Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Location; Spotlessly Clear

Guest: Fernando (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 05/01/12 Review Submitted: 05/22/12

Our top requirement of any place we stay is cleanliness and we were completely satisfied with Alpine Escape. The bathroom, kitchen, everything was spotless. The location in West Yosemite is great too. We were close to Glacier Point Road and reasonably close to the Mariposa Grove and even the Yosemite Valley wasn't that far away. I met a couple in the park who were staying at the Teneya Lodge and it was 26 miles to the Valley from there. They were paying more per night and their accommodations weren't nearly as good. Tom was a great source of information about the park. On our way to Yosemite, we purchased two styrofoam coolers and filled them up with food for the week we were there. That saved us a lot of money as grocery options in the valley are limited and prices are high. There was ample room in the refrigerator for all of our stuff and the stove, oven and microwave all met our needs. Alpine Escape is the perfect place for a couple. It will accommodate four, but it is perfect for two.

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

Wonderful Accommodations

Guest: M&T (Livermore)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 05/22/11

My husband and I were very excited for our first trip to Yosemite. I searched various locations and was drawn to this particular home after seeing the pictures. I was not disappointed. After a long drive and a hike, we reached our accommodations and found a bottle of wine left by the owners. I think that small, lovely gesture reflects the owners' kindness. We brought food to prepare and I was pleased to find the kitchen had a small supply of essential condiments for cooking such as seasonings, oil, etc. Tom and Theresa were very pleasant and suggested trails for us to take during our stay. The day we left, we covered in at least 6 inches of snow (in May)! Tom was very gracious and cleaned the driveway and our car! You would not get that kind of service in many places! We only stayed a couple of nights and were very comfortable there. If you are a news buff, beware, there is no television. But if you want to enjoy complete solitude, you will not be disappointed. I appreciated all the modern amenities, gas stove, DVD's, washer and dryer. Thank you, Tom and Theresa for all your efforts in making our first visit a very pleasant experience.

Owner response:Thanks Margo and Tom. Yes, we do try to warn people in our listing and our emails that there is no television reception, cell phone reception or internet at the house. There is a landline for the telephone and we do have a large (47-inch TV) for watching movies, but as Margo and Tom say, we're probably not the place for news junkies or sports fans. It's a lifestyle choice we've made and it may not be for everyone, so thanks for the additional heads up to prospective guests!

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

Perfect!

Guest: Snowman (San Jose)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/22/11

My family has stayed here twice and recommend it highly. We are two adults and one child and it fit us perfectly. Having another child there would also work very well. The place is new, clean, and very comfortable. Best of all are the hosts. They truly care about their guests. They are super helpful and are very knowledgeable about the area.

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

Fantastic Yosemite Getaway

Guest: dslincoln (Piedmont, CA)
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 02/24/11

My family and I stayed at this property over President's weekend and we couldn't have been more pleased. The house is incredibly clean and nice, with hardwood laminate floors, granite counter tops, new appliances, a lovely bath area, and a washer/dryer. The home's owners live upstairs and couldn't have been more welcoming. During our first evening we got snowed in, but Tom and Theresa made us forget that we had even wanted to go skiing by helping us find the perfect location to sled with our kids and also introducing us to some families so the kids could all play together in the snow. I've stayed at other Yosemite West locations, but never one as clean and nice as this one or with such gracious hosts. We will definitely come again soon!

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

A+ for Hospitality and location

Guest: Vicki (Sacramento, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

Can't say enough about Tom and Theresa and their beautiful accomodations in the heart of Yosemite National Park. I had several questions from soup to nuts and Tom was available to answer them every step of the way. Traveling into the mountains in the dead of winter with a two year old is no small feat, and Tom was able to guide me in the preparation process. Their home had everything you needed for an extended stay, brand new appliances, washer/dryer, 47 inch flat screen, besides being gorgeous and sparking clean. The beds were amazingly comfortable. We got a good nights sleep after a long day of fun in the snow, ready for more the next day. We can't wait to book with Tom and Theresa again for some spring time Yosemite fun.

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

Very nice home not far from Glacier Pt. Road and Mariposa Grove

Guest: Amy (Minneapolis)
Date of Stay: 09/14/10 Review Submitted: 10/10/10

We stayed here 2 nights in September. The duplex is comfortable, clean, spacious and well stocked with kitchen utensils and movies (if you get around to watching any). Nothing seems to be really close at Yosemite but this is a good location to stay while visiting the Glacier Point Rd. and Mariposa Grove. They are very clear in their description that there is a small patio so if your plan is to spend a lot of time hanging out at the house and sitting outside this is probably not the best place. If your plan is to hike all day and come back to a comfy place to hang out in the evening then this is a fine place to stay.

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Alpine Escape

Guest: Maureen (Staten Island, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/23/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

We had a delightful time at this Yosemite Rental, which far exceeded our expectations. The apartment was immaculate, spacious, comfortable, nicely decorated, private, and quiet. The beds were comfy and the shower was great. The owners went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable by providing information about the surrounding area that was in line with our needs and abilities. They were quite knowledgeable. Upon arrival, they had generously provided a lovely bottle of wine and a package of cookies we could bake for that at home feeling. The apartment contains nice sized rooms with a fully equipped kitchen, and they provide interesting movies to watch on the DVD player/television. The apartment was a little out of the way, which made it even nicer. It was good to be away from the hustle and bustle and return to a pristine environment. They also had a small, green sign on the road, with the house number, that was extremely helpful. The Yosemite Area is beautiful and has many things to do, and I would recommend the Big Trees Tour, which was NPS Ranger lead, by a delightful young woman, who was a good storyteller.

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

Foreigners felt at home

Guest: The Ugartes (Austin, Texas, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/28/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

This fmily from Chile was so lucky to find such a charming place in Yosemite. We really felt at home, and the ownera felt like old friends... they gave us so many great tips about things to do and places to visit, thanks Tom and Teresa. The house is great, we like to cook, so we used the perfectly equiped kitchen, watch some movies about the Park, and wonder around the neighborhood. The location is excelent because it is in the middle of all destinatios within the park! We definitely want to come back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A gem in Yosemite West!

Guest: cgparis (Jersey City, NJ)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/23/10

We had the pleasure of staying at this beautiful condo rental from July 3 through July 5, 2010. The owners (Tom and Theresa) were extremely helpful in handling our reservation request and provided lots of useful information and tips about our trip to Yosemite National Park and also about their condo rental in Yosemite West area. The condo sits in a very quiet area sorrounded by lots of trees; it is very spacious, well appointed, and very conveniently located close to all the major park attractions (Glacier Point, the Yosemite Valley, Wawona area). The condo even has a landline phone which you can use to place calls from an area where there is no cell phone reception, so it is very convenient indeed. Upon our arrival we were surprised to find a bottle of red wine on the dining table and a very kind note from the owners welcoming us and providing some recommendations and advise on what to see and do during our short stay in the park. We also found some books and DVDs about Yosemite National Park, so you can count on some good documentation on Yosemite upon your arrival. We were extremely pleased with our stay at this rental property and, despite not having the opportunity to meet the owners in person (they were away on vacation at the time) we felt like at home and warmly welcomed. We will certainly return back again to this condo rental on our next trip to Yosemite!! We highly recommend this condo rental to anyone who is looking for a comfortable, well appointed and conveniently located rental place in Yosemite Park. Thanks Tom and Theresa!!

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

J & J's Tour Through National Parks in No. California

Guest: Janell (Minneapolis suburb, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/02/10

"In the Heart of Yosemite" is an accurate description of this property. South of this property is Wawona (giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove) and to the north is Yosemite Valley (2,425 ft. Yosemite Falls + much more). We especially appreciated this location when we witnessed cars lined up at two of the entrances just waiting their turn to ENTER the park. Our time was better spent touring Yosemite via hiking, biking (we rented bikes in the Valley) and taking ranger narrated tram tours (very informative). After full days, we returned to our "home" away from home and enjoyed baking cookies (compliments of our hosts who left cookie dough in the refrigerator) and on our final evening we toasted to a good trip (the bottle of wine was also a gift from our hosts). These personal touches were unexpected and very much appreciated. We did have a problem with one of our hiking shoes (broken shoe lace which affected traction) and Tom, our host, offered a suitable substitute cord out of his personal gear which made the shoe usable again. Reliable shoes are a must in Yosemite, especially when you're hiking ABOVE the valley at serious elevations. Tom also let us know of two mountaineering shops in the Valley if we failed to fix it w/ the material he had on hand. Our hosts were also a great resource when we asked about specific hikes (Lower Yosemite Falls) and their suggested hikes were spot on! The Sentinel Dome hike off of Glacier Road was exceptional -- a 360 degree view when you reached the top--we would have missed it if our hosts hadn't recommended it to us. They know Yosemite. Hot showers, a washer/dryer, a gas grill to cook out on and an assortment of DVD's to choose from were available at the end of our full days in Yosemite. The only thing we lacked was more time in Yosemite -- 3 days/nights were not enough. We started planning our next trip to Yosemite before we made it out of the Park -- our goal: to hike up the Upper Yosemite Falls trail to the top! Thank you Tom and Theresa for your warm hospitality and comfortable accommodations.

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

Wonderful accomodations!

Guest: JMF (Eden Prairie.MN)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/02/10

This house was a great place to come 'home' to after a long day of sightseeing. The owners were so helpful with recommendations for hikes/sights and their place was so comfortable. The beds were comfy and the place was spotless. they added a few nice touches that made it even more enjoyable, too! I would recommend this beautiful setting!!

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/27/09 Review Submitted: 08/27/09

This was the perfect place for us to spend a week: clean, comfortable, quiet, welcoming and warm, and a great location. The rental owners were very accommodating, helpful and gracious. We loved it!

Recommended for:

Guest: Julie117 (pewaukee, wi)
Date of Stay: 08/26/09 Review Submitted: 08/26/09

We were the first one to rent the house and the landlord has been very helpful and welcoming! The house is brandnew and in the park. we really enjoyed our time and would have love to stay more! I recommand this house!

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