Vacation Rentals by Owner

the title of the property says it all. i could have stared at that view all day.

Guest: Shari (Vancouver, B.C., Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/04/12 Review Submitted: 05/08/12

nice central location. the condo was very clean and tidy. no dust, clean smelling sheets, furniture was up to date and also clean. kitchen was imaculate, cupboards were stocked like i've never seen in a VRBO before. lots and lots of dishes, pots and pans, utensils, everything that you would have in your own home. beds were comfortable. parking was good. the beach is right across the street, liquor store and restaurants a 2 minute walk away. grocery store is a 10 minute walk. they even had a fully stocked wine cupboard. there is nothing more to want in a VRBO rental. highly recommended. thank you Jack and Irene, we had a great Mom's weekend away!!

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

Excellent winter retreat!

Guest: Loving a Vacation! (Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/18/11 Review Submitted: 11/27/11

Thank you very much to Jack and Irene for providing a beautiful weekend rental. Everything was top notch, the kitchen was so well equipped the only thing missing was a rollingpin! Exceptional location with a lovely view of the water. Little tricky figuring out how to work the DVD/TV (no instructions) but we persevered and figured it out! The property was very well maintained and very clean!

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

Graduation gathering

Guest: Bonnie (Albany Oregon)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/13/11

We gathered at the condo with family to celebrate my daughter graduating from a Dental Asst program at Bellingham Charter College. We found the accomodations to be clean and pleasaant. The owners were responsive to our questions and needs. The Rec center was a fabulous addition to our acitivities with a Fall vacation. The sleeping loft was much appreciated for our younger family members. thanks so much, I'd consider another stay there, the next time we visit.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Relaxing Vacation

Guest: jenn (Vancouver)
Date of Stay: 08/10/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

My family and I (two young kids) had a wonderful five days at Jack and Irene's condo in Birch Bay. To start with Jack and Irene were very organized and answered all questions through e-mail while booking the condo. The pictures were very accurate and the condo was clean, organized and had everything you would need for a vacation by the beach. All you need is your groceries and a few clothes. My two kids loved having the loft upstairs to themselves and my little guy was thrilled to sleep in the little extra room with his own bed. The view from the front deck is amazing and we spent many hours there just relaxing. There is a nice warm indoor pool with hot tub which we used every day and then of course the beach is amazing and goes out for ever. I had many great memories from Birch Bay as a kid and my recent vacation there with my own kids was just as memorable. Thanks Jack and Irene, Jennifer

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

WONDERFUL VACATION

Guest: Lynda (Hemet, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

We had a great 10 days at Jack and Irene's condo in Birch Bay. Jack and Irene were very friendly and courteous and offered us restaurant suggestions in the area. The unit was everything and more than it suggested in the photos and write-up. The kitchen had everything that I needed which was great as we did a lot of entertaining since we have all our family in Vancouver. Everyone came to visit and they all were impressed with the condo. We even had our grandchildren visit for several days and they were delighted to use the loft and "secret" room upstairs. On the not-so-nice days we used the indoor pool which was great! We went beachcombing and came back with several sand dollars. The sunsets were also magnificent from the balcony or even the inside of the house. Since we have family in Vancouver we plan to spend some time every year near them and would not hesitate to rent Jack & Irene's unit again. Thanks Jack and Irene, Lynda & Gerry

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

Great Place, Lots of Area Things to Do!

Guest: Linda (Bellevue, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/02/11

This was a great place for our family of five (three children). The unit is well maintained and ideally located. As someone else mentioned, it was a delight to find a fully stocked kitchen at our disposal. We took full advantage of the proximity to Vancouver BC (just a short drive to the border!). But we also were able to time our stay with a low tide. The bay was right in front of us--my children had a great time exploring the marine life. We hope to be back this summer when it's warmer!

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

Great Area to Explore

Guest: Beth (Enumclaw, WA, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/06/11 Review Submitted: 01/28/11

We loved the super stocked kitchen. The owners were very generous with providing fire logs. This is a great condo to stay at. Love their use of space to create more sleeping areas. This is a fun area to explore. Check out the State Park nearby and Whatcom Falls Park and Fairhaven in Bellingham. Blaine and Linden are neat to explore, too. We went in winter and would like to come back during summer for even more fun

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

Highly Recommended!

Guest: Lobsterclaw27 (Las Vegas, NV)
Date of Stay: 08/12/10 Review Submitted: 08/24/10

The condo was exceptionally clean and very well stocked! The views and landscape are beautiful and very close to restaurants, shops and the beach. I would definatley recommend this property as well as make it a return destination in the future. The owner was very friendly, helpful and detailed with the instructions and expectations. If Birch Bay is your destination then this is the condo for you!

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

Great Place for Family Vacation

Guest: Laura G. (Flower Mound, TX)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/13/10

This condo was an excellent place for our family vacation this summer! The kitchen had all the amenities you could ever need. It was decorated very nicely and was super clean. I loved the deck off of the downstairs bedroom and my youngest son LOVED the hide-away bedroom upstairs. We would definitely there here again! Thanks, Laura

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

Redmond, Wa Family

Guest: Redmond Family (Redmond)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

We truly enjoyed our stay. There were 2 adults and 3 younger kids. The kitchen was well stocked with many appliances (eg. food processor, blender, toaster, big electric fry pan) that I've never seen in other rentals. There were lots of pots, pans, plates, cups, utensils, serving bowls. There were many food items in the cupboards and refrigerator that can be used in a pinch. We brought all of our own groceries, but it was certainly nice to be able to use some olive oil for cooking, which we forgot to bring. There were lots of linens, towels, and beach buckets. It was very helpful that to have laundry detergent provided, as we were trying to keep up with the condo towels, beach towels, and our kids clothes. There were more than enough towels that you don't need to do wash, but it felt like home, so we treated this condo as we would our own home and helped them keep up with the laundry. Thank you for a great stay.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Great pad

Guest: Birch (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 07/02/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/10

The place was great and the owners were a pleasure to work with.

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

Last-minute Memorial Day vacation

Guest: Last-minute vacationers (Kent, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/16/10

Although we have our own timeshare membership, it is a given that one is not going to get in for a holiday when looking the week before. Enter VRBO and our kids desire to return to Birch Bay. The description of this condo looked like just what we needed. The first thing to know is that the picture of the view doesn't really do it justice. The window from where that picture was taken is pretty much the entire west wall of the unit. It is the first thing you see when you walk into the unit and even at 7pm on a rainy night, it is still impressive. The second thing to know is the bedroom layout. If you have young children, they will love the little bedroom off the loft area. At first glance, it looks like closet, but my 8 year-old opened the door and found a bedroom that he immediately claimed as his own. That left his brother the loft bed and we got the downstairs bedroom. Made that decision easy. The kitchen has everything you need to make meals like you were at home but the refrigerator was a little crowded. The fireplace uses real wood and makes for a cozy evening; especially when it is raining out. This being the northwest, we didn't get to appreciate a sunset from the living room due to the weather, but it would have been gorgeous if we had the chance. The only reason we didn't give this experience 5 stars was because the jacuzzi was "closed until further notice" which was a major bummer for me because I had a back injury and would have enjoyed that quite a bit. And the boys were bummed that the cable was out all weekend. Didn't bother us adults but we don't have cable at home so the boys like to watch whenever we are away. They did enjoy the clubhouse with the pool and the recreation room (foosball and ping-pong plus games and toys for little ones), though, so they got over the cable. All in all, we had a good time. despite the rain. If the weather is good, make sure to make time to enjoy the sunset from the couch. This unit probably has the best view in the whole complex.

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

April Family Get-Away

Guest: Sammamish, WA family (Sammamish, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/04/10 Review Submitted: 04/27/10

"This condo was just what we hoped for our family's Spring Break!The view of the ocean was incredible: herons, boats, sunsets, storm watching, etc. We cooked ALL our meals in the fully stocked kitchen. Our kids took full advantage of the pool, tennis court, foos-ball, ping-pong, and air hockey at the rec. center on site. The highlight for my son, was sleeping in the cozy hideout, almost like a fort bedroom upstairs. We used the lower, sunny, private bedroom as the master bedroom. We nearly had the beach, rec. center and town to ourselves this time of year, especially with most of our stay being mid week. As the weekend approached, a few more families arrived and the ice-cream shop w/in walking distance, opened up. The grounds are beautifully groomed. The outsides of the condos are older, but the inside was updated, very clean, and just right for our vacation. The owners were very helpful in answering all our questions and making sure we were comfortable

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

April Family Get-Away

Guest: Sammamish, WA family (Sammamish, WA)
Date of Stay: 04/04/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

This condo was just what we we hoped for for our family's Spring Break! The view of the ocean was incredible; heron, boats, sunsets, storm-watching, etc. We cooked ALL our meals in the fully stocked kitchen. Our kids took full advantage of the pool, tennis court, foos-ball, ping-pong, & air hockey at the rec. center on site. The highlight, for my son, was sleeping in the cozy, hideout, allmost like a fort, bedroom upstairs. We used the lower, sunny, private bedroom as the master bedroom. We nearly had the beach, rec center, and town to ourselves this time of year, especially with most of our stay being mid-week. As the weekend approached, a few more families arrived & the ice-cream shop, w/in walking distance, opened up. The grounds are beautifully groomed. The outsides of the condos are older, but the inside was updated, very clean, & just right for our vacation. The owners were very helpful in answering all our questions & making sure we were comfortable.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Guest: Brice Harrison (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/24/09

What an awesome getaway for our family! We live in Seattle and this was our first trip up to Birch Bay - we brought our two little girls (6 and 4) and stayed for 4 nights....Irene and Jack's condo was the perfect spot. The unit is completely stocked, well appointed, and very comfortable. The BBQ grill on the back deck got used pretty much every night, as did the indoor pool and hot tub which our girls loved. We made chocolate chip cookies and walked down to the bay to watch the amazing sunsets several nights. Our friends camped at nearby Birch Bay state park and we lived in luxury at Irene and Jack's place.... We hope to be back again soon!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/26/08 Review Submitted: 08/26/08

Our family enjoyed our three night stay. The condo was very clean and had obviously been recently renovated considering the building is on the older side. Beautifully decorated with a wine country theme. Beautiful view of the bay. Highly recommended.

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