Vacation Rentals by Owner
Hiouchi House on the Smith River with Private Beach & Fishing! [#256200] | View Property
Crescent City
House, 4 Bedrooms + Other (See Description), 3 Baths (Sleeps 8-10)
From $200/nt
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Traveler Reviews (12)
Fantastic
Guest: Kevin Merrill
Date of Stay: 08/24/11
Review Submitted: 09/11/11
Our experience at the Houichi House was fantastic. The house had everything we needed for the 5 night stay for our whole family. We had places to visit in the area, but ended up spending more time at the Hiouchi House, setting on the deck, playing in the river and just relaxing in this peaceful retreat. Some things that impressed me were, the personalized initial welcome, the gorgeous flowers, the view of and access to the Smith River, and the flickering battery powered candles that came on in the evening automatically. As we arrived home, after the 2 day drive, my 3 year old grandson announced he was ready to go back to what he calls. "the cabin" right now. His comments reflect the positive experience of our whole family.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Natural Wonderland!!!!!!!
Guest: Rachel
(Napa)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11
Review Submitted: 10/25/11
My family and I planned a family get together to celebrate my father's 65th birthday in the middle of the ancient redwood forest. We chose the Hiouchi House because of the location and the photos of the house, however the photos DO NOT, DO IT JUSTICE! This house is immaculate and beautiful. Wow! The house is much larger than we had anticipated, there was ample room for the 10 of us. The kitchen was extremely well stocked, the kitchenware was as nice or better than I have in my own kitchen at home. Sometimes rentals have left over stuff , this house is first rate! Most mornings were spent on the gigantic deck looking over the Smith River sipping coffee listening to the waterfall under the covered bridge dance over the rocks. The natural wildlife abounds. We were amused by a river otter, awe struck by a pair of Bald Eagles, and fascinated by an Osprey catching its breakfast. The kids thoroughly enjoyed lazy afternoons walking down to the private beach behind the house to float on the beautiful, clear, jade, green river. Our only difficulty was trying to get motivation to leave the house to venture out into the Redwood Groves or take a 15 minute drive to the Pacific Ocean. Once we did venture out we were so amazed at the beauty of Jedidiah Smith State Park. If you haven't been to Stout Grove (a 5 minute drive away) you must treat yourself at least once in your life. To sum it up the Hiouchi House is amazing and the the surroundings even more so. I only hesitate to leave an honest review because it will make it more difficult for me to get my reservation next time, as it was I booked 9 months in advance to get the particular dates we needed. Johnny and Nancy were perfect hosts, to put it inte their own words," We are here if you need us, otherwise we are out of sight". We are already planning our return trip, the kids are still buzzing about their trip to the Hiouchi House
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Everything we could ask for and more.!
Guest: Ron
(Rochester, NH)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11
Review Submitted: 11/05/11
My wife and I and our three granddaughters spent a week at the Hiouchi House in August. From the moment we pulled into the driveway and saw the welcoming sign by the front door we knew we had made the right choice. The location is superb and the view of the Smith River from the deck is spectacular. Our hosts live on the property and made sure we lacked for nothing They were there to help but were not intrusive. We could be as active or as laid back as the mood hit us. We were only a few miles from Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and enjoyed hiking the trails there. The Redwoods have to be seen to be believed. From the house we took day trips to Crescent City and along the Oregon coast. Be sure to go into Crescent City and take the drive along the beach front at sunset. You won't be disappointed. We hope to be able to go back to the Hiouchi House in the future.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Home away from home!
Guest: Shelby N.
(null)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11
Review Submitted: 08/03/11
Our family loved the comfort and serene beauty of this home! We look forward to coming back again next Summer!
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Tranquility Base
Guest: Rusty
(Redding, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/07/11
Review Submitted: 04/08/12
My wife and I (both over 60 years of age) rode our motorcycle from Redding, CA to Crescent City. We had a wonderful ride; however, upon arriving at the Hiouchi House the beauty and tranquility surpassed the motorcycle ride. We were greeted by a colorful 'Welcome' Rusty and Trish sign and flowers from our gracious owners. The photos accurately reflect the cleanliness and peaceful environment. We ventured into the Stout Redwood Forest, went rafting on the beautiful Smith River and relaxed on a beautiful redwood deck. The Hiouchi House is a must see and stay get away and we are returning this July 2012.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Best of Family Times
Guest: Leon
(Albany, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/30/11
Review Submitted: 07/16/11
We loved our stay. While the pictures and descriptions were accurate we still were amazed at the size and coziness of Hiouchi House. (I just love a house with a name - I may need to name my own house). The setting and the proximity to the river were incredible. My wife and I were there with one of our daughters and her family - husband and 3 kids from 6 to 15 in age. While I was concerned with the teenager for 5 nights with no friends she had a great time. It was so relaxing and invigorating. We hiked in the redwood parks and paddled down the river on rubber canoes. The owners are welcoming and gracious. This is not a rental house - this is a home with all of the comforts of home, the ease of home but in a very beautiful part of California. Thank you Johnny.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.
Perfect!
Guest: Barb
(Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11
Review Submitted: 06/01/11
Hiouchi House is everything you see on this website and more. This lovely property exceeded our expectations in its location, view, comfort, decorating, and appointments. The house is like new and has warm and beautiful furnishings. The fully equiped kitchen and huge outdoor grill made cooking-in special and easy. We loved sitting on the large deck, listening to the river, watching the hawks, sipping our wine, and being in the middle of a peaceful forest. Right across the Smith River is the famous Howland Hill Road through some of the most amazing Redwoods in the park. To top it off, the beds and linens were great. Johnny and Nancy, our hosts, were helpful and professional. The only reason I hesitate to recommend Hiouchi House is because we'll have trouble getting a return reservation! It's a wonderful place.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
A little slice of heaven!!
Guest: I-Spy-A-Treasure
(Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10
Review Submitted: 09/09/10
My young daughters and I chose this sight for our "last fling of the summer" trip. We had high expectations and were not disappointed. This place is fantastic!!! The first day we spent just enjoying the home and the beach. the owener's, Nancy and Johnny are wonderful people. They are very friendly and helpful and they provide many. many extras in their home. It truly was as comfortable as being in our own home. We were there a week and never ran out of things to do. There are many many hiking trails. We did the rafting trip (about 3-4 hours - all supplies rented from Lunkers, which were very resonable and friendly - high recommend.). In addition, we BBQ most nights and the girls swam every day. We loved the hugh deck at overlooks the river. We were fortunate enough to meet the resident fox, "Peanuts", and my daughters loved photographing all of the different wildlife we saw in this area. This was definitely a place that we will return to. Thanks Nancy and Johnny for sharing your fantastic home with us!!
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Power down your cell phone and laptop and relax in the midst of nature's splendor!
Guest: Jen-Jen
(Bay Village, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10
Review Submitted: 08/10/10
What a find! The VRBO pictures, while wonderful, just can't truly capture all this house and its surroundings have to offer. If you're looking to just relax on the deck and enjoy the scenery - done! If you're interested in kayaking the river go see Mick at Lunkers (about three minutes from the house) and he'll hook you up complete with drop off. If you want to hike the redwood forest, check out Simpson Reed Grove or Stout Grove. Both are just a short drive from the house. We loved Stout Grove - pack a picnic lunch and hike down to the river. Numerous trails and some are "senior friendly". My 72 year old mother loved it! Grab one of the walking sticks from the back porch. If you're lucky you'll get to check out Peanuts. He's the resident fox that made an appearance on the back deck, almost like clockwork, every morning and every night. Totally cool! The house is lovely! The beds are comfortable with great linens and it's amazingly clean. The kitchen is well appointed with just about everything you'd need to create great meals at home. We drove 15 minutes into Crescent City, hit the local grocery store and frankly had little interest in driving back into the city. Once you've been to Hiouchi House everything else pales in comparison!! The weather was cloudy and foggy in Crescent City but as we drove out of the city and got closer to the house, we had blue skies and abundant sunshine and the temperatures were at least 10 degrees warmer. Don't let the weather channel misguide you! In summary, this was one of the best vacations we've ever taken as a family. We're already talking about our return visit. Oh, and did I mention that the owners, Johnny and Nancy are the best. Totally down to earth and they love sharing the experience of staying at The Hiouchi House. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this one!
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
The Perfect River House!
Guest: NatureLover
(Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 07/12/10
Review Submitted: 07/25/10
We spent four nights at Hiouchi House in July and I cannot imagine a better vacation spot! The house is large and immaculate, the kitchen is well stocked and the decor is elegant yet comfortable. I usually feel weird about cooking in rental houses but here I felt right at home - the dishes, pots, pans and appliances are clean and mostly new, not dingy like many houses we've rented. To me it seemed like the owners choose items for the house not with renting in mind but as if they lived there! There's a huge (huge!) deck overlooking the river, and windows looking onto the river from nearly every room. The best part, though, is definitely the river access. There's a rocky beach below the house but we found an amazing accessible swimming hole just a few hundred yards downstream. We spent nearly every afternoon there! (Mornings were spent hiking in nearby Jed Smith Redwood Park.) I would definitely recommend this house! And be sure to check out the Hiouchi Cafe, too!
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.
A great getaway in a dynamite location
Guest: Journeyer
(Miami Beach, FL, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10
Review Submitted: 05/26/10
This past May we took a 14-day driving tour of the Oregon coast and the northern California redwoods. We were looking for a location to use as a convenient base for 5 nights exploring the redwoods. Whereas the first portion of our trip was all about ocean, this portion of our trip was all about trees. So when we found the Hiouchi House on the Smith River from a web search we were definitely interested. It seemed to offer a country type location with all the comforts of home – we would be within minutes of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, which has many old growth stands and is less visited than other redwood parks. There are two 5 star hikes that we wanted to do in the park. It’s within an easy day trip distance of Del Norte and Prairie Creek State Parks as well as Redwood National Park. It also has a private beach on the Smith River which is the last major free flowing river in California. What a location! Since we would be visiting for 5 nights, we preferred a home lodging because of the spaciousness and privacy as well as having access to a kitchen. When inquiring about the property, I was in contact with the owner. He was responsive to my emails and phone calls and detailed in his responses. On the day of our arrival, we drove up to the Hiouchi House and had this feeling of a sigh of relief. The house was just as the photos showed. But photos can’t show how absolutely immaculate and obviously lovingly cared for this house is. They also can’t truly give you the feeling of a place in its setting. When you walk in the front door our eyes immediately looked through the big picture windows which are the entire length of the back of the house - you see the spacious balcony with lounge chairs where you can sit and look out at the Smith River and a forested mountain. We opened the sliding doors and the sounds of the Smith River have replaced the sounds of the ocean waves. It was just so peaceful. This house was very comfortable – check out the listing of all the amenities! Breakfast overlooking the river was special as was lounging on the comfy couches. There are little things like night lights so you can see where you are walking in the middle of the night. When we messed up the TV remotes, the owner came over to show us how it works. This is a great couples get away, but also great for a family or a group reunion. I also understand the fishing for steelhead is excellent. We would definitely return here again.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
Hiouchi House
Guest: BA
(Etna,Ca)
Date of Stay: 02/07/10
Review Submitted: 08/17/10
Each year before Greek Orthodox Lent, our monastery brotherhood goes on retreat for a few days in some isolated area. This year we decided to rent the Hiouchi House on the Smith River in the California redwoods. Of all the many places that we have stayed, this was one of the nicest. It is tastefully and beautifully furnished, with careful and detailed attention to visitors' needs. The house overlooks the Smith River in a setting that is spectacular. When we arrived, there was a fire burning in the fireplace and the house was spotlessly clean. The bathroom facilities were all in good order, the kitchen was supplied with everything that one would need, and the house provided a quiet and wonderful place to read, contemplate, and enjoy the magnificent views of pristine nature that the riverside wall of windows provides. We recommend this remarkable place wholeheartedly and without hesitation. It is a real "find." St. Gregory Palamas Brotherhood
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.