RWL Chicago

Guest: RWL Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 08/22/11 Review Submitted: 09/07/11

Our family and some dear friends gathered at Mesa del Sol for a week to celebrate my husband's 80th birthday. We ranged in age from 2 years to 80 and everyone had fun and wanted to stay forever. Our stay was enhanced by 2 very capable cooks who were recommended by Ann. They enabled me to have a vacation too and not to worry about feeding 17 people. We never left the grounds except to go to the State Park 5 miles away where we hiked and played in the river. Mesa del Sol is not for those who need restaurants, stores or amusement near by; it is for those who love nature and beauty and relaxing.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Idyllic, peaceful, relaxing. Simply wonderful!

Guest: JC (Santa Clara)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 08/24/11

Can't say enough about Mesa Del Sol. My family of 18 has been all over the west for our reunions and Mesa Del Sol was the spot we see ourselves coming back to again and again. It's hard to add more to what has been said already by the other reviewers, because it is all true.Idyllic Thank you Ann for sharing Mesa with us. Our time was truly memorable.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A week in Shangri-La!

Guest: Cathy (SF Bay Area)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

One week just isn’t enough at Mesa del Sol! Our large family of 19 (ages 2-80) and three dogs loved everything about this destination. The open space, beautiful landscaping and relaxed atmosphere brought us all together without feeling cramped or crowded. We enjoyed everything Mesa del Sol has to offer: the terrific and accommodating kitchen, outdoor dining, fire pit, swimming pool, basketball/bocce court, vegetable garden, chickens and of course, watching the grapes grow riper each day in the vineyard. There was something for everyone here - hiking, river, wine tasting and just unwinding by doing nothing. We laughed, played games, made music, sang songs, celebrated birthdays, ate and drank wine together each night. This is a rustic retreat in a country setting and prospective renters should realize that nature offers sights, sounds and creatures not usually found in urban environs. We found this exciting and gave us much to talk about each day! It’s wonderful to find a place that is not too formal yet still clean and comfortable. Ann made us feel welcome and at ease from the very first communication – we all noticed and admired her relaxed and trusting manner. While half the fun is discovering a wonderful new place, we all commented that we hope to return to Mesa del Sol. Thanks, Ann! The O’Connors (Vancouver, Portland, SF Bay Area, Laguna Beach)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

August 6-13, 2011

Guest: Ellen (Bay Area)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

Ann, thanks so much for making your incredible place available to us. We had a lovely time there, especially the kids who have never experienced such freedom to roam at will.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Family & Friends Reunion Summer 2011

Guest: Verla (Maryland)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/05/11

We have loved our week here at Mesa del Sol. We had 7 children (ages 3-16) and 9-15 adults (depending on the day, ranging from 33 to 73) for a week of fun and re-connection. We have made smores at the firepit, slept in the safari tent, looked at the stars, read by the pool, read by the oaks, fed the chickens and the trout, gathered eggs, gone wine tasting, fished at the nearby state park, admired the bountiful and varied plantings here, relaxed in the hammock, picked tomatillos, zucchini and fresh herbs, xcooked fabulous meals in the perfect kitchen and over the multiple grills, painted pictures of the hills, visited the Steinbeck museum in Salinas, visited Carmel Valley/Carmel, swam, walked around the vineyard, sat in the jacuzzi, swung on the tree swing, played cards... and more! We have loved how contained yet varied the property is, allowing elementary aged kids freedom to roam safely. The best things here are 1.)the views of the river & grapes & hills, 2.)the chance to unplug with family and friends, and 3.) the great gourmety kitchen for our big family dinners. Ann was a great hostess and we may come by this way again.... it's been a blast! There are a few things that could improve the week we had, according to the foodie/chef among us: a super big pot, your own knives, and the forethought to arrange a seafood shipment via fedex. (He did bring his own knives. Always does.) Grocery stores are a bit distant - so we recommend bringing in your meats and such rather than thinking, like we did, that "We'll just run out and grab what we need each day." The place is so beautiful that you don't really want to leave once you get here - so bring in your foodstuffs when you arrive. Leave wine at home, however. We LOVE the syrah here, especially, and drank plenty of the Sangiovese and Rosso. We also bought wine at local wineries. We recommend visiting: Paraiso, Wrath, Pessagno, and Scheid. The port at Paraiso is AMAZING. We hope that this helps you plan your family getaway. It's been a good week for this family spread over three states and 7 decades. There's great air here - hope you love breathing in in as much as we have.

Owner response:Thanks Dina, your extended family was a pleasure to to have here. This is a place to visit and do exactly what your family did...........tune in to the natural beauty and healing qualities of the property and get to know each other better and more deeply. Thanks for enjoying the wines too! They are much a part of Mesa Del Sol. Ann

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Mom's 70th Birthday and Family get together

Guest: Kimberly (Aptos, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 06/11/11

My entire immediate family (-Madi) spent a wonderful weekend at Mesa Del Sol and absolutely loved every moment of it. Ann was a wonderful host and had thought of everything to make our stay perfect. The details of this house are what set it apart. We had 17 of us ranging from 3-70 years old and there was something for everyone to do. We had swimming and diving competitions, a croquet tournament, a poker championship and a dance party out by the fire pit! We also barbequed delicious dinners and drank the wines from Mesa Del Sol....they were awesome....especially the Syrah. We hope to make this a annual family tradition!

Owner response:Thanks for the great review! I would encourage future renters to leave room in your wine needs to purchase our Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel available on site. Each of the varieties are organically grown and site specifically wonderful ! Discounts are usually available for wine purchased during your visit.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Family week at Mesa Del Sol

Guest: Jan (Corralitos CA)
Date of Stay: 02/26/10 Review Submitted: 02/18/11

Our Family spent the first week of Feburary. It was my husbands 60th birthday. We had a terrific time, Ann has thought of everything. We went in very prepared, ended up never leaving all week. Family and friends came and went, but we stayed in heaven. It is a very safe and private propery. Our two three year old grandsons had the run of the place. If you love the outdoors, this is the place. The sound of the river running, birds singing, and chicken clucking, it's hard to beat. The property is beautiful, well maintained, and huge, room for just about anything. Every place you look the view is breathtaking, sitting in the hot tub or swing from an Oak tree. We had fresh eggs in the morning, the kids could wait to run out and gather what the chickens had left. I loved the kitchen, we are big cooks and found it had everything we needed. We used everything the property had to offer, In Feb. we did not have any one brave enough for the pool. But the cozy fireplace went all the time.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, families with young children.

Lovely, Peaceful home and fun filled property.

Guest: Gretchen (Burlingame, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/23/10 Review Submitted: 02/17/11

Our family enjoyed a most wonderful week together at the lovely and peaceful Mesa Del Sol Estate. We had 14 little ones aging from newborn to 16 and 14 adults ranging from 20 - 85. We had enough room to roam, have fun scavenger hunts, and enough room to come together for family dinners, and lunches in doors and outside. We loved the pool and told stories at night while enjoying the stars and relaxing in the jacuzzi. We played the days away and also made many of our dinner side dishes from ingredients from the garden. When we got hungry for a snack, we ate fruit off the trees. It truly was like heaven on earth. We hope everyone has as much joy as we did and we look forward to coming again.

Owner response:It truely is a magical place to just be and makes me happy to facilitate such great memories for folks.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect vacation

Guest: Becky (Pittsburgh, PA/Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/10/10 Review Submitted: 10/15/10

First of all, our experience deserves way more than 5 stars.....our family totalling 6 adults and 5 kids from two different coasts met at the San Francisco airport for our drive to Mesa Del Sol. Little did we know that we were traveling to one of our favorite vacation spots yet. The estate js far enough into the valley that about a mile from the property we lost cell-phone service, which was just fine with the adults (there is a land-line for emergencies), there was a slight adjustment period for the teenagers, but it truly made us all slow down and "disconnect" from our everyday lives. It was perfect.....lots of room for the kids (ranging in age from 1-15) to run around and so much for them to experience, the wildflower garden, the chickens, the pool and hottub, the beautiful scent of jasmine wafting through the air, the trout pond, the amazing view and the sound of the Arroyo Seco River and crickets at night, hanging out together around the bonfire and the beautiful star-filled sky. We traveled back and forth to the US Open at Pebble Beach during our stay and didn't find the commute to be too bad -- about an hour each way, but a relatively easy and pretty drive. Ann was a most gracious and kind host and was available for anything we needed. Amazing vacation and memories. Thank you, Ann for sharing your property with us!

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

Serentity and Bliss

Guest: gina (san jose, ca)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/13/10

Our family (ages from 1 year old to 74 years old) had a great time at Mesa del Sol. The incredible scenery, spacious grounds and invigorating air left us all with a feeling of relaxation and peace. Everyone found their groove--chickens, swimming, hot tub, hiking, mostly just reconnecting with each other. Jeanette (the local caterer) prepared delicious dinners for us at a reasonable cost. This is THE place to go for a family reunion or a get away with people you want to be with. It is truly like your own private resort or retreat. We all want to go back again. The location is stunning. The photos are right on--the estate is meticulous. Ann is a generous soul and we have already recommend this property to our friends. The Arroyo Seco river is nearby also--fun for the kids to throw rocks and have a river experience too.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.