Scenic Solar Mountain Home on Elk Meadow

We enjoyed hosting Teresa and her family. I think the kids had a blast outside with the Tower of Power and the swings. Thanks to the family for leaving the place in such good shape--we are fortunate in our guests, and we love sharing our home and elk meadow. Come stay with us again! Trice

We so enjoyed hosting this family--parents, kids and mates, and two grandkids--all delightful! They reported the arrival of groups of 30 elk arriving in the meadow, lots of deer and, of course, the hummingbirds. I'm grateful for their help keeping the feeders full, and for the cleaning up the the house and grounds. We hope they come back for another visit to our meadow! Trice

So glad the elk came down for you! Thanks for caring for our place, leaving it in such good shape. Hope you can come back or send others to come visit the Gonznagel Guesthouse on Deer Creek Elk Meadow.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your time on our elk meadow. Thanks to the rains, our fire ban ended and you could enjoy a couple fun bonfires out in the moonlight! Sounds like you had a relaxing time with your friends. We hope you come back and stay longer!!

We were so glad we could host Ange and her family while they were visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday. They were wonderful, considerate guests. People like this make hosting a real joy! We can offer our guests a great rental property up here in the rural mountain area where we just don't have commercial rental opportunities for visitors.

We so enjoyed hosting this couple who were in Bailey for a family wedding. They didn't get to stay long and spent most of their time with the wedding activities, but they said they enjoyed relaxing in the cool mountain air. They left the house in pristine shape, which always feels good to a host! Thank you!!

Thanks Trista, we enjoyed hosting your family! It feels good to know our guests appreciate our home and our beautiful setting. Thanks for leaving the house and grounds so cleaned up--you were excellent guests! Please come back and stay with us again, there's still lots more to explore! Trice

We so enjoyed hosting the McDaniels family. The came to our valley to close down their father's home nearby, but they used their Colorado time to visit lots of area attractions between work days at the house. Little cousins enjoyed the VHD Disney tapes, a daughter and her newborn baby could relax in the quiet of the downstairs bedroom, the kitchen provided breakfasts for all at the start of each day. When they checked out, the MacDaniels left the place all cleaned up and organized, so thoughtful! We hope this Michigan family can come back and stay with us again soon!

We so enjoyed meeting your family, and I'm glad you found so much so do in our varied community! Thanks for all your help and support while our caretaker was sick--I'm glad it all worked out and your stay had a spectacular showcase of all of Mother Nature's best--rainbows, thunderstorms, blue bird days! And I'm happy the elk and deer show up! Come back and see us anytime!

Thanks Kathy for such a warm review--and you captured the spirit of this place, for sure! We enjoyed having you here and appreciated your attention to the houseplants, wild bird seed, hummers and everything else you gave support to while visiting. We hope you come back to our Elk Meadow again!

Thanks Chad for the appreciative words! We know you'll come back! The deer, elk and hummingbirds put on quite a show for you!! And thanks for being such gracious guests, I'm glad you all had fun! Trice

We so enjoyed hosting Robert last week and sharing some of our favorite Park County hikes with him. The elk and babies were out, the weather was perfect for him, and he lots of space to relax into his retreat. It was a pleasure meeting Robert, and he gave me his book on chanting, which I am reading now. I hope he comes back again!

Wow, I've never received a poor review before, it's really shocking! My caretaker told me my guests had a wonderful time with extended family, lots of adventures, going out every day. Our home is at 8500 ft , we have no air conditioning since opening widows works great. One of the two large ceiling fans in the great room was inoperable at high speeds--our window washer had bashed it with a ladder. But there is a second ceiling fan, plus a portable fan. Our home has two additional full closets for our guests clothes plus three dressers. Perhaps they did not notice these extra spaces for their clothing. I did apologize for running late at check-in. The guests seemed so accommodating, and I wanted everything to be ready for their extended stay. I also spent an hour orienting them to our home. Our caretaker said the guests were friendly and she had a nice time with the grandkids. This poor review is quite a surprise to both of us. So I'm hoping there were parts of the stay that pleased our guests. I know the elk and deer paid some visits! I will take this review to heart and work to improve the Gonznagel Guesthouse. Thanks.

Thank you Christa for the kind words. We so enjoyed hosting your group--what a great way to start the season, with wonderful guests! We're glad you discovered Bailey! It is a cute, original mountain town. Last night about 90 cow elk came bounding out into our meadow, literally frolicking, some with their just-born calves in tow. These cow elk were so elated to be finished with birthing, ready to graze and play with their babies! I wish you could have been here to video this rare display. Thanks for allowing me to use some of the pictures you took--they will spice up my vrbo site! And we so appreciated that you left the place all cleaned up--you are the best guests, come back anytime!

So glad we could accommodate you and your friends, Abe. We have several wedding venues in our area, so we're a perfect location if you don't want to make the drive back to town. Glad you could spend some time enjoying our elk, and sampling our classic record collection! Come back when you can stay longer!! Cozying up to the outside fire pits is an amazing way to enjoy the evening sky, even now in the fall, when the weather turns cool!

We also enjoyed hosting you! And sharing in your exciting river trip adventures! This group was so friendly, left the property perfectly cleaned up, had a small fire outside--responsibly--and basically enjoyed the grounds, the kitties, our beautiful meadow. They saw lots of deer and other wildlife, but the elk were elsewhere. Wouldn't. you know it, Mary, this morning at dawn I hear a bull bellow, and there were forty elk grazing out behind the house! Hope you see them when you come back--we'd love to see you again! Trice

Glad you had a good time here with your family, Barbara. And thanks for leaving the place in such good shape. We've never installed window coverings on the Master since the way it faces, you can't really see in--the windows on the downhill side of the caretaker's studio are not used. so there is no one to look into the Master windows. I could have assured you of that--I'll add it to the "Tour". I hope you can come back and stay with us again sometime!

Thanks for the kind words, David! We really do enjoy sharing our home with guests, and you were the best, leaving the house and grounds as clean as you found them. I'm glad you found fun things to do in our area--Bailey has a lot to offer. Please do come back and stay with us. We'll be here! Trice

We enjoyed Chrys and family, they were the most considerate of guests! So glad they enjoyed the property and all it has to offer. About the beds--the flotation bed in the Master Suite is a feature, but the mattress on the air bed in the basement is a accommodation for the fact that our new Murphy bed arrived in several different shipments, one box in pieces. So, though we had already sold the futon/bunk bed from that bedroom, we were unable to install the Murphy Bed before these last guests. We placed the new Murphy mattress on an air mattress to suffice for their visit. So we will install the Murphy Bed this fall and feature it in the photos on our site. Thanks for your forbearance, Chrys, and so glad you came. Hope you come back to see us! Trice

Thanks Peggy, you and your family were a total joy to work with, wonderful grandkids all!! We were happy to provide you a place for your family to gather while celebrating your son's local wedding. Even though a lot of folks were using the property, you wouldn't know it--everything was carefully used and cared for. While I missed saying goodbye at check out, I want you to know how much we enjoyed your visit, your sunny attitudes and your total embracing of our fun Bailey community. We hope you come back to see us again sometime--Bailey Day is moving to the second Saturday in August next summer, I think! Hah! Best to you all, Trice

We so enjoyed Bre and her family. Her grandmother was the first to arrive, alone, 89 years old, driving from Nebraska. We had a great visit, she brought a bottle of wine to share--while we waited for Bre who was held up by possibly bad GoggleMap directions. The family settled in, though they had some ill health. They got so see Bre's son and celebrate his birthday. This family enjoyed the heck out of the property and left everything in pristine condition--could hardly tell they were there for five days. I hope they come back to visit, they were a joy!

Wow, I feel badly that this was our guest's experience. We were obviously a mismatch. Following is a lengthy response to a lengthy critical review which totally misrepresents our property: I can only say that it is necessary to carefully preview a property site--if you have special needs--to understand the lodging you have reserved. The property is as advertised, actually a little better with some new furnishings and appliances. Yes, the house is owner-occupied, most of the decor is made up of artifacts from travels and adventures around the world. We share our environment with our guests; so far all have found it very interesting and aesthetic. This guest contacted me on the VRBO site and said they would arrive after dinner, around 7 pm. So my husband and I rearranged our day to accommodate her timing. I emailed her three times on the VRBO site, asking for timing confirmation and the ages of her three children--she did not reply. I prefer to know kids' ages and activity levels so I know if I have to secure some of our art objects. After zero communication, this guest texted after 9 am on her check-in day that she would arrive at 4 pm instead of 7. I texted back that she should arrive at 7 pm as she had previously arranged and sent her some dining suggestions. The family still arrived at 4 (the guest stated she was a busy woman and didn't have time to read my emails/texts), we were still preparing the property and invited them to come back at 7. They reappeared at 8:30 pm and I began the walk-through, but the guest walked off and I finished the tour with her employee--who I originally thought was her daughter. This young woman said the group had no vacation plans, which is why I offered to meet up with them again to share ideas. The next morning we were on our way to SE Colorado for our son's wedding and realized we had forgotten the special Cuban coffee required at this event. I called the guest (they were out to breakfast) and asked if we could return to get the coffee. She said OK (if she'd said no, I would not have entered the property), but when we got to the house, we found ALL the lights and fans in the house turned on?? I realized I had forgotten to empty the things stored in the 'guest dresser' in the Master bedroom, so I quickly did that. We drove to Conifer to get some more paper towels--I had told her we would return to the house with PT and share some vacationing ideas if she was back. When we returned, we found the house empty--no note, no text. We had no idea what happened to our guests. Since they were from the plains, and her children had some disabilities, we thought they might have had a problem with the altitude. I tried texting and calling, but got no response from the guest. I had also got the phone number of her employee (since the guest was a busy woman and didn't have time to communicate), so I texted her, trying to find out what happened. We left and I told the caretaker to to keep an eye out for them, to text me if they returned. Finally I got a text from the guest expressing her dissatisfaction, stating she was planning to ask for a full refund from VRBO. My position is: the property is well-represented on the website. Reading any of the past five-star reviews would have indicated the house has artistic decorations. As to her specific complaints: the 'weird doll' she referred to was a Kachina purchased by my parents in the 1970s, a museum artifact of some value. A porcelain doll with a violin was displayed on a high shelf? Several of the paintings are from a famous Cuban artist. Other reprints, Salvador Dali, Monet, and original paintings by local artists and my son adorn the walls. Most guests are curious and ask about the artists. And who can't appreciate crystals refracting light hanging in the windows? The 'bones' were collected in the elk meadow last summer--cattle bones from the 1920-30s--by one of our young guests. They had been arranged artistically at one point. The personal bath products were actually products for our guests to use--she didn't hear that part of the tour. I really didn't get to finish the tour as the guest was in a rush to get moved in--which is understandable, she had kids to settle. But when I left, one young boy was playing with our cat Rutherford and enjoying working out on the elliptical. The group seemed fine. Our cats are not dirty--they roll in the driveway gravel to cool off, as any cat would. They are necessary to protect the gardens from rodents, and as this was our first rental of the season, they wanted to come inside as was their custom. The caretaker manages the cats completely, and is very discreet, arranges when she can enter the house to do houseplants and check the fish, is in charge of fire-making, and waters yard pots daily--choosing times when she won't disturb the family. She had not yet met these houseguests and was shocked they just packed up and left. I cannot address the guest's fear for her safety, her sense I wanted to 'see her things'--trust me, I don't! She would do better in an unoccupied, cleared-out condo. She shouldn't rent an owner-occupied VRBO put on the market to "share"! This guest chose to leave the property and not enjoy her entire rental time. I wrote her on the VRBO site that she was welcome to return and finish her stay. But her money would not be refunded, as per her contract. She tied up my property, disabled the in-garden fountain, filled four wastebaskets with dirty diapers and the elliptical with cracker crumbs--all in under 24 hours. It may be best they did not continue their vacation with us, as they were so uncomfortable and managed to do quite a bit to the property in just their short stay. I always try to improve my guests' experiences. From this stay I have learned to always have my property prepared by 4 pm. no matter what prior arrangements are made for a late check-in. I will also arrange extra clothes-hanging space in the Master. The other two bedrooms have empty dressers and closet space. The kitchen has an empty cabinet, but the guest did not see it (or the under-counter paper towel rack) because she left the tour as we entered the kitchen. As for window coverings and safety--there is nobody around, we are in a rural setting. Our caretaker's house faces away from ours, and she keeps watch for security reasons. The garden-level bedroom is fully fitted with wooden blinds for those who want to sleep without views of the stars. I am sorry that my attempts to offer vacation suggestions were seen as intrusive and pushy. We always hope to give our guests the best possible vacation experience--I guess this arrangement was a mismatch from the start. Better communication at the outset might have prevented the misunderstandings.

Thanks Amy, we enjoyed hosting you and your husband--you were lovely guests. And I'm glad the bull elk arrived the last few days to do some bugling in the meadow, signaling the start of fall rut. Not everyone likes the flotation bed, but many of our guests have loved it. Sorry it didn't work out for you. All the accommodations, the owner-occupied status, the plants, fish and artwork were all mentioned in the description section of my site. But I know I don't always "read deep" either when I rent a property. We share our household items with our guests, and I don't worry about breakage (although I do put some stuff up when small children visit). Our things are displayed for our guests to enjoy. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, got to see the beginnings of our fall colors, and could spend some time with your family. Good luck with your next Colorado stay, Trice

Thanks Pat, we enjoyed hosting you and were glad to provide a close lodging for your wedding activities. It's so nice to come home to neat and clean house--we appreciate the attention you paid to the condition at check out. And we loved having your grandson visit--what a joy. Yes, please visit us again, Trice