ended up at the waterfall and relaxed on the bench, so happy to be on vacation.
I booked a private Yoga and healing imagery session and loved it. I have hip issues since birth, and the instructor taught me some amazing exercises that I can do at home.
In Big Sur, I went to Point Lobos, Nepenthe, Coast Gallery, and Garapatta State Park. On 4th of July I went to a party at an original Big Sur homestead on a ridge top overlooking the ocean and got to hang out with the locals. I loved the beach in Carmel with its white sand.
I would definitely come back and stay at Heart Circle Ranch.
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Karin Viggio, Boulder, CO
303-601-1375 |
|
| 07/24/09 |
Positive
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Mark and Lisa Jones
Of Santa Barbara
Living in Santa Barbara, we have been coming to Big Sur for a long time. It definitely lives up to all of the talk. Heart Circle Ranch also lives up to the description. We went in the spring, and all of the flowers were blooming. It was truly breathtaking. My wife is not easily impressed, and we always choose Big Sur because it is hard to beat.
We wanted to experience Big Sur, but we didn’t want to stay somewhere too rustic. We stayed at the Gate House and it was perfect. I have a bad back, so I need a really good mattress, and I had no trouble sleeping in the comfortable bed, listening to the creek outside. The stars through the skylights were pretty spectacular. We once had dinner at the main house, which was very nice.
While we were in Big Sur, we went to Deetjen’s for breakfast, which was great. We went into Carmel a lot to eat dinner and go to wine tastings there and in Carmel Valley. I would also recommend a trip to Carmel beach.
I would definitely recommend Heart Circle Ranch. It is like sleeping in Carmel and waking up in Big Sur, because the cabins are done in a Carmel style and are very clean, but then you get to wake up to an amazing Big Sur view.
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Mark and Lisa Jones, Santa Barbara
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| 07/23/09 |
Positive
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Come to the Heart Circle Ranch if you wish to immerse yourself in the tranquility of giant redwoods and mists off the Pacific Ocean.The crispness of the air will transport your senses far away from any stresses and the quiet hospitality of your hosts will make you feel as if you have always been there.
I enjoy renting a horse in Big Sur and riding down to the ocean's edge and also taking advantage of swimming at Spanish Bay Country Club. Following an extraordinary meal at Ventana Inn I like to come back to the little cabin and soak in the deep tub,with sprinkled eucalyptus leaves in the water.
I dream of going back before I even leave the driveway to return to Virginia! |
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Anne Wiktor, Middleburg,Virginia |
|
| 07/18/09 |
Positive
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The Gate House is a home, new as a gingerbread house, tucked into the mountain that is the Hart Circle Ranch. Above the Gate House is the Valley View Cabin and the estate house, and as one passes through the iron gate below and follows the flowers around the side of the mountain road these gracious structures appear in the shade of ancient redwood trees, soaring to the sky above canyon views that reel to the house perched at the mountaintop vista.
A glass of wine as one arrives allows a sunset view one never forgets, with the orange and indigo hues of the long day’s sun coming home to rest in the ocean while the stars preview in the evening sky.
Morning’s dawn brings birds to the windows and appetite to stretch and walkabout, perhaps to the yoga studio for an hour of meditative yoga with the Condors and the Hawks spiraling with one’s spirit. The scores of rare birds that appear to study the curious yoga participants send the sense of wonder so that the wind chimes ringing in the sun startle the meditative mind because one realizes that they are not part of a movie and are really chiming to the thoughts in one’s mind. Perhaps a morning stroll to the “waterfall of a thousand faces” or a book by the babbling water while sitting on a park bench under redwoods and madrones will begin the day for you.
I am so impressed at the serenity, beauty and completeness of the lodgings that only poetry is the clear expression of the experience.
Will I come back to the Hart Circle Ranch?
This is a dream of serenity and privacy and I believe has value beyond any vacation rentals in Big Sur or Carmel. It is a genuine experience that I will always return to.
The turnoff from the Coast Highway at Palo Colorado Road is convenient and well marked, and one drives up the narrow paved mountain road while gazing at homes – no! They are hillside cabins – and hidden geodesic domes, cliff-side manors perched above creeks with mossy redwoods as garden gnomes. The manors have a hundred steps winding to the peaks with houses for friends and guests perched up to the ridgeline of the canyon.
At the steep, short driveway the address is clearly marked on a mailbox set with three neighboring boxes, and a short and quick drive up the unpaved driveway brings one to the gate and the Gate House. The gate is the entrance to the estate above, and the road following the flowers curves on for a few hundred feet to the mountain top residence and the Valley View Cabin nestled in the redwoods.
I feel the Hart Circle Ranch to be another magical place on the earth in the like energy of Kauai, the High Desert of California, and the hilltops of Tuscany. Such energy is not offered so often at market prices for guests. A truly magical and enthralling experience awaits the guest at the Hart Circle Ranch at Big Sur.
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Ron and Jeong Rodarte, Dana Point, CA |
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