Incredible wooded retreat. Just exactly what we were looking for!

Guest: Pepper's (Silverhill, Alabama)
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/23/11

This house was the perfect property for our Colorado Springs getaway. Close enough to town for shopping and sight seeing, yet far enough in the Black Forest to get that feeling that you were deep in the woods. We LOVED our little house. It was cozy and warm with two amazing fireplaces. The kitchen was wonderful and well appointed. We especially loved putting our supper in the crockpot and coming home to a wonderful meal. We had a beautiful snowfall while there, and enjoyed being able to explore the beautiful land. Would we come back?? You bet we would!!!! We were in heaven. Thank you Lauri for such warm hospitality. We were just a few hours away after checking out, and were already missing our home in the Black Forest.

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

Very disappointing

Guest: Martha (Midwest)
Date of Stay: 11/21/11 Review Submitted: 12/16/11

Our experience at this property (over Thanksgiving) was very different from the previous posters, and very disappointing. We have stayed at lots of VRBO properties and this is one of the few times that there was a great discrepancy between what we expected and what we got. It's really hard to know where to start. The handrail for the stairs to the lower level was broken and completely unattached. Both of my kids took falls. A definite safety hazard. The kitchen: this was the most poorly equipped kitchen we have ever stayed at! It might look nice in the photos, but it lacked everything. There were no paring knives at all. The "sharp" large knives that were there were so dull that they were unusable. We couldn't even slice our Thanksgiving turkey. There were absolutely no serving dishes of any type. There were absolutely no casserole or baking dishes of any type. I had to use the pots and pans that were there in the oven and had to use the broiler pan for the turkey. There were only 2 wine glasses. There were no normal size drinking glasses, only small juice glasses and huge plastic "glasses." I was shocked to open the fridge to find rotting produce in there, and lots of outdated products. I don't think anyone has ever emptied it out. When I discovered the lack of paring knives, I did email the owner (I tried calling Lauri's cell earlier when I discovered several burned out light bulbs and left a voicemail but she did not answer her phone or return the phone call, so I thought I'd try email. She was out of town for Thanksgiving but told me to go to the store and buy paring knives!! On Thanksgiving!! The piano is decorative only--it is completely out of tune. The king mattress downstairs needs to be replaced--it was terrible. There is no view! And you definitely can't see stars due to the huge streetlight in front of the house which completely visually pollutes the sky! The house might be on 5 acres but it is not isolated and is surrounded by other houses and fences! You can't exactly walk out the door and hike. The WIFI only worked reliably on one side of the house, the side with the router. Unfortunately the eating table was not on that side of the house. The booklet of "helpful" information that we rely on when we rent did not really have any information. No info on grocery stores, restaurants (except one!), appliances in house, etc. We had never been in the area before and that info would have been helpful. Will be very wary of renting again--

Recommended for:

Diane

Guest: Diane (Bonne Terre, MO)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 07/01/11

What an amazing home away from home! Lauri we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to rent your home. Your attention to detail and all the extras you included were fabulous. It was so nice to take in all the sights Colorado Springs had to offer and then come back to such a cozy home. I would recommend and insist anyone I know visiting the area to rent your property. Thank you for letting us acclimate your 3 kittens to" family life" by staying with us during our visit. Whisper/Tippy has been a welcome addition to our family. The work that you do with the rescues really blesses our hearts. Thank you for making our visit so comfortable and relaxing. Hopefully we will be able to make another trip and bring Tippy so you can see what a beautiful lady she is growing up to be. Rest assured we would never think of renting any other home in the area!

Owner response:Wonderful! So glad your vacation was a great one and that you enjoyed staying at our place! We appreciate your kind words and enjoyed having you!

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

Amazing!!

Guest: Eric (Columbia, MO)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 06/29/11

The house was awesome. Our family was so impressed during our week stay. Great views, beautiful home, and everything you would want. We enjoyed visiting all the attractions during the day then coming home and spend family time around the kitchen table. Beds were so comfortable, that everyone was refreshed and ready to go the next day. We had the pleasure of taking care of 3 kittens for Lauri during our stay, adopting 1 to take home with us. What a souvenir! We gotta say... Having Fuji (the barn cat and unofficial host) sleeping on the front porch when we woke up, greeting us when we came home and tagging along when we went on walks was such a joy. We made sure he stayed to entertain future guest, even thou he tried so hard to come with us when we packed the car. Everything was perfect for our stay and will definatly be back.

Owner response:Eric and family, Thank you so much for the kind words! It was wonderful having such animal loving guests stay at our rental property! It is great that you appreciate our efforts with our WIld Blue Animal Rescue and Sanctuary! We are so glad the property worked out so well for you and we love that you left it so clean and neat! We will look forward to having you back soon! Lauri

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

Exceeded Expectations!

Guest: Sandy (Indiana)
Date of Stay: 09/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/13/10

Someone else said that the pictures don't do this home justice and they are absolutely correct! We rented this for Parent's Weekend at USAFA and our son was SO grateful to not have to share a room in a hotel with his sister. There was so much to do and use and see at this house that we didn't even have time to take full advantage of it in the 4 nights we stayed. The little touches truly make this a wonderful place to stay..the piano, the jacuzzi tub, the grill (indoor AND outdoor), the fire places (plural!), the incredibly soft sheepskin rug, the big screen entertainment center, the fantastic view and so much more! My whole family is very proud of me for finding this GEM!.

Owner response:Hi Sandy! So glad everything went so well at the home for you on this first of your several visits! We look forward to having you back! Best Regards, Lauri

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

Review for property #228735

Guest: JW (Park City, Kansas)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 06/26/10

Our family was very pleased with the home. It was very nice, neat and clean. We had everything we needed and even more. It made us feel like we had a home away from home. We were able to see all the attractions in the area and then come back and relax in a comfortable home environment. The owners made the rental process very easy.

Owner response:Jack, We are so pleased our vacation rental worked out so well for you! Its great that the deer and other wildlife paid you visits as well (thanks for the pictures!). We hope you'll be able to visit again some day. Best Regards. Lauri

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

usafa graduation

Guest: new england momma (nashua,nh)
Date of Stay: 05/20/10 Review Submitted: 06/05/10

wow!!! our family loved this home. we stayed for graduation week and loved it! 3 generations in one house. plenty of room for all of us. immaculate throughout, we sure wish we had stayed here for parents weekend, army vs airforce football and any other time we visited usafa. comfortable and spacious. close to usafa, shopping at briargate, entertaining at local restaurants and so wonderfully perfect for entertaining at the home. pick this home early for graduation......a true gem you will enjoy.

Owner response:Dottie, We are so glad our vacation rental worked out so well for you and your family! Congratulations again to your son on his graduation from USAFA and his commission as a 2nd Lt in the US Air Force! Lauri

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

Guest: Charlene13 (Lakeland, FL)
Date of Stay: 02/03/10 Review Submitted: 02/03/10

Absolutely wonderful! This home is beautiful, well kept and much more than expected. Laurie is a wonderful host, had it all decorated for Christmas, goodie baskets, a Christmas Eve gift, replenishment of paper supplies and a general desire to please and meet our needs. I asked for a white Christmas and she even delivered that! :) This rental is our first and it has certainly set the bar high.

Recommended for:

Guest: Suzanne32 (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Date of Stay: 11/09/09 Review Submitted: 11/09/09

When I first walked in the door the decor took my breath away. The pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the furnishing and the comfortable layout of the home. This house would be perfect for a family of all ages (my Mom is 83), especially the downstairs family room. The furnishings are beautiful, everything is immaculate, perfectly done, and the attention to guests comfort is seen everywhere: from the goody basket that welcomed us in the kitchen, to the radient heated floors in the master bathroom. We loved this home and will stay here on our next visit to Colorado Springs. The location can't be beat, central to everything and yet tucked away in the 'Black Forest' area amidst the pines to give you the feeling of being 'away' while still within minutes of anything you need to get to in the city. We were lucky enough to meet the owner, Lauri, who is an incredibly gracious host and who we now count as a friend.

Recommended for:

Guest: Brian74 (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 11/09/09 Review Submitted: 11/09/09

This property is all it advertises to be, and more. Absolutely immaculate, easy access to local attractions but still have the feel of being "away from it all," and completely trouble-free. Our family of 7 would stay here again in a heartbeat -- we'll be back!

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