This charming ranch is perfect for a peaceful getaway. When I visited, the on-site restaurant was…read moreunder construction, so bring your own food--mini-fridges are in the cottages. I stayed in the cozy Sparrow cottage, which was well-decorated and had a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and dishes for two. I loved the rocking chair on the patio for coffee and reading. The pool is cute and relaxing, though unheated, but the hot tub is warm. There's a serene stream with frogs croaking at night, and the property is secluded, with a few nearby wineries to explore. This retreat is ideal for couples or a small group of friends. Cons: The hot water is only lukewarm. The bed had some dirt/sand. My TV didn't work, and the bonfire is only available until 4 pm. The animal sanctuary ($7) requires a reservation, but the front desk told me to just show up. When I did, the staff said same-day reservations weren't allowed--and she was a bit cranky--so I couldn't visit. However, it's small enough to view from outside the fence. TL;DR: This ranch is feels safe, peaceful and promising. Once the restaurant opens and cleaning standards improve, it will be a perfect nature escape.

We stayed at Bandy Canyon Ranch back in October to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I sat…read moreon this review for far too long because it honestly just made me so incredibly angry and I didn't want to relive the experience. I've also seen how the manager responds to other negative reviews and didn't feel like dealing with the attacks. I had been following Bandy Canyon on Instagram and the experience they promote online nowhere meets the reality. We chose to stay at the Eagle cabin because it had more space for our 2 kids and dog and the other rooms available were much smaller in comparison. The cabin didn't look upgraded online but for $910 for 2 nights, I assumed it had to be nicer than the photos looked. It was actually much, much worse. The website touts upgraded and renovated rooms but the Eagle cabin had clearly not been updated maybe since it had been built. I cannot begin to explain how depressing the cabin felt walking in at night. Floor to ceiling brown shiny walls illuminated by harsh white lightbulbs, no art or decor on the walls, tacky fake plant from the 90s covered in dust, yellow stained and ripped curtains. The floor was ripped and worn. It felt like a prison. The TV was missing the remote so we couldn't even turn on the TV for some added ambiance. It was dead silent. We spent hours turning the place upside down trying to find a remote, my husband was hyperventilating from how suffocating and tacky the room felt with no escape. We almost left as soon as we arrived. I called the front desk over the course of several hours. The front desk couldn't get us a remote that worked and tried calling her manager but couldn't figure out what to do. We hadn't eaten dinner so my husband reluctantly grilled us some food on the sad bbq outside our room in almost complete darkness. It was intended to be a special celebration of our 10-year wedding anniversary and it ended up being a weekend from hell. Did I mention they prohibit you from bringing your own wine? Because they sell wine on site as part of their "winery." However I was told they only had rose when I asked for a red. What is this, a college dorm? I'm going to get in trouble for bringing my own wine to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary? Didn't find this out until we were packing our bags for the trip and my husband was looking at their website. I somehow managed to convince my husband to stay the night versus driving home immediately. I really wanted to salvage our milestone anniversary trip! I tried using the shower and the pipes screeched loudly, sounding like someone was screaming in your ear the whole time. I sent video to the front desk. The noise was so unbearable that we couldn't even use the shower. The sound echoed through the entire house, making it impossible to ignore. These elements greatly diminished the comfort and ambiance we had anticipated. Furthermore, a major reason for choosing the ranch was the promise of a pool for our toddler to enjoy, especially as it's promoted across the ranch's Instagram. To our dismay, the pool was not heated and was too cold to use, which was very disappointing. Adding to this inconvenience, the pool bar was closed, further limiting our recreational options.    All the ranch workers we interacted with were supportive and apologetic, agreeing that the Eagle cabin was outdated and unfit for guests. They acknowledged that it should not have been rented out in its current condition. They promised us the manager would make it right. I was told she's get in touch with me after the weekend. It took me messaging them for about a solid month for the manager to finally call me, which by that point I had zero interest in talking to her. We paid good money to stay here and it was a complete waste. For 2 nights we spent almost 1k ($910 to be exact). You'd think for that kind of money we'd get a much nicer experience!

I have a vineyard not far from Bernardo Winery, and Ross purchases my Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and…read moreMalbec grapes. It is a wonderful relationship and a terrific experience to be associated with the winery. My wife and I enjoy the wine crafted from our grapes, dinners at the winery and special events on many occasions. We are blessed by this journey! @BearingFruitVineyard

My husband and I were looking for a place to get out of the house after several weeks cooped up…read morewith our newborn. Bernardo Winery was the perfect place to get our feet wet back in the world as new parents. Parking was stress free. The winery is very spread out so we didn't feel strange bringing our stroller and there were plenty of seat yourself options that were shaded outside. We sat and drank our wine glasses and tastings in the restaurant seating area. Baby slept through the whole journey before we turned back home to San Diego. My husband really liked his pizza that he ordered. I got the vodka rigatoni which was also pretty good. I got a mixed wine flight with some reds and whites. If you're planning to do some tastings with people under 21, just a warning that the underage folks cannot go in the tasting room.

We love Orfila! We come almost every week for trivia and occasionally for line dancing, and it's…read morebecome one of our favorite places to hang out. The ambiance is beautiful, the property is gorgeous, and we really appreciate all the free events they offer. The food truck is always a solid choice with pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and even gluten-free options. If you're just looking for a snack, they also have items available inside. The wine selection is excellent, and one of our favorite things is that it's dog-friendly, so our pups can join us. My only suggestion would be to improve the wine line. It can take 10-15 minutes to get a refill, especially during trivia, which sometimes means missing the next question. It would be awesome if there were a separate line for guests who just want to order a glass of wine instead of doing a tasting. Overall, Orfila is a beautiful winery with a fun, welcoming atmosphere, great wine, and events that keep us coming back week after week. Highly recommend!

Orfila is a beautiful winery and I am a wine club member here. It is a Friday evening favorite to…read moreenjoy wine and good food while overlooking the view of the Hills and vineyard. One thing we love was their live music on Friday nights, but they have changed up their event calendars discontinuing music on Friday nights and only have it on Sundays. They added other things like trivia and line dancing during the week, which may be popular, but for us live music is what drew us there. I hope they bring it back.

We rented this venue for my daughter's baby shower and it was perfect! Troy was incredibly easy to…read morework with, very responsive, and made everything simple from start to finish. The venue is great for a western theme because of the location, but it's also very versatile and can be decorated for any type of event. Troy was on-site during our event, helping with parking and checking in to make sure everything was going well which we really appreciated. The animal rescue was a fun bonus- our guest loved seeing the animals and even got a tour from the sanctuary director. Overall a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend this venue.

From the owner: The Sanctuary is a multi-purpose venue offering an event space, home to Franklin Farm Animal…read moreRescue, and a beautiful eco-friendly garden tailored to Southern California's climate. Our space is ideal for hosting various events, from workshops and community gatherings to private celebrations. Franklin Farm Animal Rescue operates on-site, providing a safe haven for rescued animals and hosting regular adoption events. The surrounding garden features native plants and sustainable landscaping practices, creating a tranquil setting while conserving water and supporting local wildlife. Whether you're here for an event or to support animal rescue, The Sanctuary is a welcoming destination for community and compassion.

This is a fabulous place to host an event in NCSD. The moonlight terrace view is one of the best…read moreyou will find in the county. We attended performances of three bands on a Thursday evening organized by the Six String Society. We were there to see the band, Daring Greatly. They won, Song of the Year at the 2023 San Diego Music Awards. The Centre is located above the Lexus dealership and attached to Vintana Wine + Dine, owned by Cohn Restaurant Group. A limited menu and cash bar was available. The food provided by Vintana was excellent, the beverage line much too long. As someone who has planned events in every career role I have had, I feel the space could have been better arranged. The Centre has various venue choices of different sizes. They are used for weddings, reunions and celebrations of all types. They may not need to be booked but it would be great to see more non- profit, charitable and flex functions here in the future. Note: Rocket not included. On the night of the event a rocket was launched into space from Vandenberg that could be seen through parts of SoCal., Go see Daring Greatly & eat at Vintana. #TheCentre #VintanaWineDine #MoonlightVerandah #RocketNotIncluded #DaringGreatly

After visiting several venues where to have my daughter's quinceañera, we fall in love with the…read morecentre! On top of that we wanted to have delicious food and they succeeded our expectations. Genevieve was our event coordinator and we had great communication from day one. At the day of the event Rebecca and Holly were amazing in control of things making the night stress free for us. Garret our bar tender made delicious drinks and kept the schedule smooth according to plan. There were no surprises since everything was very clear in our contract. Thank you for making a memorable night for my daughter!

Maderas catering makes Olive Garden taste like a Michelin Rated restaurant. Everything is…read moreabsolutely disgusting and they managed to make chocolate chip cookies taste like dirt. Make sure you taste everything before you sign the contract and get a money back guarantee.

From the owner: Whether it is a meeting, dinner, or a team building golf lesson, make your next function one to…read moreremember. Inspire creativity and encourage team building among our tranquil and picturesque grounds with venue spaces for 15-250 guests. Your clients and employees alike will be impressed with the luxurious dining settings and mouthwatering menu offerings.

What a beautiful venue!!!! We were guests for a wedding reception and Wow!! The caterer and venue…read moreboth did a great job and we really enjoyed the evening. One tiny thing I wanted to mention is myself and many other guests got bitten by mosquitoes as soon as we arrived. Maybe suggest some repellent wipes or something so the mosquitoes don't eat us for their dinner.

I am a wedding planner and am familiar with most of the venues in the area. This is one of the best…read moreI've worked at. The venue manager and owners are really kind and helpful. I can tell they actually care about each wedding and want it to be exceptional. The venue itself is beautiful. I love that it's a historic home with a gorgeous garden. It feels very warm and welcoming. I also like that it has built in market lighting, and includes many rentals.

We live near this winery and it is the only place I can find my FAVORITE wine. I refuse to say…read morewhich wine it is because then it will sell out! I have turned all my friend's onto it & I am so thankful to have such nice & kind people running this winery. They have always been so generous with their pours & they have always figured out a way for me to get my hands on my favorite wine. I also visit this winery when my family participates as a vendor during their craft/vendor fairs a couple times a year. I bring my daughter with me & sometimes a friend of hers & we always have a really great time. I have been here several times, well, more than several times. Though I am not a member, I sure feel treated like I am a member. I have attended & held fundraisers here & I have been here for live music or just a quiet place to have girlfriend talk. I love that there are different things happening different days, but it isn't overwhelming like other wineries that get so incredibly busy that they lose their charm completely. I appreciate Koi Zen for the zen it brings me. I would 10/10 recommend if you are looking for a place to enjoy wine with friends and/or family. Looking forward to my next visit, even though I just walked out with 3 bottles of my favorite wine tonight! Lisa & Darius & their staff are all great & deserve all the kudos. They all work really hard. With love, The birthday girl

This local winery has very good red wines and they have events and classes every week. Glad to have…read morea place like this in the Carmel Mountain area.

Beautiful setting and cost efficient. I LOVE how the have a chaplain on-site who can officiate…read moreweddings

From the owner: Venue with horses & Conducts Wedding, celebration of life…read moreand space for quincenera