Great Get Away

Guest: gstraveler (West Covina)
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 10/23/11

We have stayed at B's property several times now. It is so peaceful and tranquil and is the perfect get away from the hustle and bustle of the los angeles city life. It's just minutes away from the small town of Santa Margarita that has a great winery and restaurants. Or you can just stay and BBQ and enjoy the millions of stars at night. What an awesome place and B is wonderful! We will definitively be back!

Owner response:Nora & Friends: Thanks so much for your kind words. I enjoyed sharing wine, bbq and stories under the starry night skies with all of you. It's guests like yourselves who not only appreciate the peaceful beauty and natural surroundings, but tell their friends about their wonderful experiences here, that keeps my booking calendar full year round. I look forward to your next visit.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Great Place in the Country

Guest: 2vagabond (On the road)
Date of Stay: 06/22/11 Review Submitted: 10/02/11

My husband and I stayed at B's for a month last summer and had a wonderful time. If you like being in the country, and enjoy communing with nature you'll love the house. We took long walks everyday and especially enjoyed seeing beavers off the bridge in the evenings. We liked being between Paso and SLO, so we could easily visit both places. It's a great place to get away from it all.

Owner response:I am so happy to hear you took time to stop at the old green bridge and see the beavers so hard at work in their pond. Not every vacation home can offer the sights and sounds of nature just a step outside the front door. My most recent guests were treated to several sightings of two types of foxes that live in the valley. I look forward to seeing you both back again soon.

Recommended for:

Lovely cottage

Guest: Dylan Trees (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/28/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

We had a wonderful time at the Vista House. Amazing views, lovely grilling outside, lots of wildlife and natural beauty.

Owner response:Jeremy & Friends: Your comment in the Vista House guest book..."This place was perfectly inspirational and we wrote some really gorgeous songs as a result." really touched my heart. I hope you will let me know when your group "Dylan Trees" is performing in the area again and I can come hear you play your new tunes. Best of luck with all your creative endeavors.

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A great destination

Guest: M.T. (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 04/09/11 Review Submitted: 04/12/11

This is a unique property and it comes highly recommended. My girlfriend and I were in LA on business, with limited time, however we wanted to see our friends who live in San Jose, so we looked for a place about halfway between our locations. All four of us wanted a relaxing destination to catch-up and not be bothered by all of the hustle and bustle of city life. We stumbled across this listing, which was nicely priced especially when considering it was a house, located in a beautiful vineyard, and with updated amenities. The drive up 101 from LA was gorgeous and a nice aspect of the trip. The owner, Miss B, responded promptly to my inquiry and took good care of us. The windmill house was perfect and i would love to come back and visit again. Overall, I highly recommend this destination.

Owner response:MT: Thanks so much for posting your kind words about your experiences at Rock Basin Vineyards. Perhaps next visit you will all be here long enough to use the complimentary wine tasting cards I provide for my guests. Safe journeys, Ms. B.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Perfect Christmas vacation!

Guest: Victor (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

We spent our Christmas break at the beautiful Vista House at Rock Basin Vineyards. The owner Berrenice is very helpful and kind. The house is clean and cozy, and the view front the front door is gorgeous. The rental is very affordable. My family had a great time and look forward to returning!

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

Two Weeks in the Sun for Two Michiganders

Guest: Jim and Carol (Midland Michigan)
Date of Stay: 09/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/26/10

Our first night at Rock Basin Vineyards for a two-week stay was accompanied by a rising new crescent moon against a black sky and a magnificent display of the Milky Way, completely free of light pollution. A rarity for us city folks! Our home for two weeks was the fully equipped and neat and tidy two bedroom Vista House providing an excellent place to live and be the focal point for all the area offers within a 20 to 30 mile radius. The proximity of Atascadero and San Louis Obispo took care of our shopping needs. And it was fun exploring nearby Santa Margarita that has two wine tasting stores and the Trading post where we had a very refreshing root beer float. They also offer a root beer tasting experience. We went to Avila Beach, sat on the sand eating lunch watching the ocean and the people and discovered the Old Port Inn out on the pier where we enjoyed the best crab cakes ever. We loved driving through the beautiful California countryside visiting wineries too numerous to mention and sampling their wines. Pipestone Winery along with Tablas Creek, Ancient Peaks and Pozo wineries were our favorites. And then there is the Pozo Saloon out in the middle of nowhere where we had excellent burgers with live music. A neat place in an unexpected location. A picnic lunch at Lake Margarita with beautiful views highlighted another day. Almost forgot out two hour tour of the Santa Margarita Ranch, a Mexican landgrant 14,000 acre spread housing about 1,000 head of Black Angus cattle and acres of vineyards producing excellent wines. “B” Parsons, our hostess, is a delightful knowledgeable person who combines managing two fully equipped homes and raising several acres of grapes with the help of two friendly dogs, Bo and puppy Penny. The quality of the houses is first class and we tasted juice from her grapes as part of a test to measure the sugar content that determines the time to harvest and even helped remove clothespins from neting draped over the grape vines just prior to harvest. The solitude and beauty of Rock Basin Vineyards was extraordinary and so convenient to the charm of what Central California offers. So, if you enjoy “living” in a rural and beautiful setting with a most gracious host, Rock Basin Vineyards near Santa Margarita is the place to be. We loved it!!

Owner response:I am so happy to hear you both took the Santa Margarita Ranch tour conducted by one of the property owners. The Rancho is a truly amazing place, with it's local Indian and Chinese and Mexican history, unique geology and the not to be missed collection of antiques and artifacts that have been found on the property. You also impressed me when you told me you had traveled the Dalton Highway and spent not just a night but an entire week in Coldfoot, Alaska just to see the Northern Lights. Talk about traveling the back roads, the trip to Pozo Saloon must have seemed mild after the Dalton! I'm glad to hear you found my little slice of paradise to your liking and thank you again for all your help the night before harvest. I have included a couple of Jim's "Vignettes and Adventures at Rock Basin" below for reader's enjoyment... One of the may virtues of Rock Basin living, rarely mentioned, is, to the male of the species, freedom from the razor accompanied by extending the life of the blade and maintaining inventory of shaving lotion. This, of course, neglects the impact of increasing facial fuzziness upon the depth of your philosophical thinking as you sit in the sun with a second cup of coffee, or if overcome by sophistication, a glass of Viognier wine! Ziplock Bags and Wine Production... The sugar content of grapes is key to determining when to harvest, so B periodically collects grapes from her vineyards, dumps them into Ziplock Bags and, squashes them vigorously producing a mash. With scissors she clips off a corner, and like drinking from a bota, juice squirts into her mouth accompanied by lots of swishing around to catch the flavor. A more quantitative measure of sugar is achieved with a little device (Refractometer) into which goes some of the juice and after holding it facing the sun gives the percentage of sugar content. The inventor of Ziplock Bags could never have imagined that they would become a vital part of raising grapes for wine. Thank you so much Jim & Carol for allowing me to share your insightful thoughts about your stay at The Vista House with visitors to this listing. Wishing you all safe and happy travels, Berenice "Ms. B", Owner and Manager, Rock Basin Vineyards & Guest Homes

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

Girl's Weekend Getaway

Guest: Living Happy and Relaxed (Monterey)
Date of Stay: 04/30/10 Review Submitted: 05/07/10

There aren't words adequate enough to describe the peace and tranquility you will find at Vista House and Rock Basin Vineyards!! My sister, daughter and I surprised my Mom with a Girl's weekend getaway for her 70th Birthday and the Vista House was just the right spot. The front patio served as the first place we went in the morning to enjoy tea or coffee overlooking the vineyard and was the perfect spot for enjoying breakfast and a BBQ dinner! You can't beat the fields of Lupin surrounding the pond, either. We had anticipated spending some time in San Luis Obispo, but once we got to Vista House, we couldn't bear to leave. We all had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back and share the experience with the "boys"! Thank you Berenice (and Bo) for sharing your home and property! We hope to see you soon ; )

Owner response:Thank you for the kind words about your stay at the Vista House. I am blessed to able to share the peacefulness of the property with so many visitor like you & your family. You girls looked so happy and relaxed...enjoying time with your Mom and taking in all the beauty of the ranch. I look forward to seeing you back again soon with your "boys".

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Lovely house in beautiful valley

Guest: MingC (San Jose)
Date of Stay: 04/10/10 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

Our family really enjoyed our stay there, where we seemed to own the whole beautiful valley for couple days. The kids loved the houses and sheep. The wild followers nearby greeted us with many pretty colors and variety, it's a pity that we didn't get to spend more time for them. B was very helpful and considerate. Hopefully we will have better weather in our next stay there.

Owner response:Ming & Family: I am always gratified to know so many families like your own enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of our unique ranch property. Although the weather was wetter than you would have liked, the rains were what brought out the abundance of Spring wildflowers. Even six weeks after your family's visit, the flowers continue to bloom in a variety of colors and types. The horses and sheep are getting fat on the plentiful feed in the pastures and the new family of ducks are thriving in the big pond. I look forward to a return visit from all of you in the near future.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, people with disabilities, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Guest: George (Santa Barbara, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/23/10 Review Submitted: 05/02/10

Sometimes in San Luis Obispo County you can sleep in a vineyard, or at least next to it. Such is the case at Rock Basin Vineyards & Guest Homes in Santa Margarita, located off a vista-rich country road along which you can buy fresh eggs. A delightful retreat, you get an entire house to yourself, but you can wander the property, visit with the animals or just sit by the pond and watch the meadow grass ripple in the wind. Quoted from "Tasting Away Again in Santa Margarita-ville" in the Santa Barbara Independent on 4/24/10

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Wonderful place in the country

Guest: Greg and Jeanette (Carmichael, California)
Date of Stay: 03/29/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

If you have business in the SLO area, or are just here to see the wine, wildflowers and missions, you could't do better than to stay on this lovely ranch in the comfortable house Vista House.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway.