Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major
Bear Valley, Mariposa County, United States View On Map
About this Rental
Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major Welcome to the best-kept secret in the Bay Area! Bear Valley has all the natural beauty and great skiing as Tahoe -- but without the painful traffic, crowds, and prices! It's only 3-ish hours due east from the Bay Area, on scenic, well-maintained (and plowed) Hwy 4. MUST-READ FOR WINTER ACCESS: When the snow starts piling up in Bear Va...
Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major Welcome to the best-kept secret in the Bay Area! Bear Valley has all the natural beauty and great skiing as Tahoe -- but without the painful traffic, crowds, and prices! It's only 3-ish hours due east from the Bay Area, on scenic, well-maintained (and plowed) Hwy 4. MUST-READ FOR WINTER ACCESS: When the snow starts piling up in Bear Valley, THE VILLAGE ROADS ARE CLOSED to cars, and instead groomed for skiing and snowmobiling. It makes getting to our house a bit of an adventure! Feel free to discuss with us before booking if this is a concern. We are close to parking -- a 10-minute walk -- and have a cargo sled you can use to pull your stuff, OR you can hire the local "snowmobile taxi" guy to get you in and out for a flat price OR you brave folks can rent your own snowmobile. BONUS: Intermediate/advanced skiiers/snowboarders can ski home down the back side of the mountain to our front door via the Lunch Run or Home Run. PETS: Up to two well-behaved dogs allowed for no additional fee. FEESNIGHTLY RATE / ADDITIONAL GUESTS: The house can comfortably accommodate 6 adults in the three small bedrooms plus 3 kids/teens in the twin-over-full bunk bed in the loft. Our nightly rate is therefore based on six guests, with additional people $25/night (VRBO calculates this for you). We do this to keep the house (semi) affordable for single families, rather than pricing it higher by default so that it attracts only only multi-families or large groups, who tend to incur much more wear and tear on the house. However, there is also a fold-out couch on the mezzanine in case you really need to bring that 10th person, or just want to spread out. (NOTE: both of the full bathrooms are on the second floor; the third-floor bedroom and bunk bed are reached by a spiral staircase.) HOUSEKEEPING: Our amazing cleaners charge us a flat fee of $225 winter or summer, which we ask you to pay. (Think about it: they have to take the laundry in and out on a snowmobile!) WINTER RATES: As of Nov. 1, we charge $325/night in winter (Dec-April) to cover the astronomical cost of electric heat plus firewood. $299 in summer. ABOUT THE HOUSEOur house is very well set up for two families with children of any age. There's a pac n'play (with sheets), a booster seat with tray, and a selection of kids' books. We have an a smart TV with an AppleTV box running with all the various streaming services plus some games. Quality linens are provided, as are all basic necessities, lots of games (and snow and pool gear), and DVDs. There is also a smart TV in one bedroom with a DVD player if you want to close the kids in there to watch old-school. The kitchen and dining room open to the living room so that cooks don't miss the fun. We named the house for the big bear medallion on the front and because the night sky here is so clear you can see this constellation clearly. Ursa Major is only 1,600 square feet but we think it feels bigger, thanks to an intelligent open design spread over three levels. Our house was designed by architects Ehrlich, Heft & Rominger; Jack Rominger built his own design award–winning house here in Bear Valley and designed several other houses here as well. His subsequent firm Ehrlich Rominger became well-known for innovative buildings in Silicon Valley for Varian, Fairchild Semiconductor, etc.In summer, Bear Valley ranges from 50 degrees at night to a comfortable, never too hot 85 degrees midday. In winter, temperatures can drop to the teens. The woodstove in the living room easily heats the whole house, with the help of the 24-foot, three-story ceiling, but a new mini-split heat pump is available to keep you from getting cold. SLEEPINGThere are three small bedrooms total, plus extra beds on the open mezzanines.Second floor (there are two full bathrooms on second floor, one with stall shower and one with tub): • Bedroom #1 has a king bed and room (barely) for a twin foam pad next to it if necessary (we have one that can tuck under king bed)• Bedroom #2 has a full bed, a TV (with Internet-streaming-service DVD player), and no room except maybe for a dog bed or a pac 'n 'play (which we have) — this room can be closed off with its own bathroom for an en suite.• Open mezzanine with full-size foldout couch and wooden privacy screen3rd floor (up spiral staircase, no bathroom):• Bedroom #3 has a full bed and no room for anything else• Open mezzanine with bunk beds (twin over full).NOTE: Bear Valley has no grocery store and only 2 restaurants, so we end up cooking a lot when we're there -- the kitchen is small but fully equipped and functional. Dining room seats 10.WHAT TO DO IN SUMMER: Our house is a 10-minute walk from either the Bear Valley Lodge (with a pool available to guests for a small fee) or beautiful, private Bear Lake, with its sandy beach, swimming platform, and rope swing. Alpine Lake is a 15-minute drive. Our back yard is full of trees — we have a hammock you can lounge on amongst them in summer — and ends in a granite escarpment that kids love playing on in summer and sledding down in winter. There's mountain biking, hiking, fishing and rock climbing all around. AMENITIES• Books (kids and adult fiction)• Booster seat with removable tray • Coffee maker, bean grinder, French press, pour over• Dishwasher• Games (both board and AppleTV video games)• Kayak and SUP available for use at Bear Lake• Linens & towels, including beach towels• Microwave• Pac n’ play (with mattress pad and sheets)• Pots & pans• Shampoo, soap, toiletries if you forget yours• Sleds for borrowing• Sony Bluetooth speaker stereo • TV (no cable, Internet streaming services only plus lots of DVDs) • Walkie-talkies• Washer/dryer• Wifi• Wood stove & firewoodWe come up to Bear Valley at least once a month, so some of our personal items are stored there. You're welcome to use our extra ski helmets, bikes, kayak, life vests, beach chairs, and more.Follow @UrsaMajorBearValley on Instagram for more photos
Popular amenities
Essentials
- Wireless internet
- Internet
- Towels provided
- Linens provided
- Hair dryer
- Shampoo
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Basic soaps
- Telephone
- Heating
- Fireplace
- Wood stove
- Fitness room / equipment
Kitchen
- Kitchen
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Microwave
- Stove
- Oven
- Grill
- Dishes & utensils
- Dining table
- Coffee maker
- Coffee grinder
- Kettle
- Blender
- Toaster
Outside
- Outdoor furniture
- Beach chairs
- Beach towels
- Boat
- Kayak / canoe
- Water sports gear
- Tennis
- Ski & snowboard
Entertainment
- Games
- Books
- Television
- Smart TV
- Video games
- DVD player
- Video library
- Stereo
- Ping pong table
Laundry
- Washing machine
- Clothes dryer
- Iron & board
Parking
- Parking
Safety
- Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
- Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
- Deadbolt lock
- Fire extinguisher
- First aid kit
- Exterior lighting
Location type
- Ski in/ski out
Nearby activities
- Swimming
- Boating
- Kayaking
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Cross-country skiing
- Snowmobiling
- Hiking
- Cycling
- Mountain biking
- Rock climbing
- Birdwatching
- Fishing
Suitability
- Minimum age limit for renters
Property Amenities
Top family friendly amenities
- Toys/games
- Microwave
- Tennis court
- Kitchen
- Living/dining area
Popular amenities
- Parking available
- Washer
- Barbecue grill
- Fireplace
- Pet-friendly
- Gym
- Outdoor space
- Dryer
Languages spoken
- Dutch
- English
Beach
- Beach loungers
- Beach towels
Ski
- Cross-country skiing nearby
- Snowboarding nearby
- Ski-in/ski-out access
Pool spa
- Communal pool
Internet
- Available in the house: WiFi
Parking and transport
- Parking on site
Family friendly
- Children's books
- Children's games
- Playground
- Travel cot
- Children's dinnerware
- Highchair
- Stair gate
Kitchen
- Blender
- Coffee/tea maker
- Dishwasher
- Hob
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Toaster
- Coffee grinder
- Cookware, dishware, and utensils
- Electric kettle
- Microwave
- Paper towels
- Spices
Dining
- Dining table
Bedrooms
- 3 bedrooms
- Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
- 2.5 private bathrooms
- Hair dryer
- Shower
- Toilet paper
- Bathtub or shower
- Shampoo
- Soap
- Towels provided
Living spaces
- Dining table
- Living room
- Fireplace
- Wood stove
Entertainment
- Books
- Games
- Stereo
- Video games
- DVD player
- Smart TV
- Streaming services
- Video library
Outdoor areas
- Barbecue grill
- Patio
- Outdoor furniture
- Yard
Laundry
- Washer/dryer
Comfort
- Heating
Pets
- Pet friendly
- 2 pets total
- Welcoming dogs only
Suitability accessibility
- Smoke-free property
- Note from host: No smoking or vaping of anything at all in house.
Services and conveniences
- Iron/ironing board
- Phone
Things to do
- Boat
- Kayak
- Snow sports gear
- Tennis
- Birdwatching nearby
- Fishing nearby
- Kayaking nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Snowmobiling nearby
- Gym
- Ski-in/ski-out access
- Table tennis
- Water sports equipment
- Cycling nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Motor boating nearby
- Rock climbing nearby
- Swimming nearby
General
- Unit size: 1,600 square feet
Safety features
- Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
- First aid kit
- Deadbolt lock
- Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
- Fire extinguisher
Families love it for
- Kitchen, playground, skiing nearby, games and toys
Property Details
House Rules
- Check-in: After 4:00 PM
- Minimum age to rent: 28
- Check-out: Before 11:00 AM
- Children allowed: ages 0–17
- Events allowed: No
- Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)
- Smoking allowed: Smoking is not permitted
- There is no garbage pickup — must take all trash/recycling with you and put in dumpster on way out: There is no garbage pickup — must take all trash/recycling with you and put in dumpster on way out
Important Information
- This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
- Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
- Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
- Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
- On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
- Note from host: Strictly enforced.
- Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
- Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
- Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
About the area
Arnold
Arnold is home to this holiday home. Bear Valley Cross Country and Adventure Company and Bear Valley Ski are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Stanislaus National Forest and Lake Alpine. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing, snowboarding and skiing, and don't miss out on the snowmobiling.
Nearby locations
- Bear Valley Cross Country and Adventure Company 11 min walk
- Lake Alpine 7 min drive
- Bear Valley Ski 10 min drive
- Spicer Meadow Reservoir 30 min drive
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park 84 min drive
Getting around
- Lake Tahoe, CA (TVL) 118 min drive
Restaurants
- Lake Alpine Lodge 7 min drive
- Sky High Pizza & Pub 7 min walk
- Grizzly Lounge 7 min walk
- Creekside Bistro 7 min walk
- Smokin' Barrel Cafe 11 min walk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).
What time is check-in at Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Play Outside/Relax Inside at Our Modern Retreat, Ursa Major located?
Set amidst the mountains, this ski-in/ski-out holiday home in Arnold is within a 15-minute walk of Stanislaus National Forest and Bear Valley Cross Country and Adventure Company, and is convenient for winter sports, such as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Bear Valley Ski is 2.3 mi (3.7 km) away.