Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great family rental in Julian hills

Guest: Grandma Choclit (La Mesa, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/13/12 Review Submitted: 04/27/12

Our entire family including a handicapped grandparent, parents and 3 children under 7 years had a wonderful experience. The 3 king-sized beds with bathrooms were perfect for large people and afforded privacy. The kids loved the unexpected snow, we stayed cozy inside, and when the snow melted within a few days, everyone enjoyed the yard with the flowers and chickens. We were impressed with the cleanliness and comfort of the place, it's great spaces to be together or apart, and the friendliness of the owners. The furnishings were nice, but comfortably worn enough for small children to play in without worry. I would recommend Corgi's Castle for anyone who wants a self-catering situation, especially extended families and large people. We'll visit again!

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

Lovely Get Away!!

Guest: Curly Woman (Orange County, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/08/12 Review Submitted: 03/17/12

The owners of this property are extremely easy to communicate with about anything you might need. The property manager, Bonnie went above and beyond to help me know all the in's and out's of the town and fun things to do! This property is spacious enough to accommodate a nice family getaway with other couples with children or a family reunion. The area is peaceful and while we were there we saw herds of deer running through the valley below. We had a great time and it was extremely restful for my husband and children which was why we went!

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

Autumn trip

Guest: Deborah C
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 12/29/11

I just wanted you to know that we had a great time in Julian and loved your home - the kids loved the chickens! The weather was great, we hiked, went horseback riding, went on the Gold Mine tour (they're the best!) and went to the Wolf Rescue Center. Oh yes, the girls all went to tea. Thanks so much for your part in making this a great trip!

Recommended for:

Another special weekend at the Castle!

Guest: airedale2 (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 11/13/11

This was our 6th annual Scrapbooking trip to Corgi's Castle. We look forward to it every year, and to see what changes have been made to the house. We were not disappointed! The office was redecorated with a lovely red sofa, and there was new furniture in the living room. The owners and Bonnie are so helpful and accommodating. We even had snow on our first day! The fall leaves were beautiful, and once again we shared laughs and made memories!

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

Corgi's Castle

Guest: CP (Vista, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

A group of 6 tole painting women stayed at Corgi's Castle - what a hoot. The home is welcoming and spread out so, if you want quiet, it's possible. We sat on the back porch and enjoyed the outdoors seeing the lake below and deer frolicking in the fields. The home has a few quirks that added to the overall fun. We picked fresh vege's from the garden for one of our meals and enjoyed being within 3 miles of downtown Julian. We'll definitely look forward to next year when we plan to return.

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

Fantastic time had by all!!

Guest: Gabby (San Ysidro, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/28/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/11

My family and I recently stayed in this beautiful home and our experience was fantastic. We had children with us and they had enough room to play while the adults had space for quiet time. The house is roomy and very comfortable. The kitchen has all the appliances that you will need; perfect for family meals. My family and I will definitely return. The attention received is excellent, thank you!!

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

Wonderful & relaxing!

Guest: Califawaiian (Orange County, California)
Date of Stay: 12/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

We had a great time staying here! Would love to come in the summer & see the garden in full bloom. We stayed with extended family & it was a great size for all of us! We especially enjoyed sitting in the living room at night with a cozy fire in the fireplace. Something of the things we enjoyed around Julian...hiking at the William Heise County Park which is pretty close to the house. We also had a chance to go to Smith Ranch and take the train & gold mine tour which was entertaining for Grandpa & the kiddos, youngest was 2, they loved panning for gold! And of course, the apple pie with the crumb topping from the Julian Pie Company was incredibly delicious, we went back for seconds the next day! Hope to come back soon! Everyone we dealt with by phone or e-mail or even at the house was wonderful! Thanks for letting us stay!

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

Our doggie Maxie (and we) loved Corgi's Castle!

Guest: Scotty (University City, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/10/10 Review Submitted: 08/12/10

Paradise found! And it keeps getting better. Weather was perfect and the house is heavenly. Being dog friendly, Maxie felt right at home. We had planned an evening out in Julian for a nice dinner. But we ended up spending the whole time at the Castle. Brought our deluxe scrabble game not realizing that you already had one. One thing less to carry on our next trip. The sunrise view was incredible -- much nicer than the annoying sound of an alarm clock. Being such a large home, we did have a bit of trouble locating rooms and bathrooms. But there was more than enough to go around! Thank you for sharing your lovely home! Scott (57), Ellen (61), and momma Flo (84 and looking and feeling great)

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

Great Place for a Retreat!

Guest: The Professor (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

I took several graduate students to Corgi's Castle for a retreat. The Castle is a quirky but very charming house that rambles. There was plenty of room to congregate when the students did their presentations and also plenty of room to spread out when we socialized in the evening. In particular, we enjoyed the detached outdoor room with a porch and one wall open to the stars! Although the weather was hot, ceiling fans kept the place reasonably cool during the day and everyone slept comfortably. We will definitely return next year.

Recommended for:

An anxiety busting, stress melting, peaceful home. The best part of our first trip to California.

Guest: The Nebraskans (Seward Nebraska USA)
Date of Stay: 06/23/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

Our son was getting married to the perfect girl in the area. There were a lot of choices for lodging but I really think that God brought this to our attention. There were 12 of us. Six being children and four of these were under five years of age. We missed connections in Denver, families with small children were separated at the airport, and the others that arrived in San Diego couldn't pick up luggage or rental cars. After seven hours of delays, we got to Corgi's about 11p.m. (which would be 1 a.m. our time). It must of been 10 a.m. (noon my time) when I woke up the next day. Someone had made coffee, the house smelled good. We had fresh rolls. The older boys were watching deer. There were hummingbirds. There wer little lizards!! Our small grandchildren slept in with their parents upstairs and we didn't even know they were there. Francois stopped by and showed us the garden. There wasn't any more stress. Even with the wedding coming up and lots of places to go, we just loved the calming effect of the home. We only got to stay five days, then we went to LA and also stayed at a 4 star in San Diego. I asked my husband what the best part of the trip was for him (besides the wedding) - "staying at the house by Julian". That was a once in a lifetime trip for us so I can't say we'll be back every year or anything like that, but I do want to say thankyou so very much. Plus if anyone does think it gets too hot - just go sit under the tall evergreens and feel the cool air drop to encompass you. It was all very comforting. Francois, Diana, Barbara, we think God used you to bless our trip. I also learned something very important. Stress makes it easy to waste or not appreciate things, places, times and people we have. On one acre of land you had more produce and beauty than I thought possible. Even though you're busy it was important to you to be kind and generous with your time and be concerned about us. We'll try to pay it forward.

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

Corgi's Castle

Guest: Carolyn P (USA)
Date of Stay: 05/05/10 Review Submitted: 05/11/10

We just returned home from our trip to Corgi's Castle and we had a wonderful time.The garden is beautiful right now, lots of sweetpeas, iris, roses, blooming fruit trees, lilacs, etc etc etc. The kids just loved roaming around the yard, yet were very respectful of the garden area. Thank you so much for letting us use the house. We took lots of walks in the neighborhood and enjoyed the green of May. Having 3 very private master bedroom suites was perfect for our two "girlfriend" nights and the next two nights with my extended family. I hope we'll be next year.

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

Corgi's Castle

Guest: Carolyn P (USA)
Date of Stay: 05/05/10 Review Submitted: 05/11/10

We just returned home from our trip to Corgi's Castle and we had a wonderful time.The garden is beautiful right now, lots of sweetpeas, iris, roses, blooming fruit trees, lilacs, etc etc etc. The kids just loved roaming around the yard, yet were very respectful of the garden area. Thank you so much for letting us use the house. We took lots of walks in the neighborhood and enjoyed the green of May. Having 3 very private master bedroom suites was perfect for our two "girlfriend" nights and the next two nights with my extended family. I hope we'll be next year.

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

CORGI'S CASTLE: OUR WONDROUS GETAWAY!

Guest: nojo99 (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 04/20/10 Review Submitted: 06/29/10

For the fourth year straight, a group of us gals scheduled a stay at Corgi's. This time we elected to gather in late April to take advantage of spring weather/flowers/foliage. We arrived on April 20 to see the lilacs in full bloom, the iris and tulips peeking up amid green grasses, even vegetables beginning to show themselves. Imagine our surprise when it was soon snowing; the wind started up as well. I woke up the next morning in the twin-bed room, looked out on that blooming lilac bush and saw it covered with wet snow! That day was a panorama of ever-changing weather and so dramatic to watch from the various windows and glass doors in the house. We went from big, wet snowflakes in the morning to heavy wind, followed by rain, followed by sleet, followed by hail and then back to snow. Fortunately we had plenty of food with us so we cooked luscious meals, played cards or board games, read novels, took naps, enjoyed the fireplace, and luxuriated in a cocoon of loveliness. On Friday morning, the weather had cleared; we brushed the four inches of snow from the roofs of our cars and headed homeward with wonderful memories of another great—though surprising— experience at Corgi's Castle. Hope to see you again next year!

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway.

Awesome, Spacious, Fun and Enchanting Place for R & R

Guest: Grandma West (Tucson, AZ)
Date of Stay: 03/10/10 Review Submitted: 03/30/10

Our two daughters, their husbands and our three grandchildren had a magical time resting, playing, talking, wandering the spacious garden and collecting "bugs" - Corgi's Castle is spacious and offered each of our three families their own space as well as space to congregate, talk, play games and just be with one another. It was fun to watch deer graze on the distant hills and valley from the large kitchen windows and spacious patio. We had a delightful time. The kitchen is spacious and well equiped. The surrounding country side was just beautiful. We thouroughly enjoyed are stay and had a delightful time. I hightly recommend Corgi's Castle. Thanks to the owners for sharing this magical place.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Quaint home with beautiful property and scenery

Guest: Dmr2004 (Arizona)
Date of Stay: 03/10/10 Review Submitted: 03/24/10

We really enjoyed the house. It was a perfect fit for our family...the kids had a blast..and we didn't even get out that much. Francois was very kind in giving us a tour of the garden when he was out on Thurs. What a treat for us. Thanks so much for everything!! I'm sure we'll be coming back. The weather was a bit chilly in March (I think unusually so)..one month later would have been better.

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

Christmas 2009, "The Best Ever!"

Guest: Susan & Clan (Placerville, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/22/09 Review Submitted: 01/10/10

We loved our time together at Corgi's Castle, both sons want to rent it for their own personal use in the future; they were ecstatic with being able to hang out alone in the "the man cave" (the outside cabin hide-away!) Anyway, thank you so much for all your help in making our dream come true...my middle son said, "Mom, this was the best Christmas we have ever had"; in addition to everything else, my grandson got his wish, "I hope it snows!" and it did!!...both sons wanted me to contact the owner and see if we could rent it for two additional days! I explained that this wasn't an option as the house had been rented already...too sad. I can't say enough as to how nice our stay was here at Corgi's Castle and our Hostess(s) were easy to connect with and wonderful to work with...I have recommended this site and Corgi's Castle to so many folks and will continue to do so...what a great way to go for a family gathering. Thanks again for making it happen! Susan and Clan (5 adults, 3 grandchildren, 1 dog...happy campers!)

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

Disappointed

Guest: Dee91109 (Mobile, AL (USA))
Date of Stay: 07/20/09 Review Submitted: 09/11/09

We stayed at the home in July 2009, and were very disappointed. Apparently there was a heat wave and the house was nearly unbearable. The upstairs bedrooms reached close to 90 degrees at night, and didn't cool down until early morning. Beware, there is no air conditioning in the house! I was somewhat upset that the owners were less than helpful when contacted about our discomfort. In addition, the stove top did not work and the food we purchased to cook at the house was a waste of money. The outside grill was rusted through and unusable. The other item that was distressing was that the master bedroom bed was not a true king bed, it was 2 twin mattresses pushed together that kept spliting apart. We ended up leaving the house after 3 nights of the 7 nights we had rented it and moving into a hotel, without any compensation from the owners.

Owner response:Weather is not always so extreme and the nights can be very cool in the mountains. There are ceiling fans and guests have found it very helpful to open the upstairs sliding glass door for impeccable circulation in the day & a nice night sleep. This will be especially key in the event of another heat wave!

Recommended for:

Beautiful grounds

Guest: Peg and Sam (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 04/06/09 Review Submitted: 04/10/09

The grounds are beautiful and it is so nice to be able to get your vegetables out of the garden. The house is large but it does need to be kept up more (for example, wallpaper is peeling off the walls, family room couch threadbare and the master shower did not work). The owners are great and the location is nice.

Owner response:All was taken care of shortly thereafter. Constant updating-work goes into the house, return soon to see the sparkle!

Recommended for:Families with young children

The "must stay" place in Julian!

Guest: Airedale2 (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/10/08 Review Submitted: 01/09/09

I've rented Corgi's Castle 4 times now, and every stay has been better than the last. The home is as described. The grounds are beautiful in every season. I live in San Diego, which is less than an hour away from Julian. I bring a small group of scrapbookers up to Corgi's Castle twice a year. It meets our needs perfectly! We have plenty of room to scrap and chat, and the bedrooms are far enough away from the middle of the house that we don't bother those who wish to sleep. I would highly recommend Corgi's Castle to anyone. The owners are charming, and if you are lucky, you will get a visit from Corgi himself!

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

Perfect Family Retreat

Guest: Maggie, Cherry, Toots, Bella & Shelby (Phoenix, AZ)
Date of Stay: 09/03/08 Review Submitted: 09/24/08

There were 7 adults and 3 dogs who had the most fantastic time at Corgi's Castle. The house was big -- much bigger than we expected. The layout and amenties were exactly as described. We loved the pears, peaches and apples every morning for breakfast from the orchard -- and the puppies had a great time. The people in Julian are very, very nice and accommodating -- easy to get around and we had wonderful mealsat Romano's and Rongbranch. The winery festival was lots of fun for all of us. This home was exactly what I had envisioned. I would highly recommend Julian and this lovely home to everyone.

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