Vacation Rentals by Owner

A lovely place to stay

Guest: CA Travelers (California)
Date of Stay: 11/03/11 Review Submitted: 02/25/12

This cozy chalet is clean, cheerful and well laid out. The fireplace provides all the heat you’ll need, as well as a great ambience. The house is tastefully decorated and lovely china and glassware contribute to a feeling of quality. There are incredible views from the property. It’s on the river and has direct fishing access, as well as plenty of places to walk and hike. The only drawback we found was the lack of a stove/oven, although there is a large outdoor BBQ just outside the backdoor. (As it was snowing, this wasn’t practical during our visit.) The website mentioned a portable stovetop but we never found it; however, we made do with an electric frying pan. The owners have put a lot of care and work into creating and maintaining a delightful accommodation and it shows. We definitely plan to return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Beautiful little place!

Guest: Alexandra C.
Date of Stay: 10/07/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

We spent a fabulous girls' weekend at the Carson River Guest House in search of fall colors. We enjoyed especially the gas fire place that heated the house so cozily, the heated bathroom floor (!) and the windows to the starts in the loft - like luxury camping. We will be back in winter with the kids. Thanks, Jack and Kathy, for making this a great weekend.

Owner response:Alexandra Thank you for the good nice review. The colors have been beautiful. This week will probably be the last week. We have had some good winds. Again, thank you. Jack & Kathy

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Great Family Time Experiencing Nature

Guest: bruce (reno)
Date of Stay: 07/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/24/11

With all of the hustle and bustle of life, the Merrill Guest House is the opposite. A respite from a quick paced world we live in. We brought our 9 year old daughter who loves nature and found it in abundance here. We went on nature hikes, relaxed, read, laughed, slept and generally recharged our internal batteries. Good for the soul!!! Our hosts were gracious and we felt blessed that they share their dream with others like us. What a plus that their grandsons were visiting and shared the special joy that only children can know! Enjoy as we did!!!

Owner response:Bruce Thank you very much for kind review. I will be good to see you again in the fall. The colors are beatiful. JAck & Kathy

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect weekend cottage in ski country!

Guest: Steve S (Oakland)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

My wife and I had a wonderful weekend at the cottage over New Years (with lots of snow!). The house was exaclty what we were looking for - clean and cozy with nice architectural touches! And you can't beat the 20 mile drive to Kirkwood unless you're staying at the mountain. Perfect to get away from the rush and enjoy a bit of winter solitude in a spectacular setting. We will definitely be coming back (probably again this year)!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest house visit in October

Guest: David (Oakland)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/12/10

I stayed in the guest house with four friends. We all ride motorcycles. Jack and Kathy made us feel right at home from the very first phone call. When we met Jack and all saw the guest house we knew we had found a wonderful place that we are all likely to visit again soon with our families. The guest house is very clean and well furnished. A pleasure in every way. The cozy and very comfortable beds. The fantastic blankets that Kathy recommended we use to wrap up in and sit outside on the back patio to enjoy the star filled sky. Wow, she was right. So much attention to detail designed to enhance a guests stay. I know that my wife, son and I will be staying here this winter while skiing at Kirkwood. We usually stay in S. Lake but there is no need when such a wonderful place is at least 20 minutes and one pass closer. Thank you Jack and Kathy

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Best kept secret!

Guest: Megan (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/03/10

We could not have found a more beautiful and tranquil place to stay! We were hesitant to review because we want to keep this stunning Tuscany style home for only us! Kathy and Jack have impeccable taste from the overall architecture of the home, to the antique furnishings, the lovely china and glassware and the softest cotton king size bed / bedding. The landscaping on their land is beautifully maintained and well thought out to ensure tranquility and privacy. Our stay was truly a wonderful experience.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Excellent place to stay

Guest: Steve T (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/03/10

The only negative thing I can say about our stay was how sad it was when we had to leave. This is a beautiful, cozy, tastefully laid out house right next to the Carson River. The mountains in front and behind the house are spectacular. My wife and I got Married in Hope Valley and stayed here for a week. What a great place for a quiet nature oriented decompression. The owners are really nice and have done a great job on the landscaping and furnishing of this house. This is great if you want to be at a good starting point for some mind blowing hikes or skiing. It is also a 2 minute drive from Hope Valley for some great picture taking and trout fishing. If you don't want to go that far the Carson River is right out front and the bridge where they stock the river with trout is a 3 minute walk. Listening to the river all night is an excellent way to go to sleep. The week we went was 90+ degrees further down in the Carson River Valley. One great thing about the higher elevation and the proximity of this place is that the temperature is a lot cooler than the surrounding areas through most of the day. Our dogs loved this place!!!!! Another plus was that we had Linda the owners cousin cater our wedding party in the valley---excellent food. We almost got a place near Tahoe before we found this. Luckily we came upon this. No crowds or people anywhere near. But if you want that for a night or two, it is a short drive to the crowds/gambling. When you get back you will appreciate the solitude even more. Highly recommended if you want a nature oriented experience!!!!!!! If not, find a place in Tahoe and deal with all the cars and people.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Excellent place to stay

Guest: Steve T (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/03/10

The only negative thing I can say about our stay was how sad it was when we had to leave. This is a beautiful, cozy, tastefully laid out house right next to the Carson River. The mountains in front and behind the house are spectacular. My wife and I got Married in Hope Valley and stayed here for a week. What a great place for a quiet nature oriented decompression. The owners are really nice and have done a great job on the landscaping and furnishing of this house. This is great if you want to be at a good starting point for some mind blowing hikes or skiing. It is also a 2 minute drive from Hope Valley for some great picture taking and trout fishing. If you don't want to go that far the Carson River is right out front and the bridge where they stock the river with trout is a 3 minute walk. Listening to the river all night is an excellent way to go to sleep. The week we went was 90+ degrees further down in the Carson River Valley. One great thing about the higher elevation and the proximity of this place is that the temperature is a lot cooler than the surrounding areas through most of the day. Our dogs loved this place!!!!! Another plus was that we had Linda the owners cousin cater our wedding party in the valley---excellent food. We almost got a place near Tahoe before we found this. Luckily we came upon this. No crowds or people anywhere near. But if you want that for a night or two, it is a short drive to the crowds/gambling. When you get back you will appreciate the solitude even more. Highly recommended if you want a nature oriented experience!!!!!!! If not, find a place in Tahoe and deal with all the cars and people.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Carson River Guest House

Guest: Claud (Elk Grove, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/16/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

My husband and I along with my sister and her husband have stayed twice at the Merrill's guest house and both times we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. If you're into fishing and hiking you'll love this place. Even if you're not a big hiker but love the solitude of a peaceful place to stay right next to the river you can't go wrong with this location. The owners keep the place very clean and the surrounding gardens are beautiful. We have not eaten at any local restaurants because we bring our own food and eat the fish we hopefully catch. They have a BBQ. We'll go back for sure.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect place to stay for the DeathRide

Guest: DeathRider (Vacaville, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/08/10 Review Submitted: 07/13/10

Our family (two adults, toddler, and dog) stayed here over the DeathRide weekend, and it was perfect! The owners are very nice and accommodating, but gave us our privacy. The views from the house and backyard area are incredible, complimenting the sounds of the nearby river. The house had everything we wanted, and we were all very comfortable. If you are contemplating riding the DeathRide, this is the perfect place to stay. The house is at the foot of the last climb, affording a nice place to have a real rest stop (everyone else will be quite jealous). If you like the outdoors, you will not be wanting for things to do, though our son was happy to play outside while we relaxed and soaked in the mountain scenery. Thanks for a great stay!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Wayne Ryan (Napa CA)
Date of Stay: 08/07/08 Review Submitted: 08/07/08

We spent 3 nights at the guesthouse and enjoyed it a lot. All new and clean and very cozy. Great bed and you can hear the river at night. Cool stone shower and lots of towels! I recommend it. Wayne

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Guest: chrisanthi and alex (portland, oregon)
Date of Stay: 08/06/08 Review Submitted: 08/06/08

we had a wonderful stay - it was the most fabulous vacation the two of us have had in years. the accomodations were wonderful and the hosts incredible. we can't wait to return next year.

Owner response:Chrisanthi and Alex Thank you for the positive comment. Kathy and I are happy you had a good time. We have you booked for next year.

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