Vacation Rentals by Owner

Amazing!

Guest: Jessica K. (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 05/11/12 Review Submitted: 05/21/12

We just got home from a one week stay at Windswept- our best vacation ever!! We had 8 adults with us and three kiddos, ages ranging from 1-70's. The house and island had it all!! It was so easy so if the idea of traveling to an island and coordinating a ferry, etc. with kids seems daunting just go for it. Mark and Wendy made everything so easy and it is well worth the effort! The house could not be better equipped with an indoor play area for kiddos, dvds, children books, family games, xbox, putting green, outdoor mini kids slide, jogging strollers, high chairs, pack and plays. The island is so cute and has several restaurants, two additional pools, kayaks and bikes that are included with your rental. The beaches are pristine with amazing sea shells. To top it all off- Wendy and Mark helped me make this a surprise for my mother and it went off without a hitch. Wonderful, wonderful! I can't say enough great things!!

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AmazinG!

Guest: Jessica K. (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 05/11/12 Review Submitted: 05/21/12

We just got home from a one week stay at Windswept- our best vacation ever!! We had 8 adults with us and three kiddos, ages ranging from 1-70's. The house and island had it all!! It was so easy so if the idea of traveling to an island and coordinating a ferry, etc. with kids seems daunting just go for it. Mark and Wendy made everything so easy and it is well worth the effort! The house could not be better equipped with an indoor play area for kiddos, dvds, children books, family games, xbox, putting green, outdoor mini kids slide, jogging strollers, high chairs, pack and plays. The island is so cute and has several restaurants, two additional pools, kayaks and bikes that are included with your rental. The beaches are pristine with amazing sea shells. To top it all off- Wendy and Mark helped me make this a surprise for my mother and it went off without a hitch. Wonderful, wonderful! I can't say enough great things!!

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

AMAZING!

Guest: Amy (NH)
Date of Stay: 04/21/12 Review Submitted: 04/30/12

This home was spectacular! We were never needing a thing- every pot, pan, kitchen utensil and beach toy was there. It was a superb experience and the special touches were over the top! By far the best home- and vacation- we have had!!

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

Maybe best ever vacation

Guest: jim v.
Date of Stay: 01/22/12 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

My wife and I have traveled extensively over the past twenty five years: Key West, Amelia Island, St. Augustine, Hilton Head, La Jolla, Carribean, DR, etc. but I do believe this was one of the best vacations ever. First of all, Mark and Wendy are great hosts; extremely helpful, courteous, cordial, & professional. Windswept is a wonderful home and everything is as advertised; the pictures do not do it justice and it is better in person. The beach is extremely close, the pool is fantastic as were the views. House is on the edge of the preserve and basically you have no neighbors except for the nature and wildlife surrounding the home. If you have children then you will love the loft with extra beds and the X-Box. Kitchen couldn't be more appealing and useful, and the jacuzzi was just heavenly. What more can I say? 10 out of 10 stars. Jim and Cheryl

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Highly recommend a vacation at Windswept

Guest: Michelle L. (San antonio)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/25/12

I choose a lot of vacations based on reviews by others, so I wanted to take the time to review Windswept. It is AWESOME!! We had our best family vacation ever. The House: It is beautiful, and is just as shown in the photos in this listing. You can tell that the house is cared for by the owners because every single detail is taken care of. My children are 1 and 4. They loved the upstairs playroom that was stocked with toys, games and books. We loved that they were entertained, and that the house had several high chairs, pack and play cribs, a toddler bed, a safety gate, etc. It is very kid friendly! The kitchen is wonderful for cooking meals; they have anything and everything you’d need to prepare any meal. We loved going up on the deck too, you can see the ocean on both sides of the house. It’s especially great at sunrise. We swam in the heated pool almost every day and my kids loved playing mini golf and using the slides on the play area. The Island: Just like the house, the island is beautiful! The beach access is about a 1 minute golf cart drive down a path. Most of the time we went to the beach, we were the only family or one of the only families there. It was wonderful. My hubby fished off the beach, my kids played in the sand, and I took a million photos of all of the fun. We enjoyed all of the people we met and trying each of the restaurants on the island. We saw tons of wildlife (tortoise, birds, dolphins, and manatee). The island is a very special place. The Owners: Mark and Wendy are extremely easy to work with. They go above and beyond to make sure their guests have a special vacation in a home that they built themselves. One day our TV was having a problem, and Mark was there to fix it (something we had messed up) within 5 minutes. When they say call with anything, they mean it. I’ve always rented from people who don’t live near the house I’m renting, so it was very nice to have them nearby. Also, Wendy helped me a ton before we left. She suggested Sandie’s Grocery Delivery to have the groceries delivered – I highly recommend this! Wendy also told me what we needed to pack, which was pretty much just clothes, they have everything else. All in all, I give this vacation an A+ and highly recommend Windswept.

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

Wonderful vacation!!

Guest: Tammy (Pardeeville, WI)
Date of Stay: 01/07/12 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

This was the most wonderful vacation. The house was beautiful, much nicer then the pictures! There is a Grand piano in the dining room, which was alot of fun. My 11 year old would play songs and the rest of us would song along. It felt like our house for the week. Mark and Wendy are such gracious hosts. When we arrived Wendy had homemade chocolate chip cookies for us, which was nice because we were all hungry from traveling all day. The first night we arrived we went to the top of the deck and got to see dolphins jumping. We toured the whole Island and this is by far the best house and is in the best location. It's pressed right against the wildlife reserve. We will rent this house on our next vacation.

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

Bad VBRO

Guest: mary (boulder colorado)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 01/12/12

Please note that reviews are posted by the owner. The owners posted a false review for our stay. When we arrived the owner met us at the dock. He was RUDE and very accusatory. He wanted to make sure we did not have more than 12 people at the house. I explained that we had rented 3 houses on the island. He also told us that he did not think it was a good idea for us to have our handicap mother staying with us. Every day we were harrassed by them. I am a mature (50 years old) adult with grown children. We had two other families stay on the island at the same time and they felt the same. The pool was not heated, they said because it was too loud for previous renters?? We were told there would be 3 golf carts and were provided two, and the house was very far from the beach. I have rented over 10 homes on VRBO and this was our only bad experience. I have notified VRBO that the owner is posting false reviews!! We received our security deposit back today.

Owner response:This is the only negative review and only bad guest we have had in over 100 rentals of this property. We have a beautiful home and make every effort possible to maintain it in top working condition while providing exceptional, friendly, and personalized service to our guests. She is upset because we tried to enforce our 12 person maximum at any time policy, which was clearly communicated to her prior to her rental booking. She was very dishonest with how she represented her group to us. We feel that 20+ people using our home is just too much. This guest has posted many false statements: 1) Please note that all guest comments posted by us are 100% real. They are directly from the guestbook and comment cards. We have copies to prove it. 2) The pool at the property is always heated and set to 83deg. One evening was uncharacteristically cold, taking longer to heat up the pool the next morning. We responded immediately and the pool was right at 85 each day after that. 3) Our property has 27 steps up to the first floor. Our property is available for rent to all people. We had simply tried to be helpful when suggesting that her mother would have easier access in and out of one of the other specific homes they had rented because it was on the ground level and had no steps to traverse. 4) We provided them with 3 golf carts.... 2 blue carts and 1 pink cart which we and our island neighbors witnessed their entire family driving all week. 5) Beach access is directly at the end of our street (approx. 1000 feet) and takes just 1 minute in the golf cart. To protect and keep the property luxurious and beautiful for all of our guests, we absolutely do not allow more than 12 guests to rent or use our property. This person agreed in writing to our occupancy limit which we made very clear in every communication. She assured us with, "We will be well under 12 people. Some coming and going for a few days." Nevertheless, she had 20+ people congregating on the property for their New Year's week bash. We were not very happy that they lied to us about their usage plans and they told us we should "just get used to it." After 4 full days of work and more dollars spent than their security deposit ever could have covered, we were able to replace all bed linens, scrape up food debris left everywhere, patch marred walls and furniture, plus repair 2 broken golf carts – luckily just in time for our next guests who had a great stay.

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Perfect Vacation

Guest: Rassel Family from California & Michigan USA
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/01/12

Thank you again for helping to make the perfect vacation. We wish you laughter and prosperity in 2012.

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Best Vacation, SO Relaxing!

Guest: The Brandino Family - Atlanta, GA
Date of Stay: 11/25/11 Review Submitted: 12/06/11

Thank you again for making our vacation so relaxing. It was one of the best vacations our family has ever had. It was also really nice to have a chance to chat with you and Mark on Thanksgiving.

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One of the Best Vacations Our Family Has Ever Had

Guest: The Brandino Family - Atlanta, GA
Date of Stay: 11/25/11 Review Submitted: 12/06/11

"Thank you again for making our vacation so relaxing. It was one of the best vacations our family has ever had. It was also really nice to have a chance to chat with you and Mark on Thanksgiving."

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Fantastic Thanksgiving Vacation 2011

Guest: Love2Travel (Alpharetta, GA)
Date of Stay: 11/19/11 Review Submitted: 01/27/12

We had the best Thanksgiving ever on North Captiva Island. Windswept was everything we could have hoped for. Wendy was waiting for us at the dock when we arrived . She had her handyman help us unload our suitcases at the house and brought us cookies. The house was well equipped and had all high end appliances in the kitchen. Everything was well maintained and the furniture and the bedding was super comfortable. The weather was perfect that week, low 80's and hardly any rain. When we had a question about something in the house , Wendy answered her phone right away. She brought us more propane when we ran out in the outdoor grill. We quickly realized that having them on the island meant they would attend to all our needs. Mark and Wendy stopped by on Thanksgiving with homemade chocolates and we relaxed and chatted by the pool together for about an hour. We really enjoyed their company and talking about the island and its history. We are a family of five with 3 twenty something adult children. They loved the house, the HUGE TV in the living room (my son enjoyed this the best), the comfy bedding, couch, outdoor furniture and the privacy of the home. We played tennis at the club and took turns swimming at the club pool and our own private heated pool and going to the beach. We all enjoyed riding the golf carts all over the island . We accidentally left an empty suitcase under a bed at the house when we left, and Wendy was kind enough to mail it back to us at no charge !!! You will not be disappointed at Windswept !!

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

Wonderful family vacation!!!

Guest: The Waterhouse Family - Ohio
Date of Stay: 11/12/11 Review Submitted: 11/18/11

Our family, for "Papa's" 60th birthday, stayed at the Windswept home on North Captiva Island . This beautiful home is located right near a State owned nature preserve. It is a one of a kind "round" 5 bedroom 2 bath home with its own swimming pool & put-put golf. Owner's Mark,Wendy & Miranda made us feel like family. Their home attended to our every need and more! We spent every morning enjoying the pool,golf,or numerous family games provided at the home. After lunch,we all had fun exploring the "tropical island" ; taking nature walks through the state preserve to the unihabited beaches, collecting sea shells, making friends with turtles, fishing off Barnacle Phil's landing, watching the dolphins swim close to the shores, or just exploring the island's paradise and all it has to offer on golf carts. At night we could relax on 1 of 3 decks to watch the beautiful sunsets or later watch many a family movie or spend quiet time reading a vast variety of books provided. Our whole family including 4 children ,ages 6-13, & an aupair from Sweden, & 5 adults can't wait till the next time we can come back, maybe for my 60th!!

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Great Time!

Guest: The Heckamans - Indiana
Date of Stay: 10/29/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

"We had a great time staying at Windswept a couple of weeks ago. Thanks so much for making the stay go smoothly."

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Great Shelling!

Guest: The Mallalieu Family - Maryland
Date of Stay: 10/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

"We are missing the daily shell hunts!"

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We had a great time on North Captiva!

Guest: Katharina and Martin & Family - Switzerland
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

"We had a great time on North Captiva and especially in your wonderful home Windswept. Good memories last forever!"

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Excellent holiday home in a little spot of paradise

Guest: therese p. (England)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

We stayed at Windswept for a week last summer and had the most fantastic time. There were only five of us, ranging in age from 12 to 50s and we all loved both the house and island. The house itself is of an extremely high standard, very comfortable and well equipped and had plenty of space for a larger group. The island is one of the most relaxing places I have been to. No cars, just golf buggies to get you round. It was wonderful to be able to go to the beach for long walks and meet hardly a soul. We perfected the "Captiva Crouch" enjoying our time searching for the beautiful shells that are on these shores. The beach is a couple of minutes drive in your golf buggy and the house has plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas to take with you if you want. We tended to enjoy lazing around the pool and then having walks on the beach. My husband enjoyed early morning fishing trips, both from the beach and by using a kayak from the yacht club, which you have membership of when staying at the house. I had been concerned before going as there are no supermarkets on the island and you have to take everything with you on the ferry. I need not have worried. There was an excellent supermarket on the mainland near to the ferry dock. The staff at the ferry were extremely helpful in helping us put everything on the boat and when we got to the island we were met by Wendy and her family, who were brilliant at helping us with all the luggage and then showing us around the house. During our week there they were extremely helpful if we wanted to ask them a question but otherwise left us to enjoy this special house. At the yacht club there was a store which did sell some essentials - like wine if we had run out! There are a couple of restaurants on the island, which we enjoyed. At the time we went they were not open every evening but we were happy at the house having BBQs and watching the brilliant sunsets from the decks. The views are over the nature reserve, which you are right next to, we enjoyed the tourtoise strolling past. The pictures on the website do give a very good idea of what the house is like. A lovely place to stay.

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

Scottish Family Vacation

Guest: Sun loving Mum of 2 little boys! (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

We had a WONDERFUL vacation at "Windswept" last year. My husband and I, and our 2 sons (ages 7 & 5) spent a glorious week with our sister and brother in law and nephew (ages 8) who had travelled from Scotland to have a very SPECIAL holiday with us. Wendy and Mark really pulled out the stops for us and attended to every last detail. The house was very clean and well maintained and the owners were "on hand" at any time - all we had to do was pick up the phone (but the need did not arise)! The description of the property was perfect and ticked all the boxes for us as a "2 family vacation". It really is a slice of paradise and we would TOTALLY recommend this property - WE WILL BE BACK!!!!

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

THE JAGGERS CLAN

Guest: TRACY j. (MALDON, ESSEX. UK)
Date of Stay: 04/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

WE STAYED AT THIS HOUSE FOR A WEEK AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT WENDY AND MARK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WELCOMING INTO THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOME, AND PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL THEY HAD ASSISTED US IN ORGANISING A VERY SMALL, BUT EXQUISITE WEDDING FOR OUR SON. THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT THAT THIS HOUSE DOES NOT HAVE. THE LOCATION COULD NOT BE BETTER, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON NORTH CAPTIVA COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WELCOMING. A SCORE OUT OF 10 ??? 20!

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

Fantastic Family Getaway Vacation!

Guest: Jane C. (LaGrange, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

this was one of the best vacations we have ever had. our children are grown and we chose to have a family vacation at Windswept. from the moment that Wendy picked us up at the ferry our lives switched from rushed and busy to total relaxation in paradise! Seriously, the home is beautiful, comfortable and really fun. it is so unique and we had a blast discovering all the beautiful things Wendy and Mark have furnished the home with. here are some of our favorite things: Gourmet kitchen, grand piano, golf carts to get around the island, walking distance to the beach, heated pool, comfy beds and furniture, beautiful views from all the windows, fun tower, direct tv, and soooooo much more. Wendy and Mark are gracious and friendly hosts. perfect place for a family getaway.

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So Peaceful and Tropical

Guest: The Romano Family, The Flynn' & The Salus'
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

The island is so peaceful and tropical. We felt like we were so far away from civilization. Great place to appreciate your family and what is really important. We don't get together too often and we've never stayed together a week but it was AWESOME! The whole environment made us all relax!Thank You!

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We loved the island and plan to return...

Guest: The Voelker Family
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

We loved the island and plan to return. The nature and general peacefulness were terrific. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home!Our family had such a great time. You have such and eye for the decorating. When we return home Tempurpedic mattress shopping is ON the list!

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We All Had an Amazing Vacation

Guest: The Messina & Peters Families
Date of Stay: 04/24/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

We all had an amazing vacation on this beautiful island. You have a beautiful home with everything you could possibly need. The weather was perfect, the sunsets spectacular and wildlife at every turn. Everyone enjoyed the golf carts and their funny nicknames. Thank you for your hospitality. We will remember this vaation for years to come. Great Time!

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Wow! What a wonderful spot!

Guest: The Holba & Honderich Families
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

Wow! What a wonderful spot - What an amazing vacation! Thank you for opening your heavenly home to us! We truly felt we had arrived at Paradise. Your vacation home was welcoming, well equipped, and everything we homed for (and more). We already have "island withdrawal." Very sad to be leaving tomorrow but we are grateful for the memories. You went the extra mile and we noticed all of your attention to detail - everything you did to help make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Thank You! We will be back - your home, this beautiful island, is soul food.

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Sunsets Here Are Beautiful

Guest: The Hatton Family
Date of Stay: 04/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/02/10

Thank you for sharing your lovely home. We shared it....strike that... we MANAGED with 5 teens and two adults. We enjoyed the wildlife and sealife.The sunsets here are beautiful. We enjoyed lunch at the waterfornt, Mangoes, and Barnacle Phil's. We also enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Boathouse too.

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Fantastic vacation island, especially this house.

Guest: Hill and Santi Families
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

"It is a fantastic vacation island and especially this house. We would definitely come back again." "Thank you for letting us stay in your house, we loved North Captiva. We had a great time every day. I hope we can come back sometime soon."

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Simply Superb

Guest: The Lepak Families
Date of Stay: 03/13/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

"Great place, loved Windswept. All was wonderful." "As expected, simply superb." "What a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing it w/our families. Amazing sunsets, beautiful view of the stars. Loved being next to the park area where we could walk and jog to the beach."

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Fabulous to not hear a car for a week.

Guest: The Blanchard Family
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 04/06/10

"Loved the privacy of Windswept. Fabulous to not hear a car for a week. Loved the hospitality of Barnacle Phil's and Grany in the ice cream shop." "The loft was fabulous for our 3 year olds. They loved having thier own beds an space. The heated pool was great. Plenty of lawn chairs and umbrellas. Many battles on the mini golf course! Overall the best part of Windswept is that we were able to relax!"

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Guest: The Brown Family
Date of Stay: 02/20/10 Review Submitted: 02/19/10

"Good morning Wendy, Mark and Miranda! Thank you again for letting our weary bones land earlier yesterday! The house is absolutely amazing, we love everything!!! Privacy, comfy beds...beautiful artwork ....majestic views...an absolute treasure... we're off to explore...thanks again!" "We arrived home Sunday 1 a.m. We hit some traffic in DC but made it through eventually. Thank you once again for your hospitality and opening your beautiful home to our family, what a treasure! We hope to see you again soon, Fondly, The Browns" "We have 2 inches of snow with 8 more coming, North Captiva take me away! Thanks again for a wonderful get away..."

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Guest: The Bryan Family
Date of Stay: 01/23/10 Review Submitted: 01/22/10

"Very relaxed pace, very beautiful" What did you like the best? The Jacuzzi "Loved the Kitchen, we cooked gourmet meals each night."

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Guest: The Belyaev Family
Date of Stay: 10/24/09 Review Submitted: 10/23/09

"Loved the location. Very Prvate. The view was beautiful, liked having 2 golf carts as opposed to 1, liked having 2 washer dryers. Plenty of baby furniture." Did we meet your expectationsat Arrival/Reception? Above and Beyond! "The privacy and outdoor space of this home was exceptional. Kitchen is beautiful as is living space. We loved the pool and treetop. Loved the many options outside for private space for relaxing or reading. " guest name: The Bowman Family Hoffman Estates, IL 10/7/2009 What did you like the best? The Beach, The Pool, The Treetop Tower, The Golf Greens, THe Golf Carts, The Beds, The Kitchen, The Location, The Cookies? ALL of it! " Very calming and peaceful." "Love the views and quiet solitude along with the proximity to the nature preserve and beach. Overall it is a beautiful house on a beautiful island!"

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Guest: Victoria and John Amato
Date of Stay: 09/21/09 Review Submitted: 09/20/09

"This is one of the beast vacations we have taken. The island would not appeal to everyone- no "nightlife." For us, it was perfect and we can't wait to return. " We felt right at home due to your hospitality and this beautiful welcoming home. What a perfect place to return to after exploring the island every day. Wendy - your art is superb - we enjoyed being surrounded by it. You guys have thought of everything for your guests. This turned out to be the perfect 50th Birthday gift for my husband, John. Thank You!" "As you know, this trip was my birthday present (50th)to my wonderful husband, John. Also, it was a celebration of that after more than 5 years on active duty in the Army - and therefore, living apart - John is coming home and we live together again... John said it was of our best vacations ever - and we have vacationed all over the world. " " As a 4th generation Floridian, I enjoyed experiencing Florida more as I remember it from my childhood on Merritt Island."

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Guest: The Vancil & Albright Family
Date of Stay: 09/13/09 Review Submitted: 09/12/09

" North Captiva is awesome! It's the perfect vacationdestination. Loved the beaches, the secluded island life, the house is awesome!" "This vacation coundn't have come at a better time & coming to Windswept was so perfect for us. We loved coming here and getting aweay from it all & just being able to focus on our family for a few days. We wish we could've stayed longer." - Duane & Jen Vancil " Thank you so much for the opportunity to stay at Windswept this week. This was the perfect vacation destination & we loved it here so much!Your home is beautiful & the island is spectacular. This place is the perfect definition of "vacation." We loved every part of our stay here and are very sad that we have to go home. Our stay here was not nearly long enough." - Vancil & Albright Family 2009.

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Guest: The Joe Mettler Reunion
Date of Stay: 07/25/09 Review Submitted: 07/24/09

What did you like the best? The Beach, The Pool, The Treetop Tower, The Golf Greens, THe Golf Carts, The Beds, The Kitchen, The Location, The Cookies? All of the Above!

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Guest: The Campbell Family
Date of Stay: 07/05/09 Review Submitted: 07/04/09

"It is perfectfor anyone who wants to relax and get away from it all. We had a lot of family time and a great mix of swinning, beach fun and doing nothing! You are definitely not on the clock here. I recommend the wave runner rides with a guide" "We loved the house and location. It was great not to have to run around "doing" thingsall week. We took our time and did whatever we wanted. It felt like we had the island to ourselves a lot of the time. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We were able to totally relax. Our biggest decision each day was pool or beach! Thank you for your hospitality and for sharing your lovely home."

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Guest: The Powell Family
Date of Stay: 06/27/09 Review Submitted: 06/26/09

"Wonderful experience overall! Loved the nature preserve trail & beach! Cayo Costa was great too." "We absolutely loved it all -- your house is magnificent -- wish it were mine! You are a great family and we enjoyed everything about our vacation! Thank you! Thank you!

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Guest: The Pedroso Family
Date of Stay: 06/20/09 Review Submitted: 06/19/09

"It was a wonderful vacation! Mark & Wendy, you were both wonderful. You have a beautiful beach home and we hope to be able to come back soon. Thank you for everything. " "What a wonderful week we've spent in your beautiful home. Thank you so much for making our stay so enjoyable and memorable. We hope this is the first of many more in the future. Take good care. Thank you from all of us. "The Pedrosos""

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Guest: The Frank Family
Date of Stay: 06/13/09 Review Submitted: 06/12/09

"We love the privacy next to the preserve, saw lots of nature, kids enjoyed their own playroom. You both made us feel very comfortable in your home, thanks for sharing it! "Have been coming here [North Captiva]for over 15 years - always have a memorable time."

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Guest: The Griffith Family
Date of Stay: 06/08/09 Review Submitted: 06/07/09

"We got away before we could fill out the questionnaire you left, but I just wanted to let you know we truly enjoyed our stay at Windswept. The house and amenities were over the top. It served our family’s needs perfectly.""I can’t tell you what we enjoyed the most—the pool, the beach, the kitchen, the beds, but most assuredly the cookies were a great surprise! We hope to return someday. Thanks for everything!"

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Guest: The Clayton Family
Date of Stay: 06/06/09 Review Submitted: 06/05/09

"We love your house and want to come back next summer. Thanks a bunch you all were great!"

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Guest: The Drysdales & The Cassels
Date of Stay: 05/23/09 Review Submitted: 05/22/09

"This home is beatiful! It was great for a two family vacation! With somewhat rainy weather - the playroom was a hit! THANKS!" "We traveled from Hershey, PA (with 3 children under 2) by car to enjoy the beautifulisland of North Captiva. Well, it was worth the drive!"

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Guest: The Davises
Date of Stay: 05/10/09 Review Submitted: 05/09/09

"We had a wonderful time! Magical! Your home is beautiful. Thank you for your hospitality. P.S. We will hold Windswept as a very special place because there was an engagement on the beach!!

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Guest: The Dominguez Family
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/01/09

"We've been coming to this island for many years and this was the first house we stayed in that made us truly want to stay FOREVER!! Your home made us feel so comfortable and genuinely "at home" We loved the vacation! -We will be back soon! xoxoxo What did you like the best? Everything :)) Windswept Rules

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Guest: The Zelch Family
Date of Stay: 04/19/09 Review Submitted: 04/18/09

"We don't want to leave! Can't we stay one more week in Paradise? Hanging on! The Zelch's :) P.S. Wendy & Mark Rock!!!!!" Would you consider another stay at Windswept? Definitely!!! "It was definitely one of my favorite vacation spots! I would definitely LOVE to come back!" "Your home is absolutely perfect! Your hospitality was outstanding!" "It was definitely one of our favorite vacation trips! We want to come back, speaking from the ages of 89 years young to 2.5 years old... it was the bomb!" "Your home is perfect & the hospitality was outstanding & enjoyed by all from young to old! We felt as if we had a new friend on the island! We are looking forward to coming back soon! Thank you so much!

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Guest: Colleen Scully
Date of Stay: 03/24/09 Review Submitted: 03/23/09

"The Island is great. My 1st time to N. Captiva and enjoyed the people and everything else the island offered. Particularly liked the solitude." "Thanx so much for a very relaxing vacation. I love your house - you have done a wonderful job decorating and there is everything in your house that we needed, wanted, or desired. The pool is beautiful and love the privacy. The weather was great" What did you like the best? The Pool and the Location Would you consider a stay at Windswept again? Definitely

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Guest: The Tim Schoffer Family
Date of Stay: 03/24/09 Review Submitted: 03/23/09

"Perfect weather, well appointed accommodations, thoughtful hosts all on an island with no cars in the Gulf of Mexico. It doesn't get much better than this. Many thanks for a truly first class holiday. Best wishes from Tim, Ellen, Samantha, Luke, Mark, and Collen too!

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BLOWN AWAY AT WINDSWEPT, MARCH 2009

Guest: SAMMA LAMMA (Ancaster Ontario Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/14/09 Review Submitted: 03/26/09

Let me say that "IT TAKES ALOT TO IMPRESS ME AND I WAS IMPRESSED !" A perfect private pool, luxurious well appointed accomodations, every kitchen appliance/device known to man. Attention to all the right details with a quick response, by the owners, to deal with any requests. Loved the great room. The perfect place for families to reconnect at days end, after viewing sunsets you have only pictured. Plan your menu and make sure to bring all your food/drinks/snacks etc. with you. The extra initial effort will ensure a worry free week. Several restaurants and a general store, on the island, if you have forgotten something or wish to do less. Enjoy the native wildlife, dolphins, manatees, skates, tortoises, snakes, hawks, eagles. If fishing interests you, dont' let this opportunity slip by. Sign out a bike, kayak, rent a boat/ jetski OR simply lay in the sun with a good book and do nothing. No cars, only golf carts and sand roads. Hard to describe but think Gilligans Island with all the amenities. Mark and Wendy provide it all. I don't think that any place can be perfect, but in our thirty years of vacationing, for us this was not too far from it and exactly what we were looking for.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Guest: The Shelli Harrigan Family
Date of Stay: 03/14/09 Review Submitted: 03/13/09

"Everything was perfect!- Taylor" "Too busy having a great time in this beautiful home on this amazing island to leave a comment!" "So sad to leave, we will be back!"

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Guest: The Van Hoecke Family
Date of Stay: 03/07/09 Review Submitted: 03/06/09

"We found the island very charming, quaint, most beautiful beaches, sunrise, sunsets, not jam packed with tourists - yet." "Great for families." "We packed too many items - they were here- thank you!" How would you rate our home, Windswept, overall? "The Best Beach Vacation Ever! Don't know if they spoiled us!"

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Windswept Family Vacay March 2009

Guest: 3109 (Overland Park, KS)
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/16/09

The Windswept home is beautiful - inside and out. The accomodations are truly luxurious. The home is stocked with everything you could possibly need in a home away from home. The beds and linens were 5 star. The views from the tower are breathtaking, and we enjoyed the sunset every evening! The house was perfect for our family reunion - among us all, we had 6 kids, who also had the time of thier lives!

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

Guest: The Fonde Family
Date of Stay: 02/21/09 Review Submitted: 02/20/09

"Very relaxing - low key- but plenty to keep busy!" "Very Clean, Comfy- the toy room was a big hit!" "Every need was met before we arrived + while we were here." "The pool + location were fabulous, being next to the preserve was great as the kids got to see lots of animals [gopher tortises], take long walks + collect shells, not having neighbors on top of us was a big plus!! We all thought North Captiva would be a repeat vaca! We enjoyed our stay - Thank you Penny, Greg + Timmy Fonde" How would you rate our home, Windswept, overall? "Much better than expected."

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