The owner charged us $300 for damages we did not cause. Accused me of knocking over a mailbox, and of being too slow-witted to realize it. Also accused us of staining and tearing patio furniture we did not use. We have stayed in VRBO's all over the world and have never had a problem. Our family policy is to ALWAYS leave areas we visit nicer than we found them. We are active in Scouting and enforce this rule regularly. This visit was no exception. We replaced the propane tank for the fire pit, left extra toilet paper, cleaned the place thoroughly and my wife even did the laundry before we left. In retrospect I should have paid more attention to the red flags. 1) Description says pet friendly, but fine print says no pets during busy season. 2) Excessively long rental agreement. 3) Signs in the house explaining how to use a toilet and how to use a sink. Despite this unsavory renter; the house is nice, the area is amazing, and we enjoyed a very memorable and pleasurable vacation.

We had a very nice stay. It was a big group of people and the owner/manager brought us an extra bed. It is very quiet in the area and a lot of wildlife. Beautiful view. Great location close to everything. 5 min to Woodland Park, 7 min to Manitou Springs, a short walk to Green Mountain Falls. We will stay here again! Thank you!

We reserved this retreat for Thanksgiving holidays. We are very happy we did. The house-retreat is cozy with enough room for our family of 8. All furniture in the house is made of aspen log, It creates an ambiance of Colorado mountain lodge that you don't have to share with anyone else. The views from the deck are wonderful. A lot of wildlife around. There are two deck: one in the front where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and see some deer, squirrels, foxes, birds... The other deck has a BBQ grill and a small propane fire pit perfect for roasting marshmallows with kids or enjoy a glass of wine while guys are making hamburgers on the grill. The location is great: you can walk just a mile to the lake in Green Mountain Falls where kids would have fun on the playground. Adults can enjoy a few bars and restaurants right there on the lake. You can fish in the lake or feed geese and ducks. A walk back to the house-retreat is along Fountain creek that has a very nice pass with some works of art. The house is near by Cascade and Pikes Peak highway that will bring you to the summit of Pikes Peak. Santa's Workshop amusement park is just a few miles away. Kids will love it any time of the year. All other attractions are very close. Manitou Springs is 10 minutes away so it Garden of the Gods, Indian Cliff Dwellings, Cave of the Winds. There is Dinosaur Museum in Woodland Park only 5 miles away. We wanted to visit Wolf Sanctuary, but never had a chance. Make sure you have enough time when you book as this area is very rich in attractions and natural wonders...

The location is great for fully enjoying the Rockies. Walking distance to Green Mountain Falls, easy drive to Woodland Park, convenient drives to the Colorado Springs Zoo, great access to several hiking trails and conveniently located to several golf courses. East-facing deck is a great place for morning coffee or evening cocktails and the side patio worked really well for grilling.

The owner charged us $300 for damages we did not cause. Accused me of knocking over a mailbox, and of being too slow-witted to realize it. Also accused us of staining and tearing patio furniture we did not use. We have stayed in VRBO's all over the world and have never had a problem. Our family policy is to ALWAYS leave areas we visit nicer than we found them. We are active in Scouting and enforce this rule regularly. This visit was no exception. We replaced the propane tank for the fire pit, left extra toilet paper, cleaned the place thoroughly and my wife even did the laundry before we left. In retrospect I should have paid more attention to the red flags. 1) Description says pet friendly, but fine print says no pets during busy season. 2) Excessively long rental agreement. 3) Signs in the house explaining how to use a toilet and how to use a sink. Despite this unsavory renter; the house is nice, the area is amazing, and we enjoyed a very memorable and pleasurable vacation.