Reviews for Yosemite National Park Vacation Rental - VRBO 364619 - 2 BR Yosemite Area House in CA, Royal Retreat - Yosemite's Best-Kept Secret, Centrally Located

Highly Recommend Royal Retreat and Jeff & Holly

Guest Matt
Date of stay 05/03/13
Review Submitted 05/08/13

The cabin is beautiful, nicely situated in Yosemite West, very clean, well-furnished, and exactly as described. Jeff and Holly were professional and a pleasure to do business with. I recommend checking this cabin out if you're looking for a getaway in Yosemite with all the luxuries creature-comforts to really relax and unwind.

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

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Spectacular Yosemite West Home

Guest jvb
Date of stay 04/26/13
Review Submitted 05/01/13

Royal Retreat is a beautiful, well designed, immaculate and fully appointed home in Yosemite West (an area where we like to stay because it is midway between Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove and near Glacier Point.) The two master bedroom accommodations (one on the first level, one on the second) perfectly suited two couples. The loft also contained a sleeper sofa. The owners are fabulous. No internet or cell phone service, but the rental includes a small amount of telephone use, if needed. Arrive provisioned with food as there are no stores or restaurants in Yosemite West. We will definitely stay here again in the future.

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

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Great place inside Yosemite!

Guest Tanya
Date of stay 03/24/13
Review Submitted 03/30/13

We loved our stay in Yosemite! This cabin is beautiful and very clean. It was wonderful to have a fully stocked kitchen and we enjoyed breakfasts and several dinners at the cabin. It is wonderful to stay with in the park and to be close to all the attractions! The owners were wonderful to deal with and very easy to reach when we had questions. We loved definitely recommend this cabin to anyone going to Yosemite! The one drawback: no Internet service.

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

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Rick Southern

Guest Rick
Date of stay 02/18/13
Review Submitted 03/12/13

A beautifully appointed, clean, nicely located vacation spot for easy access to Badger Pass. Very nice and accomodating owners as well.

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Extremely clean, modern, comfortable, luxury Yosemite home - within the park!

Guest L.L.
Date of stay 02/15/13
Review Submitted 02/21/13

This was one of the nicest homes and probably the cleanest home we have rented from VRBO (and cleanliness is very important to us). From the level parking spaces and mudroom to the upstairs loft, everything was clean, tasteful, spacious and comfortable. The furniture was modern (which we much prefer to the log-cabin standard decor), yet still provided a "retreat in the woods" feel. Everything was well-labeled which sounds minor, but it makes such a big difference when you are trying to relax and enjoy home comforts. Linens and furnishings were high quality as well. Little things like full pump bottles of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, dishwasher detergent - icing on the cake. The location can't be beat if you are planning to go to Badger Pass for skiing (<15 min by car). It was our first time at Badger Pass, and it was so nice to not have to deal with the Tahoe crowds, and then be able to return to such an inviting home. We considered staying at the Ahwahnee for some "luxury" accommodations inside the park, but were hesitant after reading online reviews about older, musty rooms and slow-draining showers. If you are looking for a relatively upscale stay in Yosemite, you likely won't find a place newer/nicer than this one. Holly is a true gem - really attentive and easy to work with. She gives lots of great suggestions about the area and answered all my questions. I would not hesitate to recommend this property to friends and family and we will definitely be back again soon.

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

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Perfect Yosemite Getaway!

Guest Eldridge-Khalsa family
Date of stay 01/15/13
Review Submitted 03/12/13

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Royal Retreat. Holly and Jeff are fantastic to work with and the home is the most well appointed place we've stayed in Yosemite. It surpassed our expectations in every way based on our experiences in other rentals in Yosemite. Royal Retreat is luxurious, super clean, and completely updated with everything you would want or need in a vacation rental. Our daughter loved the loft space for hanging out post hikes. We cook a lot when we go to Yosemite and the kitchen is a dream. Granite counters, dishwasher and all the pots and pans we needed to cook lovely meals. The beds are super comfy and the bathrooms are gorgeous! We loved the large tub in the upstairs bath. The location is perfect, only 5 minutes from Glacier Point turn off and about 15-20 to the valley floor. We visit Yosemite several times a year and stay with Holly and Jeff whenever they have availability. If you are looking for a place to stay in Yosemite and the Royal Retreat is available, book it! You'll be so glad you did!

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

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Great Yosemite stay

Guest Mitch
Date of stay 12/30/12
Review Submitted 01/06/13

Great location, great house! We had 3 adults and 3 kids and we had a blast. The home exceeded our expectations in that it is modern, beautifully decorated, and was very functional. Yosemite West is an ideal place from which to go to Badger Pass or Tuolumne Grove, or drive down to the valley. Holly was very professinal and helpful, and had the place well organized, complete with labels for where all the disches go! We very much appreciated all the nice touches and effort the owners put into making our stay easy and enjoyable.

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

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PERFECT!

Guest yellowdog
Date of stay 11/02/12
Review Submitted 11/05/12

We live in San Luis Obispo and stay in Yosemite West every fall. This is by far the nicest home we have rented. We have been fooled before by pictures and descriptions, but this home is actually nicer than shown and described. We enjoyed the view from the living areas. It was great that the kitchen had everything we needed to fix meals. Since we come with another couple, it was really nice that the two bedrooms are on separate floors for privacy. Holly was very pleasant and was great at answering my many emails and purchasing a high chair for our granddaugher! I highly recommend staying here!

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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Everything and more!

Guest Lori
Date of stay 10/12/12
Review Submitted 10/16/12

We stayed in the house with extended family and enjoyed a wonderful weekend in this beautiful house. I had looked at all the pictures online and really, it was even more stunning in person. The house has so many custom details and everything a guest would want that it feels more like a stay in a close friends home and not a weekend getaway. Literally, all we brought was food and clothes and we were set for the weekend. It was perfect! Thank you Jeff and Holly!

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

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Amazing house with all aminities!

Guest Birthday travelers
Date of stay 09/29/12
Review Submitted 10/04/12

We booked this house with one other couple for my husbands 50th birthday! The location was perfect! We wanted to be in the park but not in a hotel were it was not private! The house has any detail you could ask for, even a welcome bottle of wine! We hiked and took in the breathtaking views all day and came home to relax in absolute comfort! My favorite part was how QUITE it was......something we all needed! We loved the fact that there was 2 king sized beds so no one had to choose the bigger bed.... The kitchen was well stocked for cooking wonderful dinners and all the stemware was well labeled, which I loved! Sunday brunch was spent at the Ahwahnee Hotel which was breathtaking and the food was wonderful! I highly encourage going there just to see it!! Everything at the house was just how Holly and Jeff said it would be, the directions were great and the communication was all accurate! My only tiny fuss was no access to a washer or dryer which if we would have stayed longer I would really have wanted! Other than that, perfection!

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

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W. Yosemite stay 9/23 - 9/26/2012

Guest Carolina Gals/Guys
Date of stay 09/23/12
Review Submitted 10/18/12

We had a wonderful experience at Royall Retreat in Yosemite month of September - It was an incredible place to stay and I am sorry we didn't have more time to be there. Location was great - not too close(but inside the park) enough that we could enjoy the park and also other areas. Owners were absolutely the BEST and we got lots of good information and helpful tips to enjoy our stay and they filled in all the "blanks" and really made our visit even more the better. House is incredible and well maintained and very comfortable and great porch to enjoy morning hours with coffee as well as afternoon with wine.! Will highly recommend to all my Carolina friends . Loved our time in California!! P.S Yosemite Lodge/Restaurant was great!!

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

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Truly Royal Retreat

Guest JJ
Date of stay 09/18/12
Review Submitted 09/23/12

The house is beautiful! You can tell that a tremendous amount of care was taken in the design and building of the home and in preparing it for guests. EVERYTHING you could want was provided from a griddle and coffee maker to tin foil for the grill and even shampoo in the shower. The house was impeccably clean, staying here was more akin to vacationing in a four star hotel. I would recommend it over any location in Yosemite. You won't be dissappointed.

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

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You will love this place

Guest Analisa A.
Date of stay 08/08/12
Review Submitted 08/20/12

I have stayed in multiple VRBO's and own one myself. Can't say enough good things about this place. Clean, well organized, great location. Read all the reviews, believe them, and stay here. We took the owners suggestions and went to Glacier point to see the sunset. Highly recommend it.

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

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This House Like Yosemite is a Jewel!!!

Guest comment entered by owner

This House Like Yosemite is a Jewel!!!

Guest Tom, San Francisco, California
Date of stay 08/07/12
Review Submitted 10/01/12

Thank You for a Terrific Stay! This house like Yosemite is a Jewel!!! The house is very comfortable & well appointed. We look foward to a return in the near future

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Wondeful stay!

Guest Lyle and Judy
Date of stay 08/04/12
Review Submitted 09/06/12

Our family of 4 spent 4 days and 3 nights at his property and would HIGHLY recommend anyone looking for a comfortable, convenient and beautiful place to stay while in Yosemite. The property was spotless, and the attention to detail on the part of the owners was amazing. From the directions to get to the home (which included "stop here on your way in for the last reasonable gas and groceries") to having every light switch labeled so you didn't have to stand and flip 4 switches to figure out which one turned on the porchlight - EVERYTHING I could think of to make a stay easy was provided by the owners. Lovely home - awesome experience - - - Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

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

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...perfect place to retreat...

Guest comment entered by owner

...perfect place to retreat...

Guest Mike, Lynn and Alex
Date of stay 07/31/12
Review Submitted 10/01/12

Thank you for allowing us to share your home. It was the perfect place to retreat to after exploring the park. Thank you for all your efforts at making our stay a comfortable one.

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Great House in a Great Location

Guest Nancy
Date of stay 07/26/12
Review Submitted 07/31/12

Everything that previous guests have said is true. This is a beautiful home with comfortable furnishings. The kitchen is well stocked with all kinds of equipment - dishes, pots, pans, griddle, Crockpot, blender, etc! The home is immaculate. Holly is very organized and easy to work with. My family has stayed in 5 different VRBO's, and this one is by far the nicest. Most importantly, it is exactly what is represented in the listing. Only "good" surprises here! We would definitely like to return someday soon!

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

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Highly Recommend

Guest Jeff
Date of stay 07/22/12
Review Submitted 08/09/12

This was a beautiful property in the heart of Yosemite (roughly 20 minutes to the Valley Floor). The home if fairly new and is loaded with features. If anything, it is better than the pic's portray. I really enjoyed the spacious open kitchen which was stocked with all of the basic's that you will need (pots/pans/utensils, gas stove, dishwasher, etc.). There is also a very nice grill on a large back patio that has plenty of seating (very peaceful place to wind down the day). The dining table is large enough to fit six to eight. One bedroom downstairs and one upstairs, each with a full bath. Entering the house there is a nice mudroom to drop off the hiking gear. Very comfortable downstairs family room with a fireplace, then a great game room/ TV area (DVD) upstairs. Upon arrival the property was in pristine condition. The owners were very easy to deal with and gave us great info/recommendations for the area. We will definitely revisit.

Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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...lovely full of nice details....

Guest comment entered by owner

...lovely full of nice details....

Guest Los Kleinfinger from Mexico
Date of stay 07/15/12
Review Submitted 10/01/12

We picked your home from others in the web page because we liked you so much over the phone and your emails and we were not mistaken. Your house was lovely full of nice details. Thank you for all the advice of where to go. We loved Yosemite and hope to come back again.

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Perfect spot for our Yosemite trip!

Guest Kara
Date of stay 07/04/12
Review Submitted 07/24/12

Our group of four stayed here early July 2012 for 4 nights as we adventured around Yosemite. It was a terrific base -- and a wonderful home to return to at the end of the day. It's central to the Wawona/Mariposa and Glacier Point areas, as well as an easy drive to the tunnel view and valley. We did it all! And you're already in the park, so you don't have to go through the gate every day. The home is beautiful and comfortable at the same time. We loved the big back deck and enjoyed evenings relaxing and grilling out there. The beds were some of the most comfortable any of us have ever slept in too! Holly was terrific to work with. We did see a bear run across the road in the neighborhood one night, so heed the advice and drive slow (as well as keep food out of the car). We would all love to stay here again. Cheers to Holly & Jeff!

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

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Royal Retreat Vacation to Yosemite

Guest toby
Date of stay 07/04/12
Review Submitted 07/24/12

Our party chose the Royal Retreat based on the location and the description given in VRBO. The accommadations were wonderful. The home was brand new with all of the ammenities you could need. After a long day of hiking it was a wonderful treat to enjoy a nice hot shower, a great meal on the grill and a fantastic nights sleep in one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. I would highly recommend the Royal Retreat for anyone looking to stay close to the mountains and hikes that Yosemite has to offer.

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

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Stay here!

Guest DT from MD
Date of stay 06/29/12
Review Submitted 07/14/12

First off a great location in Yosemite, centrally located to the valley floor, glacier point, mariposa. More importantly, a fabulous home with high end furnishings and immaculately maintained -- the beds/linens, baths/towels, kitchen appliances/BBQ -- all top notch. Owners were great to work with and very helpful in planning our trip. You will love this place.

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

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Fantastic Mountain Home

Guest jsr
Date of stay 06/27/12
Review Submitted 07/04/12

The Royal Retreat home was a fantastic place to stay for our 3 day Yosemite vacation. Although 20 minutes outside of the valley, it was a central point for our hiking off of Glacier Point, visits to the Yosemite Valley and trip down to Mariposa Grove. The house was spectacular. Quality of construction meant that it was completely quiet at night. The furniture was top quality as were the bedding and towels. It gave us the first chance in our hectic vacation to unpack and relax. Thank you for sharing your home!

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

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We had a great time!

Guest comment entered by owner

We had a great time!

Guest MJ, Sara & Family
Date of stay 06/25/12
Review Submitted 10/01/12

We had a great time! Thank you. We feel so lucky to have been able to spend time at the Royal Retreat. My sister's family who have come all the way from S. Korea were very impressed about the place. We look forward to the next time we come again! Thank you.

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Australian Family

Guest Cross Family
Date of stay 06/22/12
Review Submitted 07/24/12

The house was easy to find as long as you had Holly's instructions. As she says, if you forget them you would have a very hard time finding the place. Everything was very clean and tidy in the house and it was quite well stocked with towells etc. The two bedrooms are quite aways apart from each other, one upstairs and one downstairs so it is very quiet. Wy wife commented to me that she had had a very relaxing time and it would have been better if we had been able to get the internet or watch TV. My comment to her is that this was exactly why we had such a relaxing time! While in Yosemite (not at the house!) we were lucky enought o see a mother bear and two cubs out at Glacier Point. The only down side to the area in general is that there is a very limited range of places to eat, but I guess that is why you rent a self contained house. We can recommend the all you can eat buffet on Sunday's at the Awannee hotel in Yosemite village. We would stay here again if we came back to the park.

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

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Family Trip to Yosemite

Guest fpcasandiego
Date of stay 06/17/12
Review Submitted 08/16/12

We really enjoyed our stay at the Royal Retreat. It was just as described minus the internet access (which we did not mind). It accommodated the grandparents and grandkids equally comfortably (and we were provided a crib as requested). The kitchen was well stocked and we used it every night. Good location and distance from Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, and Mariposa Grove. Really the perfect place to return to after long days exploring and hiking in the park. Would definitely return and recommend to others.

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

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Best trip to Yosemite yet!

Guest comment entered by owner

Best trip to Yosemite yet!

Guest Michael and Kitty
Date of stay 06/09/12
Review Submitted 10/01/12

Best trip to Yosemite yet! and your wonderful house was a big reason why.

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From Fresno, California

Guest comment entered by owner

From Fresno, California

Guest George and Nancy
Date of stay 05/28/12
Review Submitted 09/27/12

We found Royal Retreat to be a thoroughly comfortable place to "retreat" to after the rigors of the trail. Thank you, Jeff and Holly!

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Perfect home base for summer vacation in Yosemite

Guest Amy
Date of stay 05/23/12
Review Submitted 06/10/12

This was my first visit to Yosemite National Park we could not have found lodging in a better location nor better quality. Our group consisted of my husband and me, our two teenagers and my husband's 88 year old mother. The downstairs bedroom and bathroom were perfect for her so she didn't have to climb the steps, and our children were comfortably situated in the loft. The house is new and well-designed, has comfortable furnishings, a well equipped kitchen, and is very clean.

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

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May 2012 --- 3 Nigth Stay

Guest Timberwagon
Date of stay 05/20/12
Review Submitted 06/11/12

Very nice place. Found the property as advertised. It was clean and new. The property is located inside the Park entrance, about 15 to 20 minutes from the Yosemite Valley, in a small, quiet neighborhood. I thought it was a good alternative to some of the National Park owned places located on the Yosemite Valley floor, as they tend to be over-used. The owner was helpful. They supplied information on the property and area in a timely fashion via e-mail and phone calls. I would stay there again and I'd also recommend the place to a friend.

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

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Perfect home away from home

Guest Lois Lane
Date of stay 05/18/12
Review Submitted 06/15/12

Very beautiful home in pristine condition. This house is brand new! Looking forward to my next stay. I come to Yosemite many times a year from spring to winter time. Royal Retreat will definitely be my first choice.

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

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...perfect base camp...

Guest comment entered by owner

...perfect base camp...

Guest The Fullers
Date of stay 07/10/11
Review Submitted 10/01/12

The Royal Retreat was the perfect base camp for our daytime excursions into Yosemite National Park. Over three days we visited Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, and Yosemite Valley and hiked the Mist Trail as well as Mt Hoffman. Thanks so much for letting us rent your lovely home.

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Vacation Rentals by Owner

Royal Retreat - Yosemite's Best-Kept Secret, Centrally Located [#364619] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (32)

Highly Recommend Royal Retreat and Jeff & Holly

Highly Recommend Royal Retreat and Jeff & Holly

Spectacular Yosemite West Home

Spectacular Yosemite West Home

Great place inside Yosemite!

Great place inside Yosemite!

Rick Southern

Rick Southern

Extremely clean, modern, comfortable, luxury Yosemite home - within the park!

Extremely clean, modern, comfortable, luxury Yosemite home - within the park!

Perfect Yosemite Getaway!

Perfect Yosemite Getaway!

Great Yosemite stay

Great Yosemite stay

PERFECT!

PERFECT!

Everything and more!

Everything and more!

Amazing house with all aminities!

Amazing house with all aminities!

W. Yosemite stay 9/23 - 9/26/2012

W. Yosemite stay 9/23 - 9/26/2012

Truly Royal Retreat

Truly Royal Retreat

You will love this place

You will love this place

This House Like Yosemite is a Jewel!!!

This House Like Yosemite is a Jewel!!!

Wondeful stay!

Wondeful stay!

...perfect place to retreat...

...perfect place to retreat...

Great House in a Great Location

Great House in a Great Location

Highly Recommend

Highly Recommend

...lovely full of nice details....

...lovely full of nice details....

Perfect spot for our Yosemite trip!

Perfect spot for our Yosemite trip!

Royal Retreat Vacation to Yosemite

Royal Retreat Vacation to Yosemite

Stay here!

Stay here!

Fantastic Mountain Home

Fantastic Mountain Home

We had a great time!

We had a great time!

Australian Family

Australian Family

Family Trip to Yosemite

Family Trip to Yosemite

Best trip to Yosemite yet!

Best trip to Yosemite yet!

From Fresno, California

From Fresno, California

Perfect home base for summer vacation in Yosemite

Perfect home base for summer vacation in Yosemite

May 2012 --- 3 Nigth Stay

May 2012 --- 3 Nigth Stay

Perfect home away from home

Perfect home away from home

...perfect base camp...

...perfect base camp...