Vacation Rentals by Owner

Really a home away from home....

Guest: Bj M. (Beaumont, Texas)
Date of Stay: 04/05/12 Review Submitted: 04/09/12

We rented a different cabin last year at easter so I was expecting something nice but had packed several things not avaliable last year. Total waste of stressing out. This cabin has EVERYTHING and then some. Full sets of dishes, glassware, silverware, cooking tools and pots and pans. I was amazed at the thought and care the owners put in to make sure that everything was just so... Linens were comfortable. Veiw is awesome, we even seen dolphins off deck, There were 4 teenagere, a 9 month old and 3 adults. Never got in each others way. Washer and dryer a godsend. Bif fluffy towels. I could go on and on...Close to a major store which is a plus and a short trip into Galveston. Which we did Friday. If you want a relaxing, carefree house with all amenities this is it.

Recommended for:

New Years getaway

Guest: Kristine S.
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

My husband and I brought 4 kids to this beach house to celebrate new years eve on the beach. The weather was foggy the first day so we couldn't see the beach but day 2 was great. Not warm enough in Dec/Jan to swim but still relaxing! The house had nearly everything we needed to cook most of our meals in the house -- pancakes, jambalaya, pizza, and more! The bar was great for us to put all of our soda, candy, etc. for everyone to share. Kids loved the bunkbeds and it was nice to have 3 bathrooms for all of us to share. The only negatives were that the TV sounds was terrible and we had to turn the TV waaaay up to hear it. The TV remote did not work consistently either, but we were really only home at night to watch, as we spent more time away. We took a day trip into Galveston (first time some kids had been on a ferry!) and had a great meal at The Spot, overlooking the beach. Great people-watching and LOTS of beachfront to play and build sand castles. The house also had lots of chairs, sand toys, and various beach stuff for us to use (if only the water had been warmer). It would be great to come back in the summertime to try out the boogie board! The beach was a stone's throw from the house, but crossing the two-line highway with kids was the only deterrent. Would have loved to just watch them from the deck, but had to help them cross the street to get to the beach. Luckily, the road is not heavily trafficked and we didn't have much problem. I would definitely recommend staying here, as we had a great time and the house was nice and roomy!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

New years eve fun!

Guest: Kristine S.
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

My husband and I brought 4 kids to this beach house to celebrate new years eve on the beach. The weather was foggy the first day so we couldn't see the beach but day 2 was great. Not warm enough in Dec/Jan to swim but still relaxing! The house had nearly everything we needed to cook most of our meals in the house -- pancakes, jambalaya, pizza, and more! The bar was great for us to put all of our soda, candy, etc. for everyone to share. Kids loved the bunkbeds and it was nice to have 3 bathrooms for all of us to share. The only negatives were that the TV sounds was terrible and we had to turn the TV waaaay up to hear it. The TV remote did not work consistently either, but we were really only home at night to watch, as we spent more time away. We took a day trip into Galveston (first time some kids had been on a ferry!) and had a great meal at The Spot, overlooking the beach. Great people-watching and LOTS of beachfront to play and build sand castles. The house also had lots of chairs, sand toys, and various beach stuff for us to use (if only the water had been warmer). It would be great to come back in the summertime to try out the boogie board! The beach was a stone's throw from the house, but crossing the two-line highway with kids was the only deterrent. Would have loved to just watch them from the deck, but had to help them cross the street to get to the beach. Luckily, the road is not heavily trafficked and we didn't have much problem. I would definitely recommend staying here, as we had a great time and the house was nice and roomy!

Owner response:Thanks for staying at our home! And thanks for letting us know about the TV; we didn't know it wasn't working. Sorry for the inconvenience. It sounds like one of two things: either the remote is messed up or an electrical surge blew out the speakers. Either way, we'll have it fixed asap! The problem was with the remote (batteries)but we decided to put a brand new 46 inch TV in as well! We moved the smaller TV to the "bunk room" with a new DVD player. Summer is great on the beach but we also enjoy the cooler months for long walks on the beach, beautiful sunrises and sunsets and simply relaxing on the decks! So join us again, any time of year!

Recommended for:

Dolphin watching!

Guest: Kevin and Robin
Date of Stay: 10/14/11 Review Submitted: 10/26/11

Sharon, The Sea Quest was everything we could have hoped for and more!! We relaxed, relaxed, and relaxed some more!! We appreciate your opening your beautiful vacation home to us, we watched the dolphins each morning and the views are out of this world!! Thank you so much, Kevin & Robin

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Just wanted to let you know...

Guest: Vanessa
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

that we had a great time during our stay at your beach house in Gilchrist. The SeaQuest was nice and roomy. It had all the amenities that we needed and kept us nice and cool during the triple digit temperatures. We enjoyed swimming on our "Boogie Boards" at the beach in front of the beachhouse and had great fun. Went crabbing down around Roll Over Pass and purchased some fresh shrimp from one of the locals. Spent a day at Schlitterbahn and had dinner in Galveston several times. Our daughter enjoyed taking the Bolivar Ferry and even saw dolphins on several occasions. However, it was nice to get back to SeaQuest to enjoy the peace and quiet and beautiful views of the InterCoastal Canal. Thanks again for your hospitalty!

Recommended for:

Recent SeaQuest Visit

Guest: Kitty (Texas)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/14/11

Our family just returned for a week at SeaQuest located in the Gilchrist area of the Bolivar Peninsula. We LOVED every minute. The location was very much away from the "center of things", but wonderful for the peaceful retreat our family wanted. The house is fully stocked with everything needed for vacation living. Although SeaQuest has a tv and cable, we never turned it on. Instead we found ways to slow down and reconnect(we took our children and young granddaughters) by working puzzles, reading books, and sitting for hours on the immense 2nd floor shaded deck and rocking! The decor is light and bright and the beds comfortable. The house has two decks on the top floor and the second floor is NOTHING but a shaded deck which gets fabulous breezes. The beach was across the street, but we never minded walking. Most of the time we had the beach to ourselves. The guys enjoyed fishing while the grandgirls enjoyed sand castle building. A canopy is a must, so don't forget to bring a strong one as it was very windy during our whole week. Bolivar does not have the crystal white beaches of the Emerald Coast of Florida, but does deliver on shelling, fishing, and fun, AND happens to be in our beloved Lone Star State! If your family desires to be in the "heart of the action", then SeaQuest will seem a little quiet for you. For our family, it was perfect! Thanks to both Sharons!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway.

Best Vacation Ever!

Guest: Tammie (Bonnerdale, AR)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

The house was wonderful and better than it appeared online. The kitchen was wonderfully stocked and we ate almost every meal at the house. Loved the internet access and the three full bathrooms, also the the deck was helpful for cleaning off before coming in and it was high enough to keep the mosiquitos away. It was truly the most relaxing vacation that I have ever had. We rode the Ferry and loved watching the dolphins--although you have to be careful and not wait too late to return home from Galveston. The Ferry slows way down after 8:00. We really want to come back again next year!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

BEAUTIFUL HOUSE

Guest: Terry & Karen (Palestine, TX)
Date of Stay: 06/09/11 Review Submitted: 06/15/11

This house is amazing!! The oceanfront view is beautiful!! The pictures online do not do it justice. It is a real NICE house and anything you would need is inside it. We will definatly be going back. Thanks alot for the opportunity to visit your house!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Almost as good as it gets

Guest: Kristen G.
Date of Stay: 04/29/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

My family and I (10) came at the end of April. The house was lovely, spacious, and well set up. My mother is a birder, so she was quite content with the areas bird watching amenities. The kids and husbands loved the second deck to hang out, in the evenings. I loved the view. With a little one napping at mid-day I was able to sit out on the top deck and read a book while watching the others play in the water. It was great. The only draw backs were the wind, the seaweed, and the jellyfish. Don't discount this wonderful home due to our bad luck with the weather. Unfortunately our stay was to short, but we hope to come back again. One warning, I would not recommend this home to someone who was easily effected by motion sickness. Even on "breezy" days the house sways. Oh, it's sturdy, I have no doubt.

Owner response:Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the weather! Every once in a while the jelly fish show up-they only last a day or so but it's too bad it happened while you were there. Unfortunately we're not in charge of that aspect! ;-) Yes, the house was designed to sway in the wind-not much but you will notice it now and then-to help it be hurricane resistant. It must work because we survived Hurricane Ike! Come back again when you can stay longer!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

"Are we there yet ?"

Guest: Andrea (Leonard TX)
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/18/11

My family, myself, husband and three little boys, stayed in this house for a week ! It was amazing ! It was a beautiful view, the house itself was amazing. The kitchen was very well stocked. We made spaghetti, cooked on the grill, made enchiladas, a chocolate cake...I mean, we had EVERYTHING we needed. Everyday we went to the beach. We parked our van right in front of the house on the beach. The house even has a shovel, lawn chairs, beach toys. The deck is a beautiful and unique experience. One day a storm started brewing and we sat on the covered deck, which is huge, and has wonderful wooden, heavy duty furniture, and we watched the lightning and listened to the thunder. It poured for a good while. It was really cool. Being in a house on stilts is a completely different perspective. My boys talk about it all the time. The beds were SUPER comfortable. There are plenty of pillows and blankets. Very cozy. The bar area was nice. We brought two laptops with us and it was the perfect place 'computing' in the evenings. We brought a Yahtzee and played it every night. You do remember Yahtzee, right ? LOL The little deck on the back of the house overlooks wildlife refuge and you can watch barges and literally see for miles. At nightime the barges are all lit up and look very mysterious and unlike anything you typically look out and see. The front porch was awesome as well. Even though it is on a road, there isn't much traffic. Plus people drive by and look up and wave. I kind of felt like royalty waving back. Kinda like, "Yeah, don't you wish YOU were staying at Sea Quest like WE are ?" LOL We took the ferry to Galveston. While Galveston is nice, we were SO thankful that we were staying at the Sea Quest in Gilchrist. It was so peaceful and quiet. One night was REALLY foggy and we stood out on the deck and it was so serene and beautiful. You can hear the waves and the sea breeze is ever present. We saw seagulls, pelicans and dolphins. The seashells were amazing. BIG, unbroken seashells. We did not buy any shells. We found plenty on 'our' beach. We really did have our own beach. Sure, people would walk or drive by occasionally, but no one was nearby, or even within sight all the days we were there. The Big Store has everything ! Seriously. And Danay's Donuts....magnifique ! We met some of the locals and were very interested and intrigued with the stories of the hurricane and rebuilding their homes and their lives. The owner Sharon is the best !!

Owner response:Hey, that sounds just like what we do when we're there! Shelling, swimming, building sand castles and just generally hanging out... We try to make sure we have everything you'll need during your stay so if there's anything else you need please let us know! Come again soon!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Steve and Gena Hanner

Guest: Steve & Gena (Pollok, TX)
Date of Stay: 11/24/10 Review Submitted: 11/28/10

Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend at Sea Quest. Wonderfully furnished, nice large bedrooms, clean & comfortable and a GREAT view of the ocean! We are 100% satified with our rental! Look forward to coming back in the summer!

Owner response:Thanks Gena! We look forward to having you back again!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Serenity

Guest: Ray (Fort Worth, Tx)
Date of Stay: 10/26/10 Review Submitted: 11/18/10

Me and my daughter wanted a place to get away from the world for a few days and couldn't have found a better place ! I know reviews are sometimes filled with this was great or that was great, but, it really really was. The house is amazing, the beach was peaceful and the little town of Crystal Beach couldn't be a more cozily place to be. I cant say enough good things, you have to go see for yourself. We will be making it our yearly "daughter, dad" getaway....Thanks Sharon for everything !!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

AWESOME PROPERTY

Guest: imran (houston, texas)
Date of Stay: 10/23/10 Review Submitted: 10/25/10

this property is great, very well maintained and at a great location. we all had a great time this weekened. beautiful deck on the second floor and overall it is a beautiful house right across from the beach. we are already planning to go there again very very soon. thank you imran and talat

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Wonderful experience

Guest: cabinneta (Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 10/11/10 Review Submitted: 10/21/10

We recently stayed a week at Sea Quest. It was very neat and clean and we had a wonderful experience in all. We have 3 granddaughters who loved the Bunk beds and our daughter loved her room overlooking the ocean. We all had a very relaxing time. My husband loved fishing 'the rollover'. We had to drive ten hours each way and this place was a lovely reward. We thought the ferry was a super experience. We saw so many dauphins every time we went on it to Galveston. We would recommend this place anytime. They do grow the bugs bigger in Texas though.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

SeaQuest

Guest: Hahn (Alvord)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/04/10

The Sea Quest was everything it was stated it was plus much, much more! This was definitely a spectacular place, organized, awesome views of the bay and ocean. House is very well kept plus, the owners are awesome people to work with. We are truly blessed to have had this opportunity of visiting the Sea Quest and look forward to another visit in the future. Highly recommend this location!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

Wonderful Vacation Home

Guest: LORETTA W. (Dallas Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/02/10

The property was very clean, everything was there that we needed. The beach was great, no oil or tar seen anywhere! There are houses next door on both sides, but that is not a big deal at all. Our families had a great time and the grandkids had loads of fun. I would recommend this home to anyone wanting a laid back beach vacation ! Rent a golfcart while you are there, makes going back and forth to the beach alot of fun and quick and the kids love it too. Be ready to walk several flights of stairs to get to the house on the 3rd level. If you are not in shape when you get there, you might be when you leave ! Thanks for sharing.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Family friendly home

Guest: Marla (Kansasville, WI )
Date of Stay: 04/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/15/10

We loved our stay. It was quiet and relaxing. Many times we were the only ones on the beach. The kids loved to play on the beach and build sand castles. The home was neat and clean and provided everything we needed. The views off the deck are spectacular! We liked that the house was in a quiet area but still close to attractions. It's a short drive and a awesome ferry ride to Galveston where we toured museums and had lunch. There are many attractions in Galveston including waterparks and mini golf. Galveston is a "must do" day if you stay at SeaQuest. The owner was very accommodating and helpful. We will definitely go back in the future.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.