GUESTBOOK COMMENTS

Originally we set out to keep separate guest books for all the properties. Now we're combining them. Beach Cliff is our "most mature" property, so it has a lot more comments, spanning back to May of 2004. We're getting lots of great feedback from the guests in all our units, so expect to see this page grow!

(If you have stayed in one of our properties and would like to add to our online guest comments, please email us!)

I can't begin to tell you how much we all loved Cape San Blas. Although it was our first visit, we felt so welcomed and at home. The beaches are beautiful, the sunsets spectacular, and the guest are the nicest people we have ever been around. Our dogs also had a great time. They are still sleeping after their vacation of running, swimming and meeting new friends. We can't wait to head back down to the greatest place ever!!!!! Water Color is a beautiful condo. We have never stayed at a condo so equipped. Like you said you can come in and everything is there, from soap to hair dryers. The thought that you put in decoration and convience is wonderful. Thanks again for a great vacation and I will be sending you pictures. I am sharing them with everyone at work now. Maybe we will have a big crowd next year to go. Teresa, Water's Color Guests July 2007

Hey Laurel, Well, we got back to Southern Indiana last night about 7:00. It was good to get back on Saturday so we could leave the unpacking until Sunday. We had just enough time to read through the mail (check out the bills!), try to restore life to the withering plants, fill the bird feeders, and clean up all of the little gifts that the cats left for us. In other words a quick trip back to reality.

Our vacation to Cape San Blas and, in particular, your lovely Beach Cliff home, was truly a week long visit to paradise. I am frequently criticized by my family and friends for doing so much analysis and pre trip studying that I am rarely surprised, or have my expectations exceeded. This trip, however, was an exception! Nothing could prepare you for the beautiful cape. I think the biggest surprise to me was seeing just how many stars there are. City lights sure can reduce star visibility, don't they? Even on cruise ships, in the middle of the ocean, we have not seen so many celestial bodies. I think that all of us came back feeling like we were now amateur astronomers. It was a pleasure being able to observe the moons of Jupiter, and see Venus and Saturn through your telescope. We were able to utilize the internet at night to help us identify what we were looking at. I guess I am now in the market for a telescope!

We also all learned a lot from the Sea Shell book on the coffee table. My grandson, Nate, was thrilled by the animal life (fish, crabs, shrimp) that lived in the sergassum (sp) grass. So was my youngest son Eric. That 30 year old acted like he used to when he was 7! Most people would probably view the sergassum grass as sea weed, but, they would be missing out on so much.

For me, personally, one of the best parts of the day, was at 7:30 in the morning when our 5 year old, Nate would come in and say, "Pappy, let's go get the paper". Walking to the Traders Post every morning became a special time for the two of us. He is a chatterer and he challenged me with questions like: Where does sand come from? Why aren't there waves on the bay? Why are there gates on peoples drive ways? What are tides? Why do some crabs have a big thumb? I don't know which of us learned more. These little walks turned into a very special time for me.

One of my daughter in laws, Michele, told our son Brian that this was the best away from home vacation she ever had. And, that was on Sunday! Quite a statement when you think that we have had them to Kiawah Island, Virginia Beach, Destin, and St. George Island and we hadn't even been to the cape for 24 hours. The other daughter in law is quite the adventurist. Typically, she lines up horse back riding, kayaking, hiking, whatever. Not this time. When I asked her why not, she said "didn't need to". She just enjoyed the surf and vegging.

On Monday, I told the two daughter in laws to get their heads together and tell us where they would like to go next summer. They could have picked anyplace that they wanted to. On Tuesday, they came back with a decision. They chose to come right back to Cape San Blas and Beach Cliff. So, I guess you will be hearing from me shortly on that.

We were fascinated by the plans to restore the cape and will be following that closely. If you hear of anything, please share it with us. That will be an amazing project, won't it?

We must also complement you on the house, its furnishings, and all the accessories that you provide. The house is simply the best. And, it was absolutely perfect for us. That reminds me of one more question little Nate asked, "why do we have to go home"? Some questions there just are no "good" answers to.

070707 was truly our lucky number. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to stay at Beach Cliff and for all of your hospitality. You were wonderful to work with. I may never use a rental agency again as you have spoiled me. When I get a few minutes, I will take a look through our photos and see if any of them would do justice to your photo gallery. Regards, Al, (Jan, Brian, Michele, Nate, Luke, Kristi, and Eric) Beach Cliff Guests, July 7, 2007

We had a blast.  It was a beautiful week and, as I shared with you earlier, we really liked your place and its location.  Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to stay again in the future. The Alexanders, Beachy Keen, June 2007

Hi Laurel, I just wanted to thank you for sharing you AWESOME home with us. We ABSOLUTELY loved the house. Sometimes the internet can make things sound more attractive than they really are, but your house was even more than we expected. We were surprised at how clean it was and how fully stocked it was. We brought a lot more than we needed to.

On Friday I was having coffee on the deck and about 40 yards away, I spotted a turtle that appeared to be covering up eggs. She was there for a while and then we all watched while she slowly made her way back to the ocean. I called a phone number that was on the refrigerator and left a message. I explained what we had witnessed and left the phone number and address and a couple hours later somebody from the turtle patrol showed up at the house. We showed him the spot and he dug down and showed us the eggs and then he covered them back up and staked off the area and posted a sign. He said she must have come ashore later than they normally do because they had already walked that stretch of beach earlier in the morning and saw no signs of turtle tracks. It was really something to see.....we got some good pictures of it. Thanks again for everything. We all had a WONDERFUL vacation at the Beach Cliff and hope to have the opportunity to go back next year. Sincerely, Michelle Willett (Beach Cliff Guests, June 2007)

Laurel, Our family had one of the best vacations ever! My seven year old son enjoyed every minute of every day. We loved your beautiful home and the ocean view could not have been any better then we daydreamed about. WE all were so very happy during the week and experienced so many awesome things. My son learned how to snorkel in the bay off the boat and seen so many different types of marine life. This is all he talked about with his grandparents when we got home. My husband and I enjoyed the sunsets each night from the deck(s).

Everyone on the cape was very nice and I want to mention the individuals working at the "trading post" right out from the beach house made us feel s o welcomed and introduced us to some of the activities that were available around the cape. They were extremely helpful to us! We again thank you for renting your home out to us. I believe that the Lord directed our paths to cross and to give this family a much needed vacation as the one we received spending it at your home. We do look forward to making this area a vacation spot for our family and will hope to return to your home soon! Thank you again! Tim, Yvonne and Zachary Collier OLIVE as well enjoyed her time there!! Loved chasing the crabs at dusk back into the ocean surf each night! (Beach Cliff Guests, June 2007)

Thanks, Laurel, for allowing us to use your rental. Beach Time was homey with lots of great amenities—games, DVDs, books and a blender! Our schnauzer, Gracie, thoroughly enjoyed herself as well. She made lots of friends—both human and canine—and loved sniffing around Barrier Dunes (and on the beach). This is our third trip to the Cape, and we love how the area continues to be high-rise free. The beaches were beautiful as always, and the rental unit was very accessible to the beach. Having the cart to take all our stuff down was convenient. We used the pools quite a bit too, which were very clean and nice. We shopped at Piggly Wiggly our first day in and got most of our supplies. We did takeout from Loggerhead Grille one night. The fried shrimp was excellent. Coneheads made us fried shrimp sandwiches, which were also pretty good. The weather was a mixture of sunny skies and overcast, but it never actually rained, which was great. The no-see-ums were out with a vengence, and I read in a user forum somewhere that there's only one real remedy that works: Purple Parrot Tanning Oil (SPF 8) in Pineapple/Mango for some reason keeps the bugs at bay. The third day our bodies were dripping with oil, and the no-see-ums would land on us, but wouldn't bite any spot that had the oil. The mosquitoes, however, could be controlled with your run-of-the-mill spray. Thanks again for an absolutely fantastic, relaxing vacation. We'll be back soon! Claire, Stephen and Gracie Vath Birmingham, Ala. (Beach Time Guests, June 2007)

Hello! We just wanted to thank you so very much for allowing us to stay at your beautiful home in Cape San Blas! We absolutely loved it! The Cape is beautiful and so very quiet! Our dogs loved the beach and it was so fun to watch them play! Also, thank you for allowing us to check in a bit early. It was so nice to drop off our things and head to the beach. The weather was gorgeous, high 80s every day! My first time to the Gulf coast was fantastic! I can't wait to go back! Hope you had a nice weekend as well! Julie (Beach Time Guests, May 2007)

Laurel {...and Rich...} We appreciated that "Beach Cliff" at Cape San Blas was not only 'dog-friendly', but welcomed our LARGE Rhodesian Ridgeback, Embra. Great accommodations all around!!! Excellent and SUPER-PROMPT communications (emails,cellular,postal, etc.) before, during, and after our stay, from you, our hostess (and host). Our favorite place to eat, Sunset Coastal Grill in Port St. Joe (three times!!). The Loggerhead Grill at Cape San Blas was superb too. Got great seafood at great price (fresh shrimp, fresh oysters, crab legs) at the Piggly Wiggly, Port St. Joe, which we brought back to Beach Cliff to prepare. Absolutely DISSATISFIED with lousy food at Toucan's Restaurant at Mexico Beach (plffff!). Not impressed either with food at Steamer's Raw Bar in Apalachicola, wish we had eaten at Fast Eddie's Magnolia Grill instead. Tried Dockside Cafe at marina in Port St. Joe, but strongly recommend Sunset Coastal Grill instead. The week's weather began cool,windy,and BIG surf, then warmed-up considerably by Thursday. It was at week's end we realized just how much our dog had enjoyed the 'cooler' weather during our daily LONG morning walks on the beach. In front of Beach Cliff we saw mature Bald Eagle twice, Osprey once, dolphins four days. Dana packed the trunk with her collection of seashells from the beaches at Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Salinas Park, St. Joe Beach. Great area of Florida (the forgotten coast) for a much needed R&R. TO FAMILIES CONSIDERING ONE OF LAUREL AND RICH'S PROPERTIES AT CAPE SAN BLAS, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM AS YOUR HOSTESS AND HOST!!!! Regards, Embra, Lee & Dana. Lewis Smith Lake , Alabama. Beach Cliff Guests, May 14, 2007

How are you? I am really sorry that I haven't gotten back to you sooner! We have just been really busy! I tried calling you back while we were at Sea Ya, but all four of our cells phones had no service and I didn't have a calling card to call out. I thought we would be fine with four cell phones. We had a wonderful time! We absolutely loved Sea Ya and will definately come back! The views from each bedroom were amazing and we thought the townhome was comfortable, cozy and decorated nicely. I have attached several pictures from our trip. My girls (Breanna 10 and Reagan 6) had a great time! They met several friends, enjoyed the swimming pool, beach, and even rode horses on the beach! Thanks again for all your help! We were really appreciated the binder with all the helpful info as well!!!! Thanks again! Mary Marshall (first guests in our newest addition, Sea Ya! for March 31, 2007)

We thoroughly enjoyed our week at the cape. We will probably be repeat customers. It was so "laid-back" compared to Destin. I used to take my varsity softball team to Destin during spring break. That was my first Florida experience. We are kind hooked now. I wanted to clean the grill better, but needed a grill brush. Hopefully, that is something that can be supplied, or maybe I just did not find it. I did look for one tho. Thanks for everything........and I would not doubt it if we bugged you for a spot next year at the same time. Sincerely......Dan (Guests in Beach Time for March 31, 2007)

Hi Laurel, I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time this past week. Sorry I missed your call. We arrived later than planned on Saturday. I left a comment sheet on the kitchen counter when we checked out yesterday. Everthing was just as you described. We all loved the townhouse and the location. As soon as we get time, we will send a picture of Trooper for your "pet page". He enjoyed the vacation as much as we did! Thanks again for everything! Your cleaning people should find everything in order, I cleaned, washed, and put everything back in its place before we left. Have a Happy Easter! Connie (Guests in Beachy Keen, March 31, 2007)

We had a BLAST at Beach Cliff!!! The weather couldn't have been ordered up to be any better. It was the most relaxing time we have had on vacation since 2001 when my aunt let us use her house on Siesta Key for the week of 4th of July. It was so important for Lauren to get the dogs back in the ocean again...they are getting up there in age. Clint especially loved diving into the waves. Lauren alone took along about 5-6 MB of media cards and was successful in filling up most of the memory with picture after picture after picture. When we have weeded out the best, and if you want, we will send you a disk so you can use them on your website. The house exceeded our expectations and EVERYTHING needed, less disposable food items, was there at our beck and call. It really felt like it was our home for that week. We took the Bayou/"Deliverance" route and it worked out perfectly. I suggest people from our neck of the woods take this way only. We WILL be contacting you again in the future. And, if you don't mind' I'll pass on your info to anyone else who is curious. With all the pictures we took, someone in the practice is bound to be interested...we use them as wallpaper on our computers in all the treatment rooms. Also, Lauren has a digital picture frame that she keeps running at the reception desk. EVERYONE wants to know where we were! Thanks again!!! (Beach Cliff Guests, Dr. & Mrs. David Niles, Illinois, March 24, 2007)

Just what the doctor ordered. While we expected peace and quiet, we were pleasantly surprised by the accommodations. Home away from home would be the best way to describe it. All the comforts of home (plus some) and a beach as a back yard! Just wish I had more time at my “home away from home”. Thanks for such a great place. We hope to visit often. The Hensleys from Kentucky, Beach Time Guests February 2007.

Loved the area, the condo, the people, the beach -- pretty much everything and won't hesitate to recommend to others -- Thanks.  The Jones Family from Jasper, Georgia, Beachy Keen Guests February 2007.

Hi Laurel, We are expecting ANOTHER snow storm....I want to go back to your house!...although it looks like some pretty rough weather has come through that area today as well. You can use any of my statements for your guest book that you would like...but I am serious, I dont care to take a phone call if you need a reference...you can just give them that on a one on one basis instead of internet posted though. Also if you would like to add...

It was wonderful being able to enjoy the beach and some very needed time away...but I think the most enjoyable thing was being able to bring our two little buddies...Sammy, the older dog is a diabetic and has been for the last 7 years..so needless to say its hard to find a vet or a friend that wants to be responsible for keeping him..so being able to spend that time with him and seeing how much he enjoyed taking long walks on the beach and being with us was so much fun...and now, he is acting like a puppy again!...

the first night we got to the house we knew after driving 500 miles from Nashville that we were to tired to fool with going out to dinner so we stopped at the Port St. Joe Shrimp co...on the way to the house....bought 2 pounds of peel and eat shrimp... a bottle of wine from the store down the street and cooked that for dinner...we ate almost all of it!...it was so good and fresh...the boys even got a few...I told you they are spoiled!....

Mike was able to golf twice at the Port St. Joe Country Club...great prices after 1:00...only $31.00 dollars with a cart...nice course.. where else can you golf with about 10 eagles flying over head!....and when it comes to golf courses we are used to the best Golfing in the country..our house is only 1 mile away from Cog Hill where the western open is played...

we went down to Apalachacola one day...neat little town...found a few great antique stores...and of course, left with a few things....tried Oysters for the first time in my life....wont say I will jump to try them again...but I'm glad I did and they sure were fresh...kept seeing pick up trucks with burlap bags full of oysters come in to town...We ate dinner at Loggerhead Grill, Peppers and Sunset Coastal Grill...all wonderful restaurants...met the owner at Sunset and talked with her quite a while...nice, nice lady...she told us about the road going to the light house...I thought that was all government property...but she said no, it was a public road and we could go down there...found some great shells over there....went to the State park and walked the beach...saw lots of wild life including white tail Deer....then what we did most of the days was just get up, make a pot of coffee...take the dogs for a long walk...picked up LOTS of shells....then would make a simple dinner at night and watch the sunset...I think it was one of the most relaxing vacations I have ever had...If you want to find things to do in the area, you can...but at the same time if you want to just chill and be left alone you certainly can do that as well...I think I have become a BIG BIG fan of Florida's forgotten coast.. we are looking forward to going back soon. Thanks again, Mike and Denise Hanes, Homer Glen, Illinois Beach Cliff Guests, January 20, 2007

Sorry I didn't get back to you following our visit - I have had some back trouble and the drive down and back to Florida was a bit of a painful nightmare for me. I loved the place though - it was just what we were looking for. I enjoyed walking along the beach and through the State park. My wife commented that the condo was the best accommodations we have ever had on vacation - so beautifully kept and comfortable. We all really enjoyed our stay. Thanks for the followup - your attention and service was excellent and you made everything run smoothly - very professional. Thanks again. Steve Arscott Beach Time January 2007 Guests from Canada

Dear Laurel, My husband & I stayed with Charlotte & Larry Johnson at Beach Cliff on the Cape last week. We had a great time, the weather was wonderful and the house was in the most perfect spot on the beach for sunset watching (one of my very favorite past times!). I think Larry and Charlotte were sorry that they hadn't brought their dog since the house is dog friendly. I'm sure that's a plus for lots of people. We all enjoyed watching several dogs frolic on the beach from the deck. Good dolphin watching, too! We kept changing the count of the lights of shrimp boats. Larry seemed to have the best eyes for that. We all liked the casual atmosphere of the whole place & the fact it is still relatively undiscovered (no high rises). I hope Cape San Blas keeps up the good work! Marghuerita Roberts, Elberta, Al

Laurel - Finally have a few minutes between loads of laundry and unpacking to tell you about our trip. We loved the condo and had a wonderful time, in spite of the initially cold weather. Everyone we met was extremely friendly. Mark and our son got to fish a few days, the grandson caught the biggest keeper and is still excited about it. Bridgett got to run on the beach, took a swim or two and is still exhausted from the trip. We mentioned going "to the beach" yesterday morning and she was up off the couch and waiting at the door so I know she had a wonderful time. We plan to go back next October which is when Tim said the fishing is the best, crowds are down and weather is great. It will be a last minute due to my job, I can't plan anything too far in advance, only hope we can get a unit. Paula's condo is decorated so beautifully, we were really surprised how elaborate everything is in a rental. Everything was very clean too, I wrote a note to your cleaning lady. This is actually the first time we've rented anything for a week and are hooked on this new way of vacationing. Cruises have always been our favorite but with the dog, I prefer to take her with us, after all, she deserves a vacation too. The Hartnagel Family, guests in Water's Color Thanksgiving 2006

The weather was great, as was the house and everything else. We loved it and had a great time. Can't wait to come back. Our dogs, Honey & Eli, had a great time too. They smiled the whole time we were here (so did we). Love in Christ, Sharon & Charlie, Tulsa, Oklahoma September 23-30, 2006 [OWNER'S NOTE: The following is an email from Sharon after they returned home. Be sure to check out their photos in the pets at play and guest photos gallery!] Thanks for your kind words, we always try to be the kind of guests that we would want in our own home. I wish we were there now, we have roofers here this week so the dogs are having to stay in & it's a beautiful day out! We ALL had a wonderful time & enjoyed the house so much that we never even went out to eat! I went to the grocery store a few times but I think Charlie only went once! We will send u some pics, especially of the dogs on the beach, they enjoyed it so much that they were smiling the whole time! We got some really good ones of Eli, the Aussie, playing ball with "dad" on the beach & in the water. He can really jump & we got a few of him actually in the air. Honey, our 11 yr old dog, really took to the water, must have been the Lab coming out in her. Charlie said the trip added 2 yrs to her life. I'm sure it did to mine! ha The only problem is that a week isn't long enough. We have a friend who stays in PC Beach every Oct. but I don't like to leave the dogs that long w/Charlie so now that I know a place to have at least 1 of them w/me I might stay at least 2 weeks next year. (maybe a month?!) ha Anyway, once again we thoroughly enjoyed the use of the house & I wish we had been able to meet u,maybe next time. Sincerely, Sharon

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