Vacation Rentals by Owner

Sibling Reunion

Guest: Bill (Joseph, OR)
Date of Stay: 04/18/12 Review Submitted: 04/27/12

This property was a perfect location for the four of us to get together and share stories of our growing up years. It is a peaceful oasis with the birds calling and the clouds drifting overhead. The property was very clean and well maintained and the owners were very attentive. Located within a 30 minute drive of many activities it was still easy to forget the rush of the world. I would recommend this property to anyone needing a retreat to gather and renew their energy. Everything was as it was advertised and we only brought food. The history of the property fits well with its current role of teaching you how to relax and learn about yourself. Absolutley top notch.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect vacation rental

Guest: Love FI (Southern California)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 11/30/11

The home is clean, comfortable and homey and has spectacular views of the water and tanglewood island. My family and I have been coming to fox island for many years now and it is nice to be able to rent a wonderful home from a great owner who is very accommodating of our needs. I have recommended the home to other family members who also rented the house and they were very happy with their stay also. Although not used on the last stay, the owner also has a back detached room with it's own bathroom if more sleeping accommodations are needed. I would defintely recommend the rental for visiting Gig Harbor or traveling anywhere around Seattle area

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Takes our Breath Away!

Guest: Audrey (Gig Harbor, WA)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

We are local, so we know how beautiful our waterfront homes can be........... however, this place literally took my breath the way the minute I saw it. The pictures on the website are very nice, and as hard as it is to believe, they really don't capture the absolute tranquility and beauty of the place. I don't think any picture could..........you just have to be there! This was the place our daughter was married. This was the place our daughter spent the night with her bridal attendants prior to her wedding day. This was the place our daughter slept soundly and leisurely relaxed while getting ready for her wedding. This was the place our daughter felt like a princess and married the man of her dreams. This place was perfect! Throughout our entire wedding planning process, Lisa, the owner, was more like a good friend then a caretaker. She did EVERYTHING she could to meet all our expectations, and she exceeded each and every one. I have been in the hospitality industry for my entire career, and I know when someone has that gift of hospitality..........and Lisa has it. Her personal touch and sincere love for the place shows. You can see it and feel it. I not only found a wonderful place to recommend to anyone looking to spend the night in this area, but I also found a new friend.

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

Fox Island rental

Guest: Dave (Enterprise, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 06/15/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

We stayed at this rental for 5 nights over Father's Day 2011. The house was very comfortable and well furnished with an excellent view. The owners were terriffic in helping us out and super pleasant to work with. The location was rural, but very close to activities, particularly Gig Harbor. So it's good for activities (we boated, shopped, ate out, hiked, toured, etc) and for just relaxing around the house (reading, fires, horseshoes, games, etc). Wasn't sure I'd ever get my wife out of the hammock. In my wife's words, "it's a do over!".

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

Spectacular View, Tranquil Spot, Comfy Home

Guest: Stacy (Enterprise, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 06/08/11 Review Submitted: 06/25/11

Just spent three nights at Fox Island, and what a place! The waterfront view was truly spectacular, and the grassy area around the home is perfect for relaxing with a book and a glass of wine, plus a great and safe area for kids to play. The home is lovely and very comfortable to stay in, super comfy bedding, and very, very clean. Fox Island is close to Seattle and we drove in every day to enjoy the hustle and bustle and attractions of downtown, yet it was so nice to come back to Fox Island's quiet beauty. I can highly recommend this vacation home, and hope to go back next year.

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

Mike & Gaye

Guest: Mike and Gaye (Yakima, WA.)
Date of Stay: 03/30/11 Review Submitted: 04/09/11

What a wonderful experience staying in the school house! The hospitality that Lisa showed us was greatly appreciated. This home has a fantastic feel to it. It is welcoming and comfortable. Our stay was very relaxing with great views of the water. the house has everything you need for your stay. Wonderful coffee maker, plenty of utinsils for cooking and the most comfortable beds we have ever slept in! If you are looking for a house that you can relax in, this is it. Only 15 min from Gig Harbor. We were there for our grandsons birth in Tacoma, a very easy short drive.

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

Fantastic, relaxing, amazing "schoolhouse" vacation home

Guest: Leif and Michelle (Oakdale, California)
Date of Stay: 02/14/11 Review Submitted: 02/18/11

This is a Fox Island dream of a house. The history of the house alone makes it such a fun place for vacation. The school bell is still in working order, the original rope windows still exist in the back of the home (they have updated with new outside windows but have preserved the homes history and the back doors are still the the original doors dated from 1906. The view of the bay is breathtaking with huge picture windows throughout the dining and living room. This home is incredibly fun for a family with kids or extremely peaceful and relaxing for a quiet relaxing romantic weekend alone. The hospitality was fantastic, on arrival we had a very nice fruit basket along with snacks in the pantry and beverages in the fridge. The bathroom was stocked with everything from cotton balls to shampoo & conditioner. The wood burning stove was all stocked with kindling all we had to do was light a match. Lisa, thank you so much for everything. You went above and beyond to make sure we had all the comforts and we are greatly appreciative. We had a very quiet romantic few days but are already planning our next family vacation and can't wait to bring the kids. We have stayed at a few homes through the VRBO website and this is most definatley our favorite place.

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

Great Vacation at the Schoolhouse

Guest: E & J & Gang (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 07/26/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

Lisa; Thank you so much we had a fabulous time! Your home was even nicer than the pictures. Beautiful decor, lots of windows, gorgeous views, stocked with just about everything you could want or need. The cool mornings, warm afternoons and cool nights were very relaxing and made for great sleeping; in fact we slept in almost every day! Very good location to get to lots of places, easy access to Pikes Market, Olympic Penninsula and Mount Rainier to name a few. Our boys enjoyed the privacy of the "guest house" with excellent wireless access (almost too much we had to drag them out of the man cave for excursions!) Our girls loved ringing the schoolbell, lazing in the hammock and playing with the doll-house! Everyday was an adventure as we discovered something new off the dock or on the beach -- jellyfish, crabs, otters to name a few. The changes in the tides were endlessly fascinating as we had never experienced them before. We would have enjoyed learning more about them but never got time to do any research. Thank you for all the treats, tips and information; all were used and appreciated. The maps and guidebooks were especially helpful. Our drive up to Dungeness Spit was a big hit, everyone loved the crashing surf and piles of driftwood. We also enjoyed a day of badminton, how nice of you to provide those extras. For future reference we highly recommend the seafood at Cutter's, the pizza at Fondi's and the Mexican food at Mocteczuma's (although we ate seafood just about everywhere and it was always excellent). We only have a couple of suggestions: we missed having a toaster for our bagels (Although I showed the kids how it was done in the old days under the broiler) and we needed instructions for using the DVD player. (Near the end of our week we wanted to relax together and watch a family movie but couldn't get it to work. By the time we realized we needed help it was too late to call you.) We'd definitely recommend your place to others, in fact we did recommend it to someone from Wisconsin who we met in Gig Harbor. They are having a family reunion next summer and we encouraged them to check out your place! Overall it was a wonderful vacation and since we only managed to do about half of the things on our list we really hope to come back! Thank you again for helping make our first experience of Puget Sound a great one! E & J & Gang

Owner response:There is a toaster in the pantry cabinet. Good suggestion about the DVD player -- we will provide instructions.

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

Simply - Amazing & Memorable

Guest: SoCal Four (California)
Date of Stay: 07/18/10 Review Submitted: 04/14/11

All of the great things you read in the reviews for this property are absolutely accurate, but they still fall far short of describing the wonderful experience of staying in this home on Fox Island. The pictures give you only a small glimpse of the amazing panoramic view of the beautiful scenery that surrounds the house from it's perch above the water. (Having morning coffee on the deck, wrapped in a blanket and watching the morning fog roll around the harbor - it felt just like a commercial!) The house is fully stocked with anything you might need, but if you're missing something - Gig Harbor is so convenient for shopping and dining only 10 - 15min away. We were concerned about the seeming distance into Seattle, but even with traffic we easily did the typical tourist day trips everyday (baseball, soccer, museums, a day at Mt. Ranier, shopping, boat tours, etc.). But the house was the best part of the vacation. With two very busy teenagers and a husband who doesn't like to "sit" on vacation we are always on the go. On our second day there, they all agreed they weren't in any hurry to go anywhere, wanted to stay at the house, play volleyball and badminton, board games (also well stocked), just hang out on the dock or in the hammock and go into Gig Harbor for a movie. Our stay was almost a year ago and as we plan our next vacation, we find ourselves comparing every place we consider to "the Fox Island house". It will be one of our favorite and most memorable family vacations for years to come. Thank you Phillips family for making your vacation home available for other families to share and enjoy.

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

Amazing Rental Home and Vacation over the 4th of July

Guest: Kurt & Pam (Danvers, IL)
Date of Stay: 06/30/10 Review Submitted: 09/04/10

Our first impression was WOW! So much better then expected! Lisa was a most friendly and helpful host. Even meeting us in Gig Harbor so she could personally drive us to the house so we didn't waste time getting lost. She wrote down and looked up all kinds of information and was just a phone call away if we needed anything, and I mean anything. We loved the two seals we watched every evening in the harbor. My husband enjoyed taking pictures of the Osprey nest which was very active while we were there. The view of Mt. Rainier from the bridge was gorgeous, you can also see the Cascades on a clear day. We grilled out on the deck and ate the most amazing fresh fruit from most every evening. I do have one complaint though, the beds were so comfortable and we slept so well, we had a hard time getting up to go sight seeing! Thanks Lisa for sharing your home and making our trip to Washington one of the most memorable trips we've experienced, we will be back!

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

We will return!

Guest: Kristine (Sunnyvale, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/21/10 Review Submitted: 06/29/10

Restful, peaceful, and beautiful! We have two teenaged girls who love nothing better than to go to shopping malls. What a lovely escape from their normal activities. They ventured outside on bicycles, sunbathed on the dock, read outside on the lawn, walked by the waterfront, and even jumped in at one point! Hubby & I took a bike ride up to the very charming Fox Island museum. We loved, loved, loved the coffee machine. Our last evening, we had a BBQ on the deck, all of us sad that we had to leave.

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

Guest: Roger & Sheryll Shimata (Waikoloa Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 01/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/20/10

Lisa, Thank you Thank you. Wow! What a suprise this gem of the North Pacific was. One you must see to appreciate. Nestle on quint Fox Island this home has unparalled views of the Puget Sound. We felt instantly at home with a thoughtful gift basket upon entering. Thank you for the sundries, laundry soap and the beautiful linens. Lisa, an aspiring chef had all the necessities to create a fabulous Christmas dinner and the Phillips made us feel as though we had been friend for years. We will visit time again and will hope one day that Lisa and Keith Phillips will come to Hawaii and allow us to reciprocate. Roger & Sheryll Shimata Waikoloa Hawaii

Recommended for:

Guest: Sarah86 (Fox Island)
Date of Stay: 10/20/09 Review Submitted: 10/20/09

Our family needed to get away because our floors were being restained! What a blessing we found this beautiful vacation rental to enjoy while we were displaced! The view took my breath away each and every morning! The old school house had so much charm and made the week so fun for all of us! We rang the school bell to lots! The kitchen and nook were so spacious! The kitchen had everything we needed and it felt like we were home...but with an amazing view of Tanglewood Island. I hope to spend another week here soon :) Very family friendly, but also romantic.... We lit a fire each night and were sorry for the day we had to go home! Thats right, we loved our stay so much we didn't want to go back home!

Recommended for:

Guest: Joe51 (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 09/29/09 Review Submitted: 09/29/09

Stayed here with some friends last weekend of September 2009. Great (school) house that feels like an old cabin with a nice modern kitchen area. The water really comes right into the house through the big windows. The big front lawn seems to sit right on top of the water. We were glad we brought a canoe to row around the small, private "Tanglewood" island just off shore. Lisa, the owner, was very gracious and acomodating, and also keeps a kitchen well supplied with basic cooking needs. Only negatives: the driveway down to the dock is very steep, house could have used a few comfy deck chairs for relaxing outdoors (though there's a great hammock) and the TV only gets 13 channels (but who needs it?). Overall, a great place to relax.

Owner response:We have since purchased 6 deck chairs. We have also added enhanced cable and Wi-Fi access.

Recommended for:

Guest: Ryan and Candice (-)
Date of Stay: 09/28/09 Review Submitted: 09/28/09

Lisa, Thank you once again for sharing your beautiful home. The big little things: Great fluffy bed. Comfortable with higher end linens. Spices in the kitchen. Generally when you rent, the kitchens are completely bare. The Coffee Machine. (Although having 12 cups a day is probably excessive.) It was a treat to have a cup at any time. Laundry soap. The little drawer with toothpaste and sundries. The selection of dvd's. The hammock between the huge trees. They all made the house so comfortable and user friendly. The area, which we had never been to before, was ideal. We spent a good part of our time trying to decide if it was a seal in the bay in front of the house or an otter. Ryan found a different golf course to play almost ever day. Driving in and around was a pleasure. We never got tired of how beautiful and wooded the area was. Gig Harbor was fantastic, and we never had a bad meal at any of the places we stopped. But most importantly-the view. I never got over coming down the hallway and having the entire house open up to that view. It stopped me every time for the entire two weeks we were there. I could not recommend, both yourself as a hostess-or the house, more highly. Thanks again-Candice

Recommended for: