Great for a relaxing weekend

Guest: Teresa (Bay Area)
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 09/30/11

A groiup of us stayed here for a weekend so that we could attend a friend's wedding in Valley Springs. We had a wonderful time just relaxing by the pool and taking hikes down to the river. The views from the back deck are stunning and the location is so peaceful. We spent most of our time outside on the deck and in the pool. We only went inside when it was time for bed! The house and pool are clean and the kitchen is well eqiupped. We will definitley be staying here again.

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

Good laid back weekend

Guest: Visiting from SF (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/18/11

We had a great time at this house - the kids loved the pool and the area has a nice low-key laid back vibe. Went to Columbia (old gold rush town) where the kids got a real kick out of panning for gold. Had no difficulty finding the trail to the river. Saw some wildlife too (deer, fox, wild turkeys, and woodpecker), which was neat. We had some issues with the TV/DVD but the manager replied straight away and we got it sorted out over the phone.

Recommended for:Families with young children.

A great place for a dream vacation

Guest: Love2travel (Los Gatos)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 05/04/11

A group of us went for a book event and stayed for a weekend in this home. The house and its surrounding are absolutely stunning. We loved the privacy, the tranquility and the sound of the river below and birds in the nearby trees. We saw plenty of wild turkeys and a few deer on the property and cattle on the mountain across the river. The gazebo and the deck around the pool were great. These were the places stayed during the day when we were not driving around to see places. The interior is beautifully furnished and is very comfortably and homey. We all wished we had more time but definitely plan to come back and stay longer.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Perfect vacation spot.

Guest: Warren (Milpitas, California)
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/24/11

Four of us stayed in this lovely home over the presidents’ weekend and we had a wonderful time. The interior is furnished to make you feel at home: upscale living and dining room sets, very comfortable beds and most of the floors are covered with beautiful Persian rugs. The walls are also tastefully accented with paintings or photographs of landscapes. The kitchen is fully equipped, just about every utensil and spices you would need is there. There are plastic runners the manager has placed in heavily traffic areas but they were not inconvenient. The home is set back near the river and with trees in front and around it, you hardly hear noise from the street. In fact, it’s so quiet that the only sounds you hear are the sounds of the river and birds chirping in the trees. The views of the mountain across the river and all around the home are stunning. Away from the home environment, we visited Angels Camp and Murphy’s, lovely quaint mining towns, and we had a grand time driving through the country and seeing The Big Trees national forest. It was an amazing sight to see evergreen trees completely covered with snow. We highly recommend this home to all those who seek a tranquil place to stay in and visit beautiful, historic and scenic places in the area.

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

California Dreaming

Guest: Barbara (Wayne, New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 09/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/24/10

This property is exceptional. The photos do not do it justice. It is impeccably maintained and offers every amenity to ensure that guests have a wonderful and satisfying vacation experience! The property offers privacy and peace and quiet. The pool and pool house is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing. One of the best features of the property is the layout of the house. It is very suitable for guests of various ages or varied interests. Someone could take a nap while kids are playing and neither group will interfere with the other. Definitely recommend it!

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

Visitors fro New Jersey

Guest: Elizabeth "Lily" (Foster City Ca USA)
Date of Stay: 09/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/01/10

I rented this house for my visitors from New Jersey. They absolutely loved it and thought it was a Shangrila.. Enjoyed their stay and the house worked out great for them

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway.

Perfect holiday!

Guest: Brian (UK)
Date of Stay: 08/03/10 Review Submitted: 10/06/10

We had a great time at this property. There were 7 of us - family of 5 plus grandparents - who came over from the UK and spent a week there at the start of our trip. It's a great, well-kept property - perfect for us both inside and outside (lovely swimming pool and gazebo area). The owner was very helpful - we had a few email exchanges before we arrived and he was very responsive on the couple of occasions we called him once there (although only minor things). I would certainly recommend this place - great property just to relax in.

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

Nice place but misleading ad

Guest: Laynie (Bay Area)
Date of Stay: 08/13/10 Review Submitted: 09/29/10

My friends and I were excited to get away for the weekend in what seemed like the perfect place: big house, beautiful views, river front with hammock and a great pool. The pictures in this ad are somewhat misleading...the first picture shown was not accessible during our stay. They advertised that 8 people could attend, which was our guest count, however since the bottom room was locked we had to sleep on a couch and a blow up mattress that deflated overnight. Next, there is a picture that shows a hammock by the river and I believe the ad also says river access, but we spent hours trying to find the hammock and a way into the river with no success. When we called the owner to ask for directions to the river, our calls were not returned. Lastly, the inside of the house is very nice, but tripping hazards are everywhere because the carpets are all covered in plastic. Don't get me wrong, the house is nice and relaxing, but the manager was not exactly pleasant. The rules were exhausting and the time spent worrying about every little thing on the expansive "to do list" took away from the serenity.

Owner response:Dear future guests - We want you to know that we are very responsive and care for our guests' convenience and comfort. We always appreciate any comments or feedback to make the home even better for our guests. The responses below are so you can have a better view of the comments above. 1. The ad on this site clearly indicates that there are 3 fully furnished bedrooms. And it says: "The fourth bed room is finished with a high-end queen air mattress, sheets and blankets." As it turned out, this group had a lot more people than the 8 they indicated on the contract. Because the whole area is beautiful and serene and there are neighbors up on the hills, we discouraged groups who wish to hold big outdoor parties, especially with loud music. This group had requested it before they came and had been told that there were no exterior speakers and we don’t provide music for out of doors... 2. The closed-off room this guest mentions happens to be a storage/office. It's not a bedroom. 3. The trail to the river is below the deck and is very visible. And there was nowhere in the ad on here that mentions a hammock or a picture showing it. Her "we spent hours trying to find the hammock and a way to the river with no success," is quite interesting, not to mention its paradoxical nature. Obviously, if they didn’t find the path, they couldn't have gone to the river to be looking for the hammock. 4. We have plastic runners to protect the expensive rugs. They catch any accidental spills of coffee and soda drinks. For the guests, they are great because if they spill something, the liquid can be easily wiped off . . . That we have these runners had been clearly mentioned in the contract and they had option not to rent the home if they thought they would be an issue for them. 5. The "expansive to do lists” consists of reminding the guests to: turn off the lights, the AC, closing the windows and the blinds, making sure that all the doors are locked, etc. This is a home, not a hotel and we don’t have attendants there at all times. 6. Lastly, if their calls were not returned, how did she know the manager was not "exactly pleasant"? We are happy to share our home with guests who would respect and treat it like s their own. It provides the privacy and comfort unlike any you might have experienced. Read everything you find on this site before you make your decision. We have had many wonderful guests that enjoyed staying at our home. Thanks.

Recommended for:

Great house, not so great professionalism

Guest: Laura (Bay Area, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/23/10 Review Submitted: 08/25/10

We had a small group of friends come to stay at this beautiful property over a late-July weekend. We had an amazing time in the pool, enjoyed the gorgeous view, and lounged around in the gazebo. The house itself was wonderful & we have no complaints about our stay there! What we do have issue with is the fact that it took the owner well over the 21 days to return our deposit. Time was of utmost importance in getting the money to him when we wanted to reserve the house, and so we expected the same courtesy would be given in refunding the deposit. We had to contact him several times in regards to getting the money sent back, which we found very unprofessional. We would love to say that we would stay here again, because the house was amazing, but we are sure we could find something similar with a little less hassle in getting refunded on a deposit we made sure was to the owner in a timely manner.

Owner response:We had an incomplete address on their application and had to contact them to correct it. It took a couple of days before we heard from them. And we sent their deposit promtly once we received their corrected address. We had some issues with these otherwise nice guests though. The fans in the bedrooms and the AC were left running, all the outside lights were left on, we found stain damages in the carpet in the master bedroom and miscellaneous trash was left on the premises. We have a checklist on the table by they entrance for our guests to remind them of these things. They probably were either in hurry or didn't pay attention to it. Of course, we welcome them to visit again. We just ask that they be a little more attentive to the things mentioned next time.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children.

Guest: The Reiss Family (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/01/09 Review Submitted: 08/01/09

Our family spent a late June-early July, 2009, week at this Valley Springs home. Each of our (adult)kids and our grandkids, agree that this beautiful home and spectacular outdoor "environment" rates very, very high (maybe at the top?)on our list of the best vacation homes and locales which we've rented each summer for 14 years! The home is very private, and secluded from the road, with the only sounds those of the lovely Calaveras River, the wonderful wildlife, surprising us throughout the day and evening,the rustling of leaves on the trees and shrubs above the colorful flowers of the nicely-landscaped areas around the pool, and surrounding the home, and, of course, if I may be modest,(ho ho), the delightful sounds of my equally delightful four grandchildren, swimming in the beautiful, and beautifully-situated, pool. (Of course, we adults joined them!) Both a gas and an electric BBQ are on the expansive deck,(a large table with comfortable chairs is a great place for an evening's meal) which overlooks the River, and the picturesque hills, covered with summer grasses, and dotted with beautiful oaks. The interior of the home is spacious and bright, with lovely views out the many windows of each room. Furnishings are upscale---classy, yet comfortable, and homey. The breakfast area seats 4, and the nearby dining area seats another 6. The beds are of excellent quality, making for peaceful sleep. Our daughter-in-law, and son-in-law--formerly an executive chef in a French restaurant in L.A.-- found the kitchen to be outfitted with all their needs for preparing our delicious meals. (We were surprised to find a great meat market--TW Meats---for the leg of lamb he BBQ'd for my birthday dinner one night. Highlights away from the home, included a trip to Columbia, the old mining town, where we took a stagecoach ride and panned for gold, lovely trails among the pines in Calaveras Big Trees Park, Caves and Caverns, and not-to-be-missed with your children: Willow Creek Ranch, less than 30 minutes from the home,a working farm where you can interact with the animals, milk the cows, learn about farming, and eat a delicious meal prepared by owners John and Mary Orr. This was indeed an area hightlight! Would we return? Absolutely!

Recommended for: