08/20/2005

VRBO Bear stayed here:

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Minter Washington is a little off the"beaten path" (about 50 miles southwest of Seattle), but well worth the trip. You will feel like you are in the "lap of luxury" when you first enter the main house and see the luxurious accommodations that await you. It boasts a master suite, and two additional bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge kitchen and dining room, all beautifully decorated. There is also a nice living area with a HD flat screen television and fireplace. The second building (just a few steps away) houses a second master suite that is equally as impressive.

This bear especially enjoyed roaming over the 100-foot deck and watching the wildlife. You can see the salmon swimming by in the stream right off the deck. Watch eagles as they soar above and dive down for their dinner. Or maybe you’d like to take a little hike on the 10 acres that surrounds you. You will feel as if you are hundreds of miles from the city when in reality you are just a moderate drive away.

You may not want to leave once you’ve arrived, but if you choose to experience the city, you have several options. There are several small harbor towns just a few minutes away with lots of shops and restaurants. Tacoma is a short drive away, or you can be in Seattle in about an hour, either by highway or by ferry. There you can see major league sports, visit Pike’s market, the Space Needle, or any number of other shops and fun activities.

Whatever you choose to do, one thing is for sure, you will love the accommodations!

Signed, VRBO Bear

The VRBO Bear

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Neill Rogers
  • Date of stay 09/01/06
  • Review Submitted 09/09/06
  What a great house! My wife and 4 kids fit in this house perfectly. There was even enough room for grandparents if we had brought them. Ed and Carrie were a big help before and during the stay. My wife said "It is like waking up to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom every morning." If you quietly walk out on to the deck - you will see Golden Eagles, Blue Heron, and an occasional bald eagle. Every day but one of our two week stay included a visit by a Grey Seal at high tide and numerous Salmon climbing the river at low tide. Salmon kick up a rooster tail of water as they feverishly flap their tails in shallow water. The kitchen, decor and beds exceeded my wife's discriminating tastes. Thanks Foozboy!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/11

• great family getaway

  great family getaway

  • Guest immyfamily
  • Date of stay 08/30/12
  • Review Submitted 09/10/12
  The house is in great condition - beautifully kept, tastefully decorated, and overlooking a lovely body of water. It's about a 15-20 minute drive to the main area of Gig Harbor, where there are a number of fabulous restaurants, ranging from your 5-star gourmet dinners to your casual cafes. We appreciated the fact that the house was well equipped with shampoo, conditioner, basic toiletries, and basic kitchen essentials (usually we have had to buy our own shampoo/conditioner upon arrival, no big deal but it always helps when the basics are already ready). We did not use the kitchen much but everything you need is there should you want to do some full fledged cooking. I live in the US, and met my parents in Seattle - they flew in from Japan for a special occasion (anniversary celebration), and we traveled all over the Gig Harbor, Tacoma and Olympia area; we are a family of golfers so we played some great courses in the area, included Chambers Bay which will host the 2015 US Open. At night, we relaxed on the porch overlooking the water after enjoying a fine dinner at one of the local restaurants. If you are looking to visit the Gig Harbor area - and you should if you enjoy tranquil, charming little towns (think of Victoria, BC and its surrounding areas) - I highly recommend this place!!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• A place like your own home

  A place like your own home

  • Guest Sansu
  • Date of stay 03/30/11
  • Review Submitted 04/18/11
  We stayed here March 30th to April 4 and it was fabulous. There's three couples so we had our own space to ourselves 'coz of three bedrooms with a full bathroom each bedroom. My husband did not pack a lot of clothes but not a problem 'coz washer and dryer worked great. We thought we saved a lot of money by not eating out 'coz the kitchen was wonderful. I can stay here forever. Overall, this place is so clean, so cozy, you won' t miss home. Everything is here. The game room which works as an extra room was a huge help to keep kids busy. We only have a kid who visited while we were there and he didn't want to leave 'coz of this room.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Fantastic stay!

  Fantastic stay!

  • Guest Cindy
  • Date of stay 07/25/10
  • Review Submitted 08/03/10
  It was perfect in everyway! The house was magnificent and the location divine! My family enjoyed every aspect of it. Watching the eagles, salmon, various other birds and seals was such a treat. The accomodations were luxurious. The kitchen was a dream to cook in. I have never slept so well and the girls and my husband share the same experience. Thank you for having this place available and I hope to be able to stay there again.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• Business Trip

  Business Trip

  • Guest Ohioan Traveler
  • Date of stay 02/06/09
  • Review Submitted 05/14/09
  I had a business trip in Seattle and decided to bring my family. The Minter house was absolutely perfect for us. The kids had a great time watching the water go up and down from the deck. They loved their rooms and the oldest got the Master Suite to himself. I was a short long trip to Seattle as it only took an hour and was very worth it.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• bird watchers paradise

  bird watchers paradise

  • Guest Wildlife Watcher
  • Date of stay 07/26/08
  • Review Submitted 08/03/08
  We had an absolutely wounderful time at the Minter House. It is a Paradise for bird watchers or anyone interested in nature. Watching the Bale Eagles, the salmon and all the other wildlife kept us constantly enthralled just sitting on the deck! The house was very well equipted with everything we could want. The TV/DVD was very easy to use although the entertainment looking out the windows was much better then anything on the tube! Having the apple computor and unlimited long distance was merely icing on the cake of a perfect week. Thanks for making it possible for us to have such a wounderful experience.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

• Minter House

  Minter House

  • Guest mallory
  • Date of stay 07/12/08
  • Review Submitted 07/23/08
  We stayed at the Minter house in July 2008. It looked like it did in the pictures and was comfortable. We had eight people stay at the house. It is out a ways from Seattle, but 10 minutes from Gig Harbor. It was peaceful to return to each evening with the geese, eagles and salmon swimming up the creek. We took the ferry from Bremerton to downtown Seattle, went to the Tacoma Zoo/Aquarium, to Mount Rainer and to Olympia, WA. Plenty to do in the area, we just ran out of time.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/6

• Unique house, lots of space for everyone.

  Unique house, lots of space for everyone.

  • Guest Gazbo
  • Date of stay 02/01/08
  • Review Submitted 02/12/08
  The house is really lovely...very relaxing, clean, and comfortable. The owner was very accomodating and helpful. I would recommend this to friends looking for a quiet relaxing get-away. It has a great kitchen and dining area. And the master bath is incredible!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/5

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest Berniece Good
  • Date of stay 05/01/06
  • Review Submitted 05/22/06
  "I left my heart in Gig Harbor." We had the most IDEAL "girls' getaway" here... I just "unwind" as I "wind down the hill" to my favorite getaway house (Mintor). It is SO utterly relaxing, watching the tidal change of the water/sun patterns and the different birds throughout the day -- eagles, herons, ducks, geese. That huge dining table is great for meals and games! And the beds are DEvine! We had a great time! Next time I'll let someone else cook. bg

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Guestbook Comment

  Guestbook Comment

  • Guest AJ Mousseau
  • Date of stay 04/01/06
  • Review Submitted 04/03/06
  What a perfect place to spend Spring Break with the family, especially if you like to cook. Fresh oysters and live crabs just down the street! Awesome. We sat around the immense dining room table reminiscing and munching on delicious fresh seafood. The kitchen has everything you need. If that isn't your cup of tea, there are spectacular restaurants nearby. At the end of the day, nothing was more enticing then the large, comfortable, cozy beds. The northwest is our favorite, and this lovely setting by the water was a perfect retreat. Don't miss it.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

Peak Season $1,750/week (6/1-8/31) Saturday-Saturday only (7 night min)
Fall Shoulder $1,300/wk(9/1-1/1)$250/nt weekends $185/nt weekdays (3 night min)
Off Peak $1,050/wk (1/2-3/31) $200/nt weekends $150/nt weekdays (2 night min)
Spring Shoulder $1,300/week(4/1-5/31)$250/nt weekends $185/nt weekdays (3 day min)
Holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years) $250/day (4 day min)
50% payment required to reserve dates-final 50% due 60 days prior to arrival.
Visa & MasterCard, Discovery

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.