Reviews

Ray and his family have a great place on the river. We do retreats twice a year for students and this is one place we hope to return to. I would recommend them to anyone and will be back. We took a little over 50 people most of whom were under the age of 18 and we had a blast! If you have any questions feel free to contact me at Tidal Creek Fellowship in Beaufort SC, my name is Shane Olsen and I am the Youth Pastor there. The home can be divided to separate the guys from the girls and is a great spot for a retreat. We loved it and slept a stack of kids on the floor but the location is worth it. Our size group may be near the max number of people due to bathroom restraints. Go here you will love it.

Thanks to the Sheltons for an amazing ladies retreat weekend. Having hosted a prayer retreat once before, I knew that I was looking for a large home with a beautiful view that could allow many women to spread out in the mornings as they had their quiet times and personal Bible studies. This year's retreat had 24 women and did we ever feel we found the right house! Ray made sure that each woman was made comfortable, even ones with some minor handicaps and one in a wheel chair. The house was spacious with plenty of room for us to fan out and not feel that we were bumping into one another. Ray purchased four new queen sized pillow top mattresses just to ensure that each woman would be well rested and comfortable. One lady was used to sleeping in a recliner at her own home and said that she wished she could take his large leather recliner home because she slept so well. All of the furnishings were oversized and comfortable~ perfect for lounging, long conversations and the evenings of teaching that we had in the living room every night. The kitchen was set up for large groups with a huge fridge and commercial gas stove. It was equipped with two coffee pots, a very large microwave, dishwasher, etc. We had teams of five women working together to provide our lunch and dinner meals and they had a blast chatting away as they worked together. Our dinners were truly gourmet~ several courses and the kitchen accommodated us well. Ray wanted us to be able to have all 24 women dine at one table (!) and went out of his way to make this happen. Comfortable arm chairs and table cloths made this an elegant setting for our meals. The bonfires at night were an unexpected treat as was the pontoon boat ride and day spent on the river kayaking. I won't be looking for another place to host next year's retreat because we will be returning to the Shelton home. Five stars! Wendy Holland

A group of friends and I stayed here this past summer. I was blown away at the beautiful home, surroundings, the river and the hosipatility of the owners that was above and beyond what one would expect!!! We forgot to bring our waffle maker and asked the owner Ray if they had one, he said he would check up at their home. He ended up going to Walmart and brought back two differnt ones for us!!! We will definitely be staying here again!

I have grown up on the Rainbow and been by Ray's place for years. I finally got the opportunity to stay there so I brought a group of friends to show them how and where I grew up. We had an absolute blast!! Ray and his staff are truly amazing, they really understand hospitality at its best. They are always there to lend a helping hand and will go out of their way to ensure you have the most relaxing, enjoyable stay. We will be coming back on an annual basis. If you love the simplicity of life, the beauty of nature, and and doing it all while having fun with those you are closest to, THIS IS THE PLACE!!

Our extended family of eleven stayed on this beautiful river for a few days at the end of the summer. We have taken family vacations in Europe, Central America, and many places in the US and this was the most fun and relaxing vacation we have ever experienced. The crystal-clear river was breathtaking. Having full use of the pontoon boat, kayaks, tubes, and ganoe saved us from having to rent these items. The owners were nearby and very helpful. We look forward to renting this beautiful property in the future!

Mom's turning 90 and has always been an outdorsey kinda gal so we were looking for something to give her a little adventure as well as goodtime for her and everyone else (all different ages). We did have a wonderful time. My mother was thrilled that we all stayed together in one place. The house was wonderful and we hope to be able to come back sometime. It was a time we all will remember and share for the rest of our lives and that was exactly what we were looking for. She jumped off of the dock with everyone several times and tried her hand at the kayak (and did quite well I might add). Mom asked when we left "can we come back on my 100th b-day?" Of course we said "yes" so Ray, keep us a weekend date free in Sept 2021. It dosen't get any better than that. PRICELESS!!!! Thank you Ray and your family for making this wonderful big house available for this great memory maker.

I have grown up on the Rainbow and been by Ray's place for years. I finally got the opportunity to stay there so I brought a group of friends to show them how and where I grew up. We had an absolute blast!! Ray and his staff are truly amazing, they really understand hospitality at its best. They are always there to lend a helping hand and will go out of their way to ensure you have the most relaxing, enjoyable stay. We will be coming back on an annual basis. If you love the simplicity of life, the beauty of nature, and and doing it all while having fun with those you are closest to, THIS IS THE PLACE!!

You will not find a better vacation home on the river!! Rustic, yet beautiful, this house has it all! Very unique split level home...everyone got lost in it the first day. Beautiful updated kitchen with lots of room to cook in. Not to mention the gigantic fridge that held so much food! We loved the living room with beautiful leather couches and multiple recliners. The big screen and surround sound made it great for late nite movies. The big round dinner table was our favorite, with the lazy susan in the middle that spun around. Made it great for serving yourself and no one had to get up. More beautiful red couches in that room also. We enjoyed the master suite on the third floor, though it is unfinished, it is going to be super cool. Wonderful king size pillow top bed! Always a plus for me! The crystal clear river is amazing and very refreshing. You must take the plunge off the rope swing. But fair warning, try working out your upper body before you come. Us middle aged folks swung all day Saturday but unfortunately couldnt move to well on Sunday! haha!! The kids enjoyed the swing the most! The pontoon boat was a super plus, but only for the experienced driver. Lots of tubers to maneuver around, and plenty of rocks to watch out for! and the water patrol!!! They dont play, so follow the rules! Cant wait for the next time...BIG thanks to the Shelton family!!!! See you soon.

Just finished our trip over the past weekend and all I have to is WOW. Ray and his family go way above and beyond any expectations anyone may have. Our first night there we mentioned that we had forgot our waffle iron and asked if he had one. He said he was pretty sure his wife had one at the other house. 30 minutes later he returns with not one but two brand new waffle irons and says; "Tell me which on you like better and I'll return the other one." This is the kind of service we received all weekend. The House is beautiful and HUGE, located right around the mid point of the tubing section of the river, and they have everything one would need if planning a trip i.e. tubes, floats, masks, fins, pontoon boat and more... Ray, Thank you again for making our weekend extra special, we will definitely be back again next year. Matt

Guest: Danyelle(Muncie, IN) Date of Stay: 07/21/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11 My family of 4 rented this HUGE house from the Shelton's last month. We had such an amazing time. Ray and his family are absolutely wonderful. They go above and beyond to make their guest feel like they are old friends/family. We can't wait to visit again and we WILL return. The house, the river and everything they say in their description is exactly what you get. I will recommend this to anyone who will listen. Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

we plan on staying next year will be in touch

Guest: Ron and Robin Date of Stay: July 27, 2010 Review Submitted: August 16, 2010 Thank you so much to the Sheltons. We rented a house on rainbow river for us and our five children only to arrive to a rundown and unkept house that was falling apart and had not been cleaned. We only take one vacation a year and were so upset about the shape of the rental home that we ended up packing up and had to find a hotel for the night. I emailed Mr. Shelton through VRBO and he responded in seconds that he had a house for us for the remainder of our vacation. The house was cozy and had room for all seven of us and the kids loved the river. We had a large pontoon and three kayak's available to us at all times. The Sheltons made us feel at home and really truly saved our vacation. With five kids in tow, we had no idea where we were going to go but we knew we could not stay any longer in the previous place we had rented. Our kids are still asking to go back and ended up having a great vacation. The river is beautiful and the water is crystal clear. We boated during the day and relaxed on the dock at night and watched the otters play. Our kids fish and swam the whole week and never once asked for the television. Now that is impressive. Again, thanks to the Sheltons for saving our vacation. Ron and Robin Recommended for: Families with teenagers, Families with young children, Romantic getaway

Dear Ray, Thank you for a great weekend! We have celebrated birthdays 3 times in the past few weeks at several places in Florida, but our weekend in your place was the best. I have friends and employees who are interested in such outings, so I shall recommend Rainbow River and your place. I told you that I would send contact information, so here it is:

Was it what I expected? No, it was so much better than I ever expected. With 30 people we had so much room, never on top of each other. Five bedrooms, four with baths. One large enough for all to share during the day. We got lost in the house for the first couple times walking through. Rustic yet beautiful, very comfortible furniture in all the three sitting areas. Four large empty rooms we used for the air mattresses. I had thought we would be sharing the bedrooms with the air mattress people but no, plenty of room for most to have a private space. Fantastic kitchen with room for four cooks at the same time. The outside shaded deck with it's very comfortable chairs, not patio furn but real couch and chairs. A third floor bedroom with a seperate sitting room with its own outdoor shower and seperate deck overlooking the river. The River is only 30 feet from the house and what a view morning noon and night. The little guys from 2 -5 years old absolutely loved the screened in trampolene and the indoor sand box. We just got home yesterday and absolutely will be going back. I can't say enough wonderful things about the place. Everyone with us felt the same... Ray, thank you and your son Raymond for all the you did. I haven't met too many 16 year olds ready to do anything we needed wether it was take away the trash or give us a guided tour down the river on the tubes. He even showed us how to do a back flip off the rope into the river. Thank you, Thank you! Sue

We have stayed at the Sheltons at least once a year for the past three years. We love the property, the river and the warm, inviting hosts. The rooms are always clean, comfortable and well-stocked. During this last trip we brought friends with us and all 9 of us were very comfortable at the smaller house. Everyone had a great time as always! Tubing on the river and bonfires at night were just some of the highlights for the adults, but the kids loved every single minute! Whether they were tubing, swimming, boating, diving, jumping on the trampoline, or roasting marshmallows, it is a child's paradise! We will be back SOON! Thanks again for everything!

We loved it here! Ray and his family treated us to a great time. We needed good quality family time and that's exactly what we got on this layed back relaxing river. Its scary choosing a place to stay via the internet however I was throrughly impressed with the results. We wish we could be there now!

This was definitely one of our favorite vacations ever!!! The house was wonderfulâ?¦well equipped with all the essentials. If you think you need itâ?¦itâ??s already there. We especially liked the 3rd floor room with itâ??s own private deck and outdoor shower. The kitchen is really great with an awesome view of the river! Winn Dixie and Wal-Mart are within 2 miles of the house so grocery shopping was a breeze. Other than a quick trip to the store, we never left the property. The river is so clear and beautiful. The current was a little stronger than we had expected, but we still loved every second in the crystal clear water. The kids were swimming, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, fossil hunting, or rope swinging the entire time. They only stopped to eat and sleep when we forced them. They camped out one night by the river and cooked hotdogs and marshmallows on the camp fire. They caught several nice sized Bass and found some impressive fossil treasures. The house being located within a few feet of the river was ideal for relaxing on the comfortable covered deck while taking in the beauty of the river and watching the kids play. Having the pontoon boat was a huge benefit. We took several trips up river to snorkel and explore different areas. We encountered a few other boaters who had rented pontoons for around $300/day and they couldnâ??t believe we were provided one for free with our rentalâ?¦what a great bargain! Ray and his family were outstanding and very accommodating. We had the pleasure to interact with several of Rayâ??s children who were all exceptional young people. We are already looking at our calendar to find a time to return and bring some of the extended family for even more fun. Thanks for many, many, many wonderful memories!!! Ginger, John, Connor, and Barrett

Owner's Response: Dear Ginger, You and your family were a pleasure to have staying at our place. I loved seeing your son after he found the dino bones, he was so excited. Thank you for leaving our place in such a clean condition and thank you for such a great review, it will help so many other families in making such an important decision as to which place to stay with their loved ones. Hope to see all of you again real soon. Ray Shelton