Best Bird Watching!!!!!!

Guest: Wacojen (Euless, Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/10/11 Review Submitted: 07/29/11

I knew staying here would be special for us as it is centrally located to all of the activities in the Big Bend area. BUT what I didn't expect was the bird watching that would get me out of bed every morning, camera in hand. The peach tree in the backyard exposed us to more birds than I have ever seen in one spot. We saw Orioles, painted buntings, hummingbirds and more. My bird book and camera got a good workout. Very relaxing location, made out trip even more worthwhile!!!!!

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

Relaxed stay

Guest: Nor CA girl (Ukiah)
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 05/30/11

My husband and parents joined me for a week in West Texas Big Bend country. We made Casa Vida our home base and took day trips to Big Bend, Balmorreah, Ft. Davis and Marfa. We enjoyed that the house had 2 master suites and privacy for each couple. We gathered for meals in the kitchen and for socializing under the covered patio. Alpine is a delightful town with a lot of character and history. While we ate most meals at the house, we enjoyed fine dining at the Reata for 1 dinner and lunch- delicious. There was some interesting shops downtown. The area has been under severe drought conditions and was very hot and dry during our stay. We witnessed first hand the damage of the recent wildfires. I would recommend Casa Vida to anyone interested in discovering this Texas treasure. It has a lot of charm and old west- including a daily train going through town.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+.

I loved staying in this place

Guest: Bill (Rockwall Texas)
Date of Stay: 05/09/11 Review Submitted: 05/17/11

I truly enjoyed my stay at your place. The decor was great. It exceeded my expectations, having never rented a home to stay in before. the location was great, I felt welcome, the layout worked well for our group. Thanks for the opportunity. The place was clean, stocked with all the amenities, great communication with owner. Definitely would recommend, and would love for it to be available any time I visit. Health food store was great, Alicia's restaurant was good and can't go wrong with Harry's for a cold beer after a motorcycle ride.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+.

Great place!

Guest: Chuck (Lubbock, TX)
Date of Stay: 02/19/11 Review Submitted: 02/23/11

We stayed here for 2 nights in February, 2011. Casa Vida is very clean, neat and comfortable. The property has a distinctive rustic and western flavor. The owners are very accommodating and helpful. You can't go wrong with Casa Vida in Alpine, which is at the center of an area with interesting other villages. It is just a 30 minute drive to Marfa where we had dinner at Cochineal, a world-class restaurant and not to be missed. (It is worth the trip to this area just to eat at Cochineal.) There are good eateries in Alpine also: Bread & Breakfast Bakery Cafe, a funky bakery/breakfast place that is excellent and Reata, an up-scale steak house. Burritos are really good at Alicia's Burrito Place, just a block away from Casa Vida. So if in the Alpine-Marathon-Marfa area of Texas, Casa Vida is the place to stay! The listing description and photos at VRBO are accurate and reflect the ambiance of the place. Kudos to the owners -- Connie and Robert.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Our Trip to Alpine

Guest: Ms. Suzanne (Austin)
Date of Stay: 12/20/10 Review Submitted: 12/27/10

My husband and I and another couple recently visited the Big Bend area and had the good fortune of staying at Casa Vida and enjoyed our stay immensely. The cozy house was perfect for two couples traveling together because it offered two separate areas with separate baths joined by a kitchen so we could enjoy our time together and still have some privacy. The house is conveniently located to the highways that take you to Marathon or Lajitas which are at different entry points into Big Bend. The beds were very comfortable and the house is decorated with many paintings, nick nacks, plants and novelties that make the place fun to explore. I highly recomend Casa Vida as a wonderful place to stay.

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

A real gem in Alpine!

Guest: CT (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 09/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/15/10

We came to Alpine with another couple in September for an adventure weekend of volunteering for a grape picking trip for Times Ten Cellars, which has their vineyard up in the Cathedral Mountains right outside of Alpine. Casa Vida was the perfect setting for our weekend in Alpine. We really felt we were in a small oasis all to ourselves with the mountains in the background, the quaint city of Alpine, the train line. Very historic. The house is set on a large piece of property that includes a small barn, rail ties, trees, western shrubs and climbing rose bushes loaded with roses in full bloom. There were 3 different patios to sit out on and enjoy the scenery and we used them all, especially in the evenings with the patio twinkle lights. The house is beautifully decorated with Santa Fe style/Mexican decor and we loved all the brightly painted walls. The owners had the house nicely stocked with all the little touches that made us feel right at home, from the books, candles, furnished kitchen and the great book of information on Alpine and the restaurants and shops to enjoy. The Mexican bathroom was a real treat with the Santa Fe shower and the mexican sink and toilet. Cute, cute, cute! The layout of the house with the kitchen in the center worked out great for 2 couples or 2 families.Our weekend was busy with our scheudled events, but we strolled over to have breakfast at Alicia's 1/2 block away (great breakfast tacos) and dinner one night at Reata (the original Reata while the other famous location is in Ft. Worth) and then to listen to fabulous live blues at Railroad Blues. Sunday, with our wine picking duties successfully compelted, we spent the day exploring and drove out to the Balmorhea Natural Springs swimming pool, McDonald Observatory, dinner at the famed Paisano Hotel (where the stars for the movie "Giant" stayed) and then off to gaze at the Marfa Lights. Casa Vida had the perfect ambience for our trip exploring that part of Texas. Must say our only regret was that we didn't come and stay the entire week. Alpine seems to be emerging as the new hidden Texas style Santa Fe. What a treat and great get-away! We will be back.

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

Marathon to Marathon

Guest: Seth and Jill (San Angelo, TX)
Date of Stay: 10/14/10 Review Submitted: 10/21/10

The house was perfect for our family of four. The beds were very comfortable, and the house had all the amenities we needed. Our older son especially loved the jacuzzi bathtub and ALL the TV channels! We would highly recommend Casa Vida!

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

Guest: Cindy 7 (-)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 02/11/10

I had the great pleasure of staying at Casa Vida for the entire month of January and fell in love with the house, the neighborhood, and the town. From the rooster to the train whistle (easy to get used to both of them) to the short walk to great breakfasts and parks, it's a great location. The weather dipped to the teens a couple of times, but Victor kindly came and lit the gas heaters, and they worked wonderfully well. The owners have done a fantastic job of furnishing Casa Vida with quality furnishings: linens, cookware, furniture, etc., and the porches are an extra treat when the sun is shining (which it was most of the time!). And I can't say enough about managers Cristina and Vic (thank you again!). All in all, a wonderful spot to stay - highly recommended!

Recommended for:

Guest: Joyce99 (Dallas, Texas)
Date of Stay: 12/10/09 Review Submitted: 12/10/09

A lovely Thanksgiving at Casa Vida My husband and I, with two dear friends, often celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday away from home--Costa Rica, one year; Mexico in another. This year we visited Casa Vida for Thanksgiving weekend. After four days in Big Bend Park, we appreciated the washer and dryer. The house gave us ample space for privacy, visiting, and cooking our own Thanksgiving feast. Sitting on the patio while dinner cooked was most relaxing. We enjoyed movies in the evenings and took a day trip to Marfa. It's a comfortable house with everything we needed. A special thank-you goes to property mgrs, Cristina and Victor!

Recommended for:

Guest: Bill Worrell (New Art, Texas)
Date of Stay: 09/25/09 Review Submitted: 09/25/09

THE SWEET SPOT By Bill WorrellOne day a friend was visiting. He was a sound engineer from Nashville; one who had recorded the likes of George Strait and many others. He was in my painting / sculpture studio, which is a place I often stage music concerts.He walked about for quite a while, humming and singing. After a while he exclaimed, “Here it is! This is the sweet spot.” And it was, and it still is. That is the spot where we record; and that is the spot where performers perform.I had not realized there was a “sweet spot” before then. Afterwards I became aware that sweet spots are scattered about the planet. I realized there are special sweet spots that do not pertain only to the sounds of music. One is my place on the Llano River in Texas. Another is my little casita in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Not long ago I was treated to a stay at another sweet spot. It is in Alpine, Texas. It is a tidy and quaint bed and breakfast place called “Casa Vida”. It is near the heart of the town, and yet remote and private in its unique way. Now and then a train passes close by, bringing a bit of nostalgia about the incredible feat of establishing intercontinental railway systems. Mountains surround the vista, which, of course, is why the name of the township was long ago changed from Murphyville to Alpine.Nearby are such things as the Big Bend National Park, the McDonald Observatory, Sul Ross University, Balmorhea Springs Pool, and the old movie set of “Giant,” where Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Sal Mineo, and other famous stars acted out Edna Ferber’s famous novel. Valentine, Texas is o close, and also Marfa, Texas, with its world famous “Marfa Lights.”So if you want to escape whatever your routine might be, and read, write, paint, or soak in the flavor of the old West and reminisce about the cowboy way of life, try a few days or even a few weeks at the incredible cottage named “Casa Vida”.

Recommended for: