| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 11 positive, 0 negative]
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| 08/01/09 |
Positive
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Our family spent a late June-early July, 2009, week at this Valley Springs home. Each of our (adult)kids and our grandkids, agree that this beautiful home and spectacular outdoor "environment" rates very, very high (maybe at the top?)on our list of the best vacation homes and locales which we've rented each summer for 14 years!
The home is very private, and secluded from the road, with the only sounds those of the lovely Calaveras River, the wonderful wildlife, surprising us throughout the day and evening,the rustling of leaves on the trees and shrubs above the colorful flowers of the nicely-landscaped areas around the pool, and surrounding the home, and, of course, if I may be modest,(ho ho), the delightful sounds of my equally delightful four grandchildren, swimming in the beautiful, and beautifully-situated, pool. (Of course, we adults joined them!) Both a gas and an electric BBQ are on the expansive deck,(a large table with comfortable chairs is a great place for an evening's meal) which overlooks the River, and the picturesque hills, covered with summer grasses, and dotted with beautiful oaks. The interior of the home is spacious and bright, with lovely views out the many windows of each room. Furnishings are upscale---classy, yet comfortable, and homey. The breakfast area seats 4, and the nearby dining area seats another 6. The beds are of excellent quality, making for peaceful sleep. Our daughter-in-law, and son-in-law--formerly an executive chef in a French restaurant in L.A.-- found the kitchen to be outfitted with all their needs for preparing our delicious meals. (We were surprised to find a great meat market--TW Meats---for the leg of lamb he BBQ'd for my birthday dinner one night.
Highlights away from the home, included a trip to Columbia, the old mining town, where we took a stagecoach ride and panned for gold, lovely trails among the pines in Calaveras Big Trees Park, Caves and Caverns, and not-to-be-missed with your children: Willow Creek Ranch, less than 30 minutes from the home,a working farm where you can interact with the animals, milk the cows, learn about farming, and eat a delicious meal prepared by owners John and Mary Orr. This was indeed an area hightlight!
Would we return? Absolutely!
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The Reiss Family, Los Angeles, CA |
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| 09/17/08 |
Positive
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| This riverfront vacation home is a wonderful place to find peace and quiet and really decompress from the hectic every day stresses of life. From the soothing sounds of the river always in the background, the beautiful and serene backyard to the lovely decor... the impeccable attention to detail helped us to feel comfortable and at home right away and we experienced a relaxing vacation such as we have not had in a very long time. Nice too that it is not far from the SFBayArea. Everything was wonderful, once we got there we didn't want to leave... Our only regret, that we couldn't have stayed longer! |
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Rachel & Michael, Pinole, California |
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| 07/08/08 |
Positive
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We stayed for the 1st week in June 2008. We came out from Tucson for our daughter's wedding in Ione. 6 adults and 2 children. The place had room enough for everybody. We all had a place to sleep and plenty of bathrooms. We loved the place. Lots of decks to enjoy the outdoors. There is a flock of resident wild turkeys, as well as deer and other wildlife. The turkeys roost in the trees by the pool at sunset and get down at dawn for foraging, mating, fighting, etc. This house is everything you could wish for in the California foothills/Gold Country: Clear ice-cold river, beautiful views, BBQs, large clean pool, lots of lounge chairs, a large gazebo with more couches, tables and refrigerator. Very private setting.
Nice stereo with a good selection of CDs.
We all had a great time. Would recommend this place to everybody. |
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Tom and Tanya, Tucson, AZ |
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| 05/27/08 |
Positive
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| We shared this house with another family over Memorial Day weekend. The location is wonderful - easy to access, close to many activities, and very peaceful. The house is very comfortable and large enough to spread out. The deck, view, and pool are beautiful. We had a wonderful weekend. |
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Susan, Santa Clara, CA |
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| 04/24/08 |
Positive
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| We stayed in early April during spring break. We were 2 families travelling together and found the home most accommodating in spaciousness and amenities, especially the backyard. The splendor of the view is breathtaking and we look forward to coming back! |
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Carolyn |
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| 08/13/07 |
Positive
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| We spent the last week in July and had a great time. It was quite hot (very low humidity made it much more bearable), but the pool was the perfect way to cool off. It was a huge hit with our kids. The view from the pool is great looking down into the river canyon. We saw lots of wildlife and enjoyed the sunsets. The house is clean and has plenty of space to spread out, entertain or to escape and relax. Cool nights made for comfortable sleeping. Good base location for visiting Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and other sites in the Sierras. |
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Jim, Cary, IL |
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| 10/15/06 |
Positive
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WOW! I'll start with the back yard, where there are a nice blue pool, bound by an arc of evergreen hedges and drooping gardenia, a terrace of decks that give different vantage points of the panoramic view of the river and oak & pine-covered hills, and a cool gazebo where you can relax in the shade (a welcome retreat when the temperatures soar to the 90s) and enjoy listening to the sound of the river and birds chirping in the trees. Here you also enjoy the sight of hawks and buzzers performing ballet in the air and redhead, skittish woodpeckers hammering away tirelessly on the trunk of the tall ponderosa pine trees located a few yards away from the lower deck. Occasionally you see a flock of turkeys and quail forging on the hillside and deer resting under the shades of trees.
The decks and gazebo are supplied with means of comfort and relaxation: chaise lounges, canopied sets of chairs and tables, a swing, a number of upright benches and chairs, a radio, a refrigerator, microwave and barbecue grills.
Both the interior and exterior of the home are nicely kept.
Hogan Lake, where we went to stroll by the waterfront, is 7-10 minutes of drive from the home. So are the shops and grocery stores….If I were to rate this place from 1-10, the score will certainly be outside this range. We’d vacation here every year – the perfect retreat!
Tarus, Stockton, California |
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Anonymous, stockton,ca |
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| 09/05/06 |
Positive
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| We stayed over the Labor Day weekend. The house is in a great location! You can go down to the river and fish - there are hammocks and a picnic table there with lots of shade. The house and land are beautiful - it's a nice neighborhood with the sweet sound of the river below. At night you can sit out on the deck and watch the stars while listen to the river. The large bottom deck is a great place to hang out and bbq & swim during the day. All of the rooms have very comfy beds and the kitchen is fully loaded. The Hogan reservoir is very close and the perfect place to take a boat or Jet Ski’s out to. We look forward to going back soon! |
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Sabrina, Fremont, Ca |
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| 08/26/06 |
Positive
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| We stayed for two weeks and it was a wonderful, relaxing (aren't vacations supposed to be?) time. The stream below was a rigorous but doable trek for myself and my eight year-old and ten year old. The pool was the closer. We spent hours in and around the pool/deck/gazebo. Wild life abounds! There is a resident gray fox, deer, quail, wild turkeys, hawks and buzzards. We enjoyed day trips to caverns, golf, gold-panning and big trees. NOTE: be prepared to do your own cooking/grilling as there are few restaurants nearby. Luckily, the kitchen is completely stocked with all the equipment you need for this. |
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Ken Neary, alameda ca
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| 07/19/06 |
Positive
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| We felt like we were in country paradise. We stayed for 3 nights and had a splendid time. The interior was beautiful and clean with all the comforts of home. Our 13 year-old slept in the room with an air-bed and loved having her own deck and the small t.v. with built-in VCR. We were able to cook meals in the kitchen with a stove, oven and microwave and clean-up with the dishwasher. The exterior had the spectacular view that was quite breathtaking. The weather was very hot, so we cooled off in the swimming pool. Our 13 year-old loved swimming in the pool for hours on end and playing hoops with the portable pool basketball ring. Bring a plastic pool ball and practice your hoop shots. Bring a pool airmat for floating peacefully in the secluded pool while gazing up at 2 pine trees that are frequented with birds. We played a game of chess under the stars. The nights are so quiet as well as the day that the only sounds are from the river, birds and insects. We enjoyed eating lunch by the pool on the large deck that overlooks the "River Runs Through It" view. The sound of the river is so soothing that you are lulled into a peaceful easy feeling. The steep climb to the river can be challenging because of wobbly rocks so wear good shoes. The climb is rewarding because quail, wild turkeys and a blue-tailed skink were seen. Overhead from the deck, we saw vultures soaring in the sky as well as woodpeckers and other birds. We saw deer in the bushes on the property, and when they saw us they bounded away. We were surprised to see a flock of wild turkeys, 18-25, walk onto the deck, some lounged while others sipped from the pool. We grabbed the camera for this rare sight. Shopping for groceries is a short distance away as well as restaurants/fast food. We enjoyed a picnic at nearby Hogan Lake. All in all, we wished we could stay longer in this country paradise, but had to return to the city. |
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Jay, Mary & Haley, Albany, CA |
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| 07/06/06 |
Positive
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Three friends and I stayed at this house over the 4th of July weekend and had a great time. It was HOT and the private pool was absolutely perfect. Beautiful decking all around with a very nice gazebo to relax in the shade. Wonderful views of the hills and river with a great breeze flowing up through the canyon. The walk down to the river is a bit challenging but not too far and there's a picnic table, some chairs, and a hammock already set up riverside.
The interior was lovely, very tastefully done with lots of space. Since we were the the owners' first guests, three of the four bedrooms were equipped with air mattresses which wasn't a problem for me (high quality Aerobeds).
Highly recommended! |
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Tom, Albany, CA |
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