Entire home

Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch

Family-friendly holiday home in Tucson with a water park

Photo gallery for Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch

Styracosaurus at night guarding the front gate to the ranch--our2nd dinosaur.
Karen & Lenny with "Steggy" grazing on cactus outback on the ranch.
Catalina Mtns loom over the property & home
Veranda with table for lounging and eating, swing, and grill
Gate to 5 acre property

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 4139.4 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

View map
Tucson, AZ
  • Place, Crooked Tree Golf Course
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, El Conquistador Golf Course
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Tucson Premium Outlets
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Airport, Tucson, AZ (TUS-Tucson Intl.)
    ‪30 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Separate dining area
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch

Your casa is hosted by our family -- this is not a professional for-profit home. Rather, you will enjoy the peace of your own place without robotic management, yet you will have plenty of privacy. If there is a problem, we will take care of it immediately, because the two of us live next door on the 5-acre ranch. We look forward to hosting and meeting new and repeat guests. Our place is close to golf courses & Interstate-10, with good access to downtown Tucson (20-min drive), Tucson airport (30 min), and Phoenix Airport (85 min), but with the Sonoran desert privacy--very quiet ranch lands, shopping 10 min away, views of Tucson Mountain sunsets and Catalina Mountain sunrises. From the front of the house and front rooms, you can enjoy Tucson's spectacular sunsets. You'll love our place because of the coziness, location, solitude, security, lush desert vegetation, flowers, hummingbirds, and minerals. The South Wing is good for couples, solo adventurers, and business travelers. Karen & Lenny are available in the North Wing of the ranch for help or questions. The South Wing has a private front entrance for guests and a carport for 2 cars. There is a locked door between the two wings. We have additional security for guests that is provided by a code-box-operated front gate, security doors, and 2 dinosaurs (a stegosaurus and a styracosaurus (a triceratops family member).
THE SPACE: The home provides a 1500-sq-ft Casa, not a Casita. A corral, with water on-demand for horses and some roof shelter, is available for those traveling with their horses. There is a large living room, large kitchen, and dining room, along with the two bedrooms, all available for our guest's private use -- see photos. The dining-room buffet has 20 picture puzzles and one game for guest entertainment. One bedroom is a master bedroom with a full bed, 2 dressers, 2 night stands, and a private bath. The bath has been recently (April 2024) remodeled with a new serpentine ("granite") counter top adorned with a Talavera Sink from Mexico and a copper "waterfall" faucet. The second bedroom, with a queen bed and dresser, has a large office table, chairs, and computer screen--it has a full bath directly across the hall. The full bath has also just been remodeled (April 2024) with a serpentine ("granite") countertop, a Mexican Talavera Sink, and a gold-plated UFO faucet. New oak cabinets, mirrors, and 2 medicine cabinets were just installed. A full kitchen is available -- dishes, cookware, dishwasher, garbage disposal, large side-by-side refrigerator, microwave, full 4-burner gas stove w/self cleaning oven. There is a medium-size TV in the living room in front of the couch, with an antenna on the roof that brings in about 30 stations. The master bedroom has a very small TV with an attached DVD/VCR player and about 30 classic VCR tapes. The house has central air conditioning, central heat, and optional central air by a swamp cooler for those who like the fresh breeze and hearing the birds sing outside. A gas grill is available adjacent to the veranda. 6 citrus trees are teeming with lemons, oranges, and tangelos that are available to guests for fresh fruit at breakfast during the 5-months of citrus production. An initial offering of breakfast foods (coffee--12oz, 20+ tea bags, sugar, Splenda, flour, salt & pepper, some spices, vinegar, 1/2 gallon of milk, box of cereal (guests choice), loaf of bread (guests choice), dozen eggs, quart of juice (guests choice), stick of butter, and salad dressing is provided to get our guests started, so there is no need for them to rush to the grocery store on arrival day, and they can avail themselves of our fully equipped kitchen. Subsequently, guests will provide their breakfast supplies. A locked gallery connects the south guest wing with Karen & Lenny's north wing.
GUEST ACCESS: Guests have full access to the fenced backyard, horse corral, laundry room with washer and dryer (free), and the remainder of the 5 acres of Sonoran Desert. They will be provided with a guest code to open and close the gate to the ranch. The heavily treed backyard has a large shaded and covered veranda off the kitchen, with cushioned chairs and glass table, a propane grill, a swing set, 6 citrus trees, flower beds, rose bushes nestled among the ironwoods, Aleppo pines, and palo verde and mesquite trees.
HOST INTERACTION WITH GUESTS: We are both geologists and are happy to interact with our guests, providing them with various tourist advice and information on local geology. We have tourist books and maps available for guest use. A small library of novels is also available in the living room bookcase.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The "neighborhood" is all ranch land of 5-10 acre properties with corrals on county dirt roads. Your vacation casa is isolated from other houses -- none can be seen from your vacation home bedrooms or yard.
OTHER THINGS TO NOTE: Guests have two bedrooms, for 2 persons in the master bedroom with a private bath and large shower, and a queen-size bed for 1 person in the other bedroom that also has office accommodations and a separate full bath with tub and shower. A second person (4th guest) may sleep in the second bedroom for an additional charge of $30/night. Free Wifi is available throughout the house and on the veranda. Guests will have their own key and entrance separate from Karen & Lenny's North wing of the ranch. A maximum of 3 persons (a 4th person-- second person in 2nd bedroom--is ok for an extra $30/night ), and they have exclusive use of the casa's south wing. There is abundant parking within the secure, gated property, in addition to the 2 places available under the carport. Pets have not been allowed in the house, so for those with pet allergies the house is pet dander free.

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Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 12:00 PM
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Children

Adults only
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
No parties, but 4 dinner guests are OK. We require the names of all guests. No additional guests without the owners permission.
Newly re-upholstered couch is not to be used for a bed. Guests must read "Guidance for Guests" upon arrival. $50 fee for unwashed dishes.
$30/night for 4th guest. Must be paid at time of booking.

Important information

You need to know

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
This property uses a grey water recycling system
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 and a deadlock
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Tucson

Located in Tortolita, a neighbourhood in Tucson, this holiday home is in a rural area. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Saguaro National Park and Pusch Ridge Wilderness, while Berger Performing Arts Center and Red Barn Theater are cultural highlights. Travelling with kids? Consider Aeroball Sports Courts and Oro Valley Aquatic Center. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Tucson, AZ

What's nearby

  • Crooked Tree Golf Course - 5 min drive - 3.4 km
  • El Conquistador Golf Course - 7 min drive - 6.8 km
  • El Conquistador Country Club - Sunrise Golf Course - 7 min drive - 6.8 km
  • El Conquistador Country Club - Sunset Golf Course - 7 min drive - 6.8 km
  • Tucson Premium Outlets - 7 min drive - 7.2 km

Getting around

  • Tucson Station - 20 min drive
  • Tucson, AZ (AVW-Marana Regional) - 19 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Circle K - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Circle K - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Crazy Dogs Sonoran Hot Dogs - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch?

Checkout is at 12:00 PM.

Where is Desert Adobe 5-acre Crystal Ranch located?

This family-friendly Tucson holiday home is located in a rural location, 2.3 mi (3.8 km) from Crooked Tree Golf Course, and within 6 mi (10 km) of Aeroball Sports Courts and Tucson Premium Outlets. Mike Jacob Sports Park and Catalina Golf Course are also within 6 miles (10 km).

About the host

Hosted by Karen Wenrich & Lenny Wildrick

Host profile image
Karen is a Uranium geologist with a Ph.D from Penn State. She went to high school in Wiesbaden, Germany. She worked for 25 years as a research geologist for the USGS and then worked for 3 years as a diplomat for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, part of the UN) in Vienna Austria. She is reasonably conversant in German. Some knowledge of French and limited knowledge of Spanish (about 150 word vocabulary all nouns, mostly food!). She received the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize along with other employees at the IAEA. Lived in Golden, CO since 1974. and owns the small ranch north of Tucson, Arizona, which she is eager to share with guests. Lenny is a hydrogeologist with an MS degree. He met Karen at Penn State in geology class 50 years ago, but it took till 10 years ago for him to ask her to marry him. He works as a consulting hydrogeologist in the western U. S. Together they share the mineral, gem, and jewelry business, Crystals Unlimited (a hobby that got out of control 30 years ago), and are a vendor at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. Anything guests would like to know about geology or any rocks/minerals they want identified, Karen and Lenny are happy to answer their questions.

Why they chose this property

Solitude with abundant wildlife viewing--hummingbirds nesting in the trees, quail, phainopeplas, doves, goldfinches, house finches, curved-billed thrashers, Gila woodpeckers, cactus wrens, roadrunners, Harris and Cooper hawks, great-horned and screech owls, coyotes, javalina, bobcats, rabbits (cottontails & jackrabbits), etc.

What makes this property unique

Very quiet. Privacy from neighbors. Very little traffic. Lush Sonora-Desert vegetation. Unpaved roads with horse riders and safe, easy walking or bicyling.

Languages:

English, German

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests