I was invited to the greatest music gathering I've ever attended here at Deloro Valley (DV), due to…read moremany reasons. The event space is the best layout one could ask for. There are two pools. A small, 4-6 person wooden sauna outdoor box custom built by the Electrician and Staff Member, Sparky. It is impressive and if you get a chance you should use it during your visit! It is located by the lower pool. There are two small bridges and a beautiful creek that runs underneath. A giant, high-ceiling saloon or recreation hall, great for a large projector for a film. This was the most ideal location you could think of to host a party amongst 100 of your closest friends in the DJ and music scene. The space serves best for probably groups of 50 or more, I would say. There are baby goats on the farm and you can hear them, they are adorable! The main lodge branches in 4 directions for housing and can be thought of as a cross between a hostel and a cabin :) It is cozy and easy to navigate and plenty of seating in case it is cold out. There is a fireplace the staff kept adding wood to. I was sitting with Sparky, who was kind enough to grab me some food as I was not feeling well. And Ji, another sweet staff member checked on the fire and asked him to throw in another log. This staff is TOP-NOTCH. They exceeded expectations in terms of hospitality, kindness, authenticity, helpfulness, and genuine care for their guests. I think each person deserves an individual shotout because that's how much each person made this experience just so special and different that it doesn't compare to others in the past. Wendy - A manager of sorts. I was able to ask her for anything and everything down to the smallest of items like aspirin for a headache. She goes above and beyond, as do the others, in finding a way to help you get what you need. Given our event was 3 nights and 4 days, during this long weekend, I connected with Wendy on a level beyond a manager. She has a big heart and gentle soul, and came to my aid when I was in need of food one morning prior to breakfast being served. I was uninterested in the vast assortment of pastries that were neatly set out and asked if there was any leftover protein from dinner the night before. Soon after, a warm plate of chicken, cilantro rice, and bread was brought, and Wendy added a can of sugarfree soda on the table. These little details are all remembered. Thank you oh so much for caring in my time of need. Sparky - Throughout the weekend, this gentleman was a kindhearted soul who was also very attentive to the guests needs. I appreciated multiple food requests he accommodated for me outside of kitchen hours and just being available, keeping us all safe, and making sure we were all having a good time. I couldn't ask for more from him as a staff member and look forward to future interactions when attending more events @ DV. Ji - Thank you for checking on the fire and keeping it going. You were always looking out for everyone. Making sure guests felt comfortable and were not in need of anything, She has a sweet spirit about her and it just seems to be the theme amongst all the staff here. Aaaaaand then there's Jenna-Rose. Also helped me with food accommodations when I wasn't feeling well. My blood sugar was low and I needed to eat and she, along with Wendy, got me some food to pull me out of that state. She's full of energy and fun-loving for sure. Love her spirit! Clippy - Another helpful, staff member with a positive attitude. During meals I was able to ask for other things or questions about what is in the food in case of an allergy. Thank you! Sean - I believe had brought out hot water, tea, and/or miso soup along with someone else. This was an unexpected treat. Not sure where it came from, but Sean was here and there doing this and that for the guests. Really appreciated his service and although quiet, he was a kind-natured member of the staff. Nathan - Our interaction was brief but he was helpful in letting me pack my stuff into my car nearby. I was exhausted and it would've taken me several trips with the wagons given I had brought extra supplies to loan for our event. Lonnie - Was nice enough to lend me a bicycle to ride up the hill but then I realized it was steeper than I thought and doubled back. Instead he gave me a ride. The kindness of these people... I tell you... :) Nicole - Housekeeper. Our interaction was brief but I thank her for giving me time to comfortably get my things together and leave my room without feeling rushed to pack. Rob G - Saw him in passing a couple times but overall, had a smile on his face each time and pleasant to interact with in passing. To all the staff, none of your actions went unnoticed. We are all ever-so-grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime experience you provided all us friends. I felt like part of a family all weekend. My friends + you wonderful staff members. Looking forward to coming back for future events! Much love to you ALL!

Beautiful venue, amazing views, Everyone there is so friendly and professional, I highly highly…read morehighly recommend! I can't wait to be back! P.s. Sean Majors is a legend

We can't thank the Three B's enough for all of their assistance in putting our wedding together…read morethis past weekend! Becky, Belinda, and Bonnie handled everything with such professionalism and style! These ladies thought of everything and made this day run so smoothly for us, I enjoyed every moment and will never forget it! Thanks again Three B's!

One of my best friends needed assistance in planning a Celebration of Life. The event was being…read moreheld at The Opera Hall in Sonora and the Three B's had experience doing events there. While this was their first Celebration of Life service, they did a fabulous job of reassuring us that everything was in order. When you are suffering from a loss, that type of assistance is a true gift. They transformed a plain looking hall into a beautiful setting. We assisted them with the set up and they were appreciative. They were helpful in helping us find the caterer and bartender set up. It was worth it to not have to worry about the event set up and take down. We were able to focus on the service itself and the place looked so perfect. Thank you ladies for making it special. Would highly recommend the Three B's in helping you plan your perfect event.

I have been coming to old Oak Ranch since 1985. My five sons have experienced some great things at…read morethis camp and the memories run deep! The entire staff are incredible and the food is awesome! If your church is looking to have a gathering in the Sierra's you simply don't have to look anywhere else but Old Oak Ranch!!!

We just came back from our 4th grade Gold Rush overnight field trip and I highly recommend Old Oak…read moreRanch. (we stayed here and did the Gold Rush activities/tours at Columbia State Park, but they are thinking of bringing some Gold Rush activities on site in the future). Aaron and Bryan were wonderful hosts. The food in the dining hall was quite good and they were very accommodating for dietary restrictions/allergies. The kids enjoyed the game room (foosball/ping pong/pool tables/arcades). There was another group during the time we were there but we hardly noticed except during meal times (even then, we were eating in separate areas). It unexpectedly snowed a lot on one of the days (mid-April!) and 4WD is really helpful.

I absolutely love this adorable private resort. We've been there for weekend getaways and attended…read morea wedding. Valerie is so sweet. My kids call her Grandma Val.

This stay was a veritable Garden of Eden! My fiancé and I have been to many places for weekends…read moreaway or family vacations in the last two years but Sparks Ranch ranks among the best experiences and settings yet! The owner is positively lovely and so very personable. She was more than accommodating to our every need! She was great with communication and kind to us. She treated my kids like they were her own. The grounds are surrounded by stunning nature and is steeped in history. We got a fun tour when we first arrived and we were all amazed by the clean and well maintained property. Our beds were so comfortable and we slept very well. My kids want to make visiting Sparks Ranch a regular annual experience and we are more than happy to oblige them!

Hello happily engaged couple, We understand where you are…read moreright now in the process. You're excited about the engagement, and the thought of your upcoming wedding. Congratulations. We also know however, that the more you Google looking for answers, the more questions you have! Even if you have a venue, you now need to worry about seating charts, timelines, hairstylists, weather, forest fires, COVID, cleanup- oh my! "Do I even need a wedding planner?" may even be a question that you are pondering- and that is ok! The good news is, this review that you are reading is the review you need. As partners, we were asking ourselves these same questions. In hindsight, we would have been stupid to not hire Terri/Events Extraordinaire. Should you simply care about the bottom line, then skip the rest of this review and just hire her already! If you are interested to know why, please see below. Although one of us was skeptical in the value of a wedding planner, I can assure you that Terri's actions and efforts were invaluable in making our day perfect. From the very first meeting, we were relieved at the methodic approach Terri takes to wedding planning. Your first meetings are simply getting to know each other and learning what the couple wants to achieve with the wedding. Terri fairly listened to both of our ideas and provided unbiased feedback and guidance. These little nudges compounded to big decisions which encouraged us along the wedding planning process. Speaking of the process, Terri has one. She has timelines, 'day of' agenda's, and planning deadlines that keep not only the couple, but also your vendors on track! Although you may expect the planning process to go smoothly, just as we had, of course life happens. We had a serious issues with one of our main vendors (That we found before working with Terri) the month before the wedding. We promptly referenced Terri's pre-supplied vendor list and found someone who was more budget friendly, that produced fantastic results. Then, just one week before the wedding, the HMUA dropped out (crazy we know!). Terri picked up her personal cell phone that same day, to step in, and spent the evening with us hunting down alternates. To us, Terri felt like another family member with all of the right tools in her tool box to help us navigate the complex nuances of wedding planning. On the day of the wedding, we hardly noticed Terri- and I mean that in a good way! Seamlessly behind the scenes, our wedding day and timeline panned out about as perfect as it could be. This letter is a testament to her process, value, and care in wedding planning. We were thankful to have found Terri and now look forward to connecting with her any time we are in the foothills! -Adam & Samantha Klick

Terri and her team are absolutely the best at what they do! Her services were recommended by the…read morevenue we picked and I am so grateful for that! I never really understood what a planner would do, but trust me when I say that I would've been completely lost without her! Terri thought of things for our special day that I never would've realized I needed until it was too late. I knew from the very first meeting that she was going to be my calming force for a very stressful day and I was so right! Her value is unmeasurable!! Thank you Terri and team!!

I attended an event at the Tuolumne Community Resilience Center this weekend…read more I was blown away by the accessibility of this venue. You can learn a little bit more about the history of the building here - https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/2823816/tuolumne-county-celebrates-opening-of-first-resilience-center.html . The event was exceptional and this venue played a big part in the success of the event. Parking is easy here and there's plenty of it. The bathrooms are immaculate, modern, and spacious. The lighting was on point too. Always a plus when you're doing multiple mirror checks :) The main kitchen area was clean and well organized. There was plenty of room for multiple people to be in there, and it had a serving window cutout, which allowed for smooth catering during the event and it made for easy clean-up of glasses following the event. The plethora of trash receptacles throughout this venue helped keep all public spaces clear of clutter. The main meeting area, where the event was hosted, was beautiful. It was ideal for hosting a well-planned sit-down dinner event. The ceilings were high and every corner of the spacious room was superbly lit. I appreciated that the layout of the event room allowed for clear visibility of the main podium/stage for all attendees. The sound throughout the evening (for both the band and speakers) was fantastic and clear. This venue exceeded my expectations in every way. It was up to date with all of the necessary equipment, while still feeling welcoming. I wouldn't hesitate to suggest this venue to others in the future. Trust.

Fabulous B&B! Our room was very comfortable with a breathtaking view of the forest and wildlife…read more OH, and the sheets....as soft as butter! You can't ask for a better breakfast and Stephanie is so kind and helpful. Not sure what to do in the area on a rainy or snowy day, simply ask and she will have recommendations. We always felt so welcome here and could not have enjoyed our visit more. You can't go wrong by staying here, we absolutely loved our 4 nights at McCaffrey House.

The update is that they are LYING. Putting a guest NEXT to a homeless person and someone with COVID…read moreis a problem. I tried for over an hour to get in touch with Stephanie, who was watching TV and ignoring calls. I also emailed and went down and screamed her name. If there is someone living there with COVID, then don't put a guest there. I still can't believe they refused to refund as I had to drive away in the dark and find another place. SIGH. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

If you're looking for a quick getaway that is close to central California, Black Oak is a nice…read moreplace to visit. It is a great place for adults and children. There is nothing spectacular about the casino floor as it is just like any other casino. I will say prepare to inhale a bunch of cigarette smoke. It seems like their ventilation system lacks as I felt the smell here is a lot heavier than other casinos. There is a nice pool/lounge area with a full bar and a cool big screen TV at the end of the pool. For the kids, they have a medium size bowling alley and arcade inside the casino/hotel. They recently added a building called Elevate, which is an indoor trampoline building. It is fairly large in size and will accommodate kids of all ages. They run specific numbers in time blocks to keep the occupancy to a minimum which is nice. The building also offers 2 axe throwing stations and 4 golf simulators. There is also a bass pond, basketball court & pickleball court and a pool/hot tub in the RV park, which is located just above the hotel.

The bowling alley!! after playing slots, my son and I ventured downstairs while we wait for our…read morecompany. We found the bowling alley and it was a great way to kill time while we waited and not lose anymore money!! Id go back there any time!

My daughter recently was married at The Meadows By Forty Eleven and I must say, had we had a choice…read moreto change the venue 24 hours before the wedding, we would have. 7 months before the wedding date, I along with several members of our family, met with the owner (along with my daughter and her groom). The place was really rough and worn down however he assured us of all the changes and improvements that would be completed before the wedding, including a bridal house and the main house with 5 bedrooms, landscaped, weeds gone, barn painted and refurbished etc.... He even suggested where to have the music and ceremony. We rented the property from Friday to Sunday. When we arrived, my heart sank, my daughter cried. I was immediately embarrassed for my daughter, her soon to be husband and even for myself. The place was still run down and dirty. The little landscaping that was there looked as if it hadn't been watered since the last rain - most was dead or dying.. The weeds were waist high on most of the property. The barn was filthy and disgusting. The bridal suite was open walls with power tools inside and could not be used. The 5 bedroom main house for the bridal party was actually a 3 bedroom house with spoiled old food in the fridge and some guy who was visibly high hanging out in the living room.. Thankfully we showed up the day before the wedding: My grandsons picked up 4 large contractor size trash bags of garbage strewn about the outside of the barn. My oldest daughter had some of her staff come help with cleaning the barn and mopping the barn floor. My soon to be son in law and his father had to remove the windows from the barn as they were a safety issue with cracks and holes in the glass. (We put them back on Sunday) The owner and his girlfriend / "employee" were quite rude and did nothing to remedy the situation and was actually angry that we removed the barn windows. This whole event gets worse, but not wanting to write a novel I will just say, stay away. Or at the very least have a back up venue in mind. These people have no business in the wedding business. Thankfully, the partner who lives in Oakland refunded my daughter. But honestly, we would have preferred not to have a refund and just have been given the experience we were promised.

Nichole is amazing! I had the opportunity to visit The Meadows and it is absolutely beautiful. I…read morethink one of my favorite things about this location is that it is so close to everything yet not in the hustle and bustle of town giving you the perfect feel for your wedding. The venue is on such a large stretch of property and there are so many places to have different parts of the wedding. Whether it be exchanging your vows beneath trees, cocktail hour or dancing in the cute barn or eating under the perfect market lights and incorporating the barn as a back drop, it's beautiful. (Did I mention the huge amount of parking availability?) The house that is made accessable to us on the property is beautiful and you can tell that a lot of time and effort was put into the renovations, it's gorgeous! I'm also so excited for the bridal bungalow it is a great place for me and my ladies to relax and get ready for the wedding. My fiance and I are excited that we have chosen The Meadows as our venue and we will be getting married there fall of next year and we can't wait! Thank you Forty Eleven!

Some of the best food in Tuolumne County and with a few tweaks, could be even better. My husband…read moreand I are originally from the Bay Area and have enjoyed great restaurants all over the world, so we're picky. Compared to other restaurants in the area, including the casinos, I'd give it a 5, but compared to what The Branch is now versus what it could be, I give it a four. To start, we were seated next to a couple with a cranky, noisy toddler. It's a small space to begin with, so there was no place to move to. Not the fault of the restaurant, but it distracted from our experience. The seasonal menu is balanced and not too ambitious or pretentious. To start we both chose the root salad. It featured a nice mix of fresh and pickled vegetables, but my salad had way too many pickled red onions (which I don't care for) that weighed down the greens. The beet swoosh was delicious and I wish there were more beets in the salad. For mains, my husband selected the rendered duck breast and I opted for the short rib shepherd's pie. The duck gets high marks for being tender and flavorful, however it was slightly overcooked and the skin wasn't crispy. I suspect that it had been cooked sous vide in advance and then finished in a skillet prior to serving. Nothing wrong with that, but it was just past medium. My shepherd's pie featured nice fresh carrots and peas, fork-tender short rib and a too-generous blanket of silky, fluffy mashed potatoes. The sauce, unfortunately, seemed under-seasoned and the mashed potato topping wasn't browned (just piped on top). The dessert (dulce de leche cheesecake) was a bit disappointing. The strong spice level of the crust eclipsed the flavor of the filling. A couple bites were enough for me, but my husband finished the piece. One really picky point: the water glasses are mason jars. In my experience, they develop small chips in the rim with constant use. Sure enough, my glass had a tiny ding in the rim that I had to avoid. I would encourage the restaurant to ditch the cute-quaint jars in favor of tumblers. (And, yes, I did mention this to our server to pass along to management.) Service was attentive, friendly and not intrusive. Prices are in line with our expectations of a nice restaurant. We'll go back in few months to check out the new seasonal menu. Definitely worth a trip!

Food, Service, Ambiance all on point! Delicious meals plated beautifully in a charming, intimate,…read moreromantic space. It's the perfect size restaurant to be able to engage with the chef (owner) while enjoying our time in his establishment. Twain Harte you are so fortunate to have such a quality place to enjoy some of the best food a person can experience. We can't wait to come back. Thank You "the Branch" for a great evening