Vacation Cabins
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April 2010
Our family has 2.5 to 4 year olds and would like to find a
place with a stream or lake, easy hiking and has cabins. We
notice they love playing by streams pretending to fish or
play with water/rocks. We are not ready for the full blown
tent camping and prefer to have a 'roof' over our heads.
Somewhere within 2 hrs of Bay Area is probably our maximum
driving tolerance.
Thanks for your recommendations in advance! We look forward
to introducing the little monkeys to the great outdoors.
I don't have a specific place to offer you, but look for
cabins up near the Russian River or Feather River, both very
nice areas. Check reviews on Trip Advisor on line. There
also might be something near the Samuel P. Taylor park,
which has camping, but again, is a nice area with streams.
kl
I recommend the Russian River. It is only a couple of hours
from the Bay Area (depending on where you live).
We have used
http://www.rrgetaways.com
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p175838#photos-bar
Weekender
Apr 2009
Hi,
We'd like to rent a cabin(s) in California; somewhere around or
between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. We would like the cabin to
be near a lake or the beach for swimming also near hiking trails.
This would be for my family of 5 (2 adults and 3 children) plus my
sister's family of 4. It needs to be economical and have a kitchen.
Thank you.
Kathleen
Try looking on VRBO.com for cabin rentals. Nice places with lakes/ beaches
mid-state include San Luis Obispo, Yosemite, Lassen N.P, Kings Canyon N.P. Closer
to bay area: Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Capitola. Sierra area/foothills: Tahoe,
Pinecrest. Closer to Los Angeles: San Diego, Lake Arrowhead, Hermosa Beach.
Myst
We've enjoyed staying in this cabin in South Lake Tahoe. It's not super fancy,
but what's great is that the land across the street is not developed and has
amazing hiking, wildflower picking and exploring just outside your door. There
are two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs and upstairs, so it's a great set
up for a family or to share with two families.
http://www.tahoestay.com/searchresults.el?pid&propertyId=CY%20H1269&arriveday=Any&departday=Any&k=59B3F9D443C74DD5A16ACA0627150EE98755
Cynthia
March 2009
I am picturing the perfect family vacation, and need your help to
find the perfect spot ..... We have two kids, age 5 and 3, whom
we would like to take onto a vacation somewhere ''out in nature''
in June or July. My idea is they would step out the door in the
morning, smelling the aromatic forest air, and then days filled
with play and exploration ... A lake would be nice, but is not a
must. For my own comfort, I would prefer a cabin with private
bathroom. It should be possible to prepare simple meals.
Can you recommend a place within a 4 hour drive from the Bay
area? It would be great if I could get recommendations for a
specific cabin. Thank you!
Heike
You might really like the area around Pinecrest, Ca. Depending on
traffic, it is a 2.5-4 hours drive from the East Bay (skip going on a
Friday night; any morning is generally pretty fast). If you find a
cabin in Pinecrest itself, there is a beautiful lake right there. If
you find one in Strawberry, you are very close to a beautiful river
and about 1.5 miles from the lake.
Here is a website for a local realtor who also manages cabin rentals:
http://www.pinecrest-strawberry-realestate.com/ or you can try
VRBO.com a regular Pinecrest visitor
Check out Pine Mountain Lake, near Groveland, off Hwy 120. There
are lots of rentals there (see
www.yosemiteregionresorts.com/pinemountainlake.htm as a start).
There is a great lake, it is 2 1/2 hours from Oakland/Berkeley and
best of all 1/2 hour to west gate of Yosemite. Cabins are available
both on and off the lake and there is a pool too. Our boys have
spent many hours playing at the lake. Another place to try is
Evergreen Lodge - very close to Hetch Hetchy (www.evergreen lodge).
Also google ''Foresta'' for cabin rentals which are privately owned
in the burg of Foresta which is actually in Yosemite. No lake there
but beautiful surroundings.
Have fun
Feb 2009
A good friend and I both have had babies in the past year and want
to get together with our hubbies and babies(she lives on the East
Coast)and were thinking of trying for a cabin somewhere nice
during the month of May. We are 2 struggling young families and
can't afford Tahoe prices (at least what I imagine Tahoe prices to
be). Any ideas?
Thanks!
Carmen
Try Camp Richardson at South Lake Tahoe,
http://www.camprichardson.com/. It's a rustic old resort right
on the Lake with cabins with kitchens, you can share the expense
with your friend. The lodging, and the not eating out, makes for
a very reasonably priced vacation.
Rachel
A really nice ''cabin'' experience is the hostel at Pidgeon Point
Lighthouse near Half Moon Bay. There are three houses right on
the cliffs above the ocean that used to be Coast Guard housing
for the lighthouse staff, and now they are hostels. Very cheap.
When my kids were younger, we organized a group of families and
reserved an entire house - I think it is 3 bedrooms, a bathroom,
comfy living room and an equipped kitchen. The coast is
beautiful, there is a hottub overlooking the ocean, tidepools,
lighthouse and the nearby elephant seal reserve. There are other
family friendly hostels all over California - google for them!
Ginger
Have you ever considered a house exchange? We do them frequently
and love the results.
If you are interested in Park City, UT, then drop me a line. I
would consider East or West coast...Our home can easily
accommodate two families. It would have to be during school
vacation (not May, sorry).
Jan
April 2006
Can anyone suggest a rental cabin that doesn't have lots of
neighbors nearby? I play in a ''Dad's band'', and we thought it
would be fun to plan a weekend away where we could all bring our
instruments and enjoy some good long jam sessions. But we don't
want to ruin someone else's peace and quiet. And just so the
potential landlords don't worry, we're not planning a nonstop,
substance-infused bacchanalia. We're too old and respectable for
that now -- regrettably! ;)
Thanks!
Jeff
Sound Waves Studios on the Emeryville/Oakland border is where we
play ( a buncha 40-plus rock wannabees). It's better than a
garage or cabin, because it's heated, lighted, and designed for
playing; there are always great musicians running around (so the
vibe is good), and you can reserve by the hour or by the week, or
however you want to do it. Oh, and it's cheaper that renting a
cabin. Also, if you do want to do a recording, they have fancier
digs where you can rent quieter space.
Alan Lucchesi is the proprietor, and he's a great guy. Check
them out.
-- TA
Aug 2005
I've read the recommendations in the archives but can't seem to find
anywhere to take a short vacation that isn't $200 a night! Everything in
CA seems so outrageously priced -- Just looking for a small cabin to rent
just about anywhere within a 5 hour drive from the East Bay. Any
suggestions? I can't even find a hotel in the Bay area for under $90 a
night (and that's for a hotel at the Oakland airport -- not too romantic or
family)
frustrated with CA cost
We rented this cabin near Auburn, CA:
http://www.cyberrentals.com/USA/California/Northern-California/vacation-cabin-Gold-Country/p105165.htm
She has raised her rates to $99 per night but the weekly rate
is now $825. It's hard to find something cheaper, but you can
cook your own meals to save money and nothing around there is
expensive. The cabin was rustic (no dishwasher) and somewhat
remote. But, had a great deck (felt like a treehouse), and a
nice fireplace. The lake was small but nice but way too cold
for my taste (my husband and sister-in-law had no problem
swimming in it). It was about a 2 hour drive from Oakland. I
have good luck with cyberrentals. The places was small, but
great for a family of four. We had my husband, my sil and me
and two friends came over for one night from Oakland (sat to
sunday). The owner might be willing to negotiate a lower rate.
mizlandry
We like Ripplewood in Big Sur -- private cabins, reasonably
priced ($75 - $135), in a nice setting. No frills but there is
maid service, real bathrooms, towels, all that stuff. They have
a couple that are good for families of 4-5, and most have
kitchens. If you go to the Monterey Aquarium on the way, you
can pick up some food at the grocery a few blocks up before you
leave for Big Sur (which is expensive, especially for dinner)!
At Ripplewood, there is a little restaurant across the street
that is good for breakfast, though. Go hang out at Point Lobos
the next day. Great mini-vacation.
http://www.ripplewoodresort.com/
Melissa
May I recomend Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station located
60 miles north of Sonora on Hwy 108 in the Sierras? My husband
and I have been going there for years for his family reunion
each summer and my son has gone since he was 6 months old. Do
not let the name fool you. If you expect Resort style
ammenities as the name might imply, you will be disapointed.
The lodging is rustic cabins with kitchenettes, comfy beds and
individual bathrooms in each cabin. There is a fire pit and
picnic table outside each cabin. The cabins have electricity
until the generator is turned off (usually 11pm during the week
and 2pm on weekends) so flashlights are needed and the
kitchenettes are sparsly furnished so be sure to bring items you
can't live without as well as groceries as the general store can
be pricey. The cabin we rent sleeps 4 and costs around
$70/night + tax. Within a short walk there is a restaurant,
general store, quaint saloon, horseback rides (recomended for
children aged 8 or older), the north fork of the Stanislaw river
from which trout are usually plentiful and of course the
meadow. Bodie, Mono Lake, Sonora, Pinecrest, Columbia are some
places you can go for a day trip.
Laura
Hi, we own a cabin in the
Sierra Nevada too near Calaveras Big Trees State Park, in a town
called Dorrington. Our cabin sleeps 6-8 and
weekly rates are available. There is
a private lake for swimming within walking distance and lots of
other things to do (hiking, caving, wine tasting) in the summer
and we are about 1/2 hours drive from Bear Valley Ski Resort.
Please email me for more info.
amelliott21[at]comcast.net
May 2005
My summer plans are not fancy, just work and camp for kids. But
I would like to take them on a simple, relaxing week away.
I'm looking for a cheap cabin/house to rent for a week, probably
from July 5th-9th to avoid 4th of July chaos. It doesn’t need to
be big, we have sleeping bags and know how to use them. Can be
anywhere in California though closer is better. It doesn't need
to be in the most picturesque place, but must be near water:
beach (but probably too expensive), river, or pool, where the
kids can spend many hours of kid happiness in water and mom can
spend many hours reading a book. Simple hikes, bike rides, and
other outdoor adventure a plus. Does this place exist?
Check out www.pinemountainlake.com. Then click on
vacation rentals. This will link you to realtors who handle
vacation rentals. This is a nice size lake 2 1/2 hours from
the inner East Bay and 1/2 hour from the west gate to
Yosemite. It is near the town of Groveland. It is a private
development with homes on the lake and other homes with
lake priveleges. There are many rentals and they range
(depending on size and location) from $125/night and up.
We stay there, not on the lake, and take the short (less than
10 minutes) to the lake and hang out all day. Except for
holiday weekends, it is uncrowded. The main beach has a
grassy sloping lawn with shade trees and a nice sandy
beach. There is a snack counter. We set up our chairs at
the edge of the sand then let our kids play in the sand/water
for hours. It is very like a midwestern lake. It is big enough
for waterskiing but we have rarely been disturbed by motor
noise.
If you want to go to Yosemite, in July I would skip the valley
and head to the high country - take Tioga Road off 120
between Groveland and the valley. Lake Tenaya is an
alpine lake, crystal clear and cool. Great place to spend the
day.
Have fun!
anon
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