Vacation Rentals by Owner

Family Friendly Dennison Retreat

Guest: 1 Picky Traveler (Orange County, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/06/12 Review Submitted: 04/18/12

I am by far one of the pickiest people when it comes to staying away from home and this cabin was superior. We had three families staying there and there was plenty of room for the kids to roam around and spread out and play together. The play box was filled with toys and the kids had plenty to do. The family room was large and open allowing all three families to hang out together yet the house was large enough for us to all do our own things as well. I will definitely stay at the Dennison Home in the future...we LOVED it.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Family celebration of 4 generations

Guest: Zudi (El Cerrito, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 03/29/12 Review Submitted: 04/02/12

The Dennison house gave us the ideal place for a fun-filled family celebration. The kid-friendly atmosphere only enhanced our experience. We would not hesitate to rent the house again, particularly for a large group with children of all ages.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

Peaceful and beautiful mountain ranch

Guest: Tambra (Hilo, Hawaii, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

Our extended family (from Hawaii to Utah) met at the Dennison house over Christmas for a family reunion! When you drive up the first thing you notice is the beautiful mountain at the back of the property. The house was clean, well maintained, and well stocked for family cooking. Important to follow the directions sent to you, not a GPS (some family members did and it took them a lot longer to arrive). The road is a little curvy so some may need motion sickness medication. The owner was great and helpful. I would recommend this house to a friend. The house had enough blankets for all 17 of us. The rooms were nicely decorated and mattresses were comfortable (except the sofa couches--they are not comfortable). I love the way the kitchen is set up. It is a great place to bring all your supplies and have a secluded get away (if you forget something it is a 10 mile drive). The children played games (including pool & cards), watched DVD's, and played outside near the house and at the pond. The young adults spent most their time outside by the stream and pond. One son finished a book from the book case. The goats are friendly. We loved our stay and would like to return! The live Christmas tree gave a lovely aroma and was a nice surprise! Thank you.

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

Guest: Sara from Bay Area
Date of Stay: 06/28/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

Hi Shelly, Thanks so much! I just posted this Yelp Review with 5 stars. Feel free to forward it to other families who inquire. Best, Sara Fantastic place for families. House is safe for small children with great layout, lots of toys and games and pack n play (upon request). Shelly is amazing for advice, extremely responsive for questions by email or phone. The lake/pond is lots of fun but several hundred yards from house so don't have to worry about small kids falling into it alone. Just near house is a great teepee for kids to play in and wiffleball set to play while enjoying gorgeous scenery. You can choose to have gate to owner's house open so the very friendly/gentle dog Roxanne and herd of goats can roam and play with the kids or closed if allergic or don't like animals. The animals were our kids favorite part and dog/goats extremely gentle even with our 18 month old. Only tip: Bring most food from home or last big grocery store in Porterville (on way - Shelly sends great directions) as only tiny General Stores and even these miles away. You'll love it!

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Mt. Dennison House

Guest: mk_la (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 06/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/01/11

Nice house, very comfortable and clean. The views are nice and very secluded. Great for family vacations to get away. I highly recommend this place.

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

An amazing, relaxing stay at Three Springs Ranch! Beautiful location during any time of year...

Guest: T.S. (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

Three Springs Ranch was perfect in every way! My friends and I have a tradition of renting a huge house over holidays, vacations, weddings, etc. We have stayed in many over the years and always appreciate a good find. Our stay at Three Springs Ranch was by far one of our favorite rentals! Enjoyable, even during a rainy weekend in the heart of winter, the house provided the most gorgeous landscape with snow-capped mountains in the background and a ton of space on the property to explore. We hated to leave this cozy yet spacious 5-bedroom cabin - Photos do not do this place justice! The set up is perfectly communal with the right amount of privacy, bed space, access to bathrooms and laundry. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything we needed. The wood burning stove (which we used every day!) was the perfect accent and kept us cozy during card games and at the poker table that comes with the house! The guys played disc golf right outside of the house and our dogs were safe and secure inside the gated property. The teepee was adorable too, however we did not use it on this trip :) Shelly McKnight was beyond helpful in every way imaginable, on the days leading up to our stay, as well as during our stay (she even called to warn us about weather conditions for our drives home. Amazing) Overall, the perfect getaway weekend and best way to spend New Years with a large group of old friends. Thank you Three Springs Ranch, we will stay with you again in the future!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Family vacation

Guest: Denny (La Mirada, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/18/10

The Dennison house was clean and spacious. The grounds are beautiful and were perfect for our family of 14, including five kids ages 4 months through 14. The boys climbed on rocks outside and enjoyed the games that were provided inside. Everyone had a bed to sleep in and the wood stove kept the house cozy. The book of nearby activities directed us to two nice hikes. Check-out procedures are easy and resonable. Dennison House was a great place for our family.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.

Great Family Get-Together Weekend

Guest: Sara (San Jose, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/15/10 Review Submitted: 11/04/10

Met up with family from Visalia for weekend - Accommodations were as listed on web - Nicely decorated and clean (loved the bed quilts) - Was great having everyone in one house, fixing breakfast & dinner in the well stocked kitchen. We had 9 adults, 1 baby & 2 small "city" dogs who loved all the new smells and noises. We were all very comfortable. Weather was actually 'warm' for mid October. Lots to do outdoors - we got to enjoy the Springville Apple Festival which was just down the hill and lots of fun. Younger ones also enjoyed short drive up hill to hike in park. Would recommend - Shelly was great dealing with all my questions, etc. - Would love to come back in spring when flowers are out.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.

Five Excellent Nights at Dennison House!

Guest: Tami B (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/25/10

My family of three were joined by another family of four. We were a total of four adults and three children (ages 5 - 7). We had plenty of room to spread out as well as come together to enjoy dinner or a movie. The house was just as advertised; clean and very well kept. We truly enjoyed the goats roaming around the property and enjoyed the company of Roxy (the dog to protect the goats)! She was gentle and always ready for a nice pet! The property was located near several great locations to picnic, hike, swim and enjoy the day. We spent a day in Balch Park, a day at Lake Success, another up at Lower Grouse Lake and a day up at the Nation Park. Swimming in the pond was a lot of fun from the floating deck. Star gazing was at its best up there! For groups traveling together, you really couldn't do better than this property - you could never get a hotel rooms with that kind of space for this kind of price!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, sightseeing.

Great spot for relaxation with a large group

Guest: Fun for 14 (Filgas)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/18/10

This house was great for our trip with two other families. Fourteen people shared the space great during the day. Furnishings are comfortable but not fancy..perfect for a river and hiking vacation with 8 kids. Sleeping was a little challenging, but largely because so many of the kids wanted to share rooms. The owner left a large binder full of information about local hikes and swimming holes, which helped us plan our daily activities. What a great resource! Everyone really enjoyed the private "lake" on site. It's small water hole, but unbelievably peaceful. You really feel like you are isolated from all the bothers of your daily life. We brought our kayak, and the kids had a great time practicing rowing on the small lake. The owner was available for all of our questions, and very kindly helped us with a lock-out situation. I would definitely recommend this house others.

Owner response:To clarify to future guests: We used the term 'small lake' rather than 'large pond' because people seem to be generally hesitant about swimming in a pond. This body of water is ~ 1/2 acre and 10-15 feet deep and fed year round by a mountain spring making the water extremely fresh for swimming through the summer. It is large enough for a big group to have plenty of swimming room and even enough for a small boat to paddle around as these guests did, but certainly not large enough for jet skis or power boats, etc.

Recommended for:Families with young children, tourists without a car.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/27/10

Our family had a nice & relaxing time staying here this past weekend. The surroundings were absolutely beautiful (snow-topped mountains) and it was the perfect place to get away from our usual fast paced lifestyle. Even our dogs had such a blast that they were running laps around the house nonstop. It was great to see how much fun they had with all the open space around them.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/09 Review Submitted: 09/01/09

We had a great time. The house is very comfortable, good working kitchen and nice beds. Drove up the mountain the road is as twisty as we remember it. WE would definately consider coming back.

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Guest: helen27 (los angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/24/09 Review Submitted: 08/24/09

We had fabulous weekend at Dennison house! The hikes were amazing and we had a blast at the swimming holes. The house was perfect for our family--spacious yet cozy! The kitchen was fully stocked and we loved having our own pond! We look forward to visiting again and exploring more of the area!

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Guest: Jesse G (Huntington Beach, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/23/09

We had a wonderful time at the Dennison House. A great place to spend some relaxing time away from the cities. The layout of the property was perfect to stroll around with the dog or just sit around and enjoy the quiet. A short drive to go up and see the big trees in an area that is not as busy as the typical Sequoia sites made it a perfect vacation. We hope to come back soon!

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Guest: Erica18 (Manhattan Beach, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/28/09 Review Submitted: 05/28/09

We had a great time in the Dennison home and in the surrounding area. The house was perfect for 8 adults, 2 children and a small dog. There is a fence around the house that was perfect because we could let our children and dog outside to play with out having someone standing beside them the whole time. The house has a picture perfect view of Mt. Dennison from the living room window that is also the backdrop for the yard and BBQ area. We had multiple walks around the property and loved the pond and the trees. We visited during the last week of May and did encounter a lot of mosquitoes so remember to bring bug spray. The home was equipped with everything that we needed, the only thing it did not have was BBQ charcoal or tools. I would highly recommend this home and area for a family destination. Between the home, the mountains and the rivers we had something fun, new or relaxing to do every day.

Owner response:Missing barbeque tools have been replaced. Mosquito season is relatively short here from mid May through mid June. Bug zapper lights and citronella candles are provided.

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Guest: Ferris/D'Sa Families
Date of Stay: 01/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/31/06

This is a truly great place for a family week off. I particularly loved the way you have furnished the house. Extremely clever and tasteful. I don't see this in America very often. We enjoyed the drives to the places of interest even though everything was very quiet this time of year. We had a smashing time.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/28/06

Our large family group spent Thanksgiving week at Dennison House. From start to finish, my experience with the owners was excellent. E-mail was prompt, professional, and included lots of helpful information. Payment information was clear and refund of our deposit was immediate. The house is in great shape. The kitchen was especially nice with an open layout, a big refrigerator, and lots of counter space for holiday cooking. The decor is pleasing and not kitschy and the extra amenities (like DVDs, games, and puzzles) were thoughtful. We had a great time and recommend this rental.

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Guest: Brydolf Family
Date of Stay: 09/24/06 Review Submitted: 09/23/06

Well, we've decided that this is absolute paradise and we're looking for ways to come live here forever. Sitting on the deck and watching the quail, wood [eckers and blue jays was wonderful. The sounds, sights and smells of the forest, plus the magnificent view of Dennison Peak are so restorative and calming. We recommend strolls to the bog and pond (if only the frogs weren't so shy!), horseback riding swimming and Star Feast at River Ridge Ranch and leisurely afternoons drinking ice water and talking on the deck. Thank you for the gorgeous retreat. We're looking forward to our next visit.

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Guest: Korsak Family
Date of Stay: 01/02/06 Review Submitted: 01/01/06

We enjoyed our stay-- very relaxing! The house had ample supplies and the DVD's were great! We enjoyed the view and drives in the mountains. Springville, Visalia, and Camp Nelson were all interesting places to see. We enjoyed the fireplace alot. Would recommend your cabin as a great place. We had everything we could have wanted and more!

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Guest: Sadanandan Family
Date of Stay: 02/14/05 Review Submitted: 02/13/05

It was a pleasure being here. We really enjoyed the stay in this big and nicely maintained house. We definately recommend this place for anybody who wants to visit Sequoia National Park.

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Guest: Aghassian Family
Date of Stay: 12/28/04 Review Submitted: 12/27/04

Three Springs Ranch, Our family wanted to thank you for a wonderful holiday weekend. So many wonderful extras to make us all feel at home: Christmas tree, holiday lights, candles, candies, etc. We appreciated all you did and would highly recommend your lovely house in the future. Lots to do here. We played soccer, barbequed, went to the snow and went on numerous nature walks on the 15 acres. In closing, we were very pleased how well stocked the house was for all our needs and how nicely decorated the entire house is. Best Regards, The Aghassian Family (13 of us on this trip)

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