An Artist's Retreat with Ceramics Studio and Gulf Access

• GREAT FOR A KAYAK LOVER

  GREAT FOR A KAYAK LOVER

  • Guest jackie z.
  • Date of stay 03/11/13
  • Review Submitted 04/04/13
  This very clean retreat is down a small lane that leads to Terry Street which is one of the main streets in the city of Bonita. On Terry Street is the city recreation center. It has a pool which I am told is only two dollars. It also has tennic courts. The city's library is also at this location. Bonita has many great places to eat such as Old 49 Restaurant, Dolly's, Mel's, Coconut Jack, Docks, The Scoop along with the Outback etc. The house is cozy and so clean. The nights are so quiet. My favorite thing was kayaking. You go out the gate and they are right there. There is enough for four people. Once you leave the inlet, you could be out all day long. We only went on the river but you could go several other places. Since I was only there a week or so, I never used the pottery wheels. The house that holds the pottery wheels was very nice. I am sorry that I did not give it a try. The house has a flat screen in the living room. Our bed was very comfortable. The house is small but it does have a screened porch and a small yard for you to get a tan. It has a washer and dryer which makes life easy.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway.

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• Trip to Bonita

  Trip to Bonita

  • Guest marcia A.
  • Date of stay 03/04/13
  • Review Submitted 03/13/13
  Our week stay in Bonita was wonderful. If you plan a trip there stay in the downtown older area, preferably this house. I am not an artist so if you are one or want to be this place is even a greater retreat for you. The house is within walking distance of old Bonita and the public park. You will find a clean and nicely decorated house to make your home. The artists touch with art work everywhere, including the plates and cups you eat with, are a very nice touch. The private backyard where you walk into then studio is full of birds singing. Open the back door of the studio and you will find a small deck with a grill to cook on while watching people kayak down the canal. If you are in to water sports the kayaks are a nice treat. You can even kayak to River Front Park where you will find events like a farmers market, artists displaying their work and a great dog park. Don't miss a trip to Survey Cafe for breakfast and Fitsgeralds for a great Irish lunch or dinner including stellar service, and Landsdowne Street for happy hour with cold beer and awesome smoked wings. Grab a cold beer and watch some sports with the friendly locals while at Landsdowne. With restaurants, a beautiful city park, the dog track, art studios and tons of stores within a 5 minute drive take advantage of staying in this home instead of 4 walls of a hotel. You will not be disappointed. The only thing that would make this house better would be a fire pit in the backyard to enjoy on a quiet cool evening.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, age 55+, pet owners, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• A great place!

  A great place!

  • Guest annette
  • Date of stay 01/12/13
  • Review Submitted 03/03/13
  We often travel to Ft. Myers to visit family and were looking for a spot not far from the beach and said family. The space definitely suited us. Clean and Artsy - every room has its charm. The pottery studio is an excellent activity for both day and night. We spent the day at the beach (very close to barefoot beach) or on the kayaks and the evening creating in the pottery studio. Very relaxing! We would definitely book this place again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

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• Pottery and vacation

  Pottery and vacation

  • Guest Cabin John Potter
  • Date of stay 01/23/13
  • Review Submitted 02/19/13
  The house is on a quiet street, and was very clean, comfortable, nicely decorated, with a well-equipped kitchen, washer, dryer, TV, stereo, and internet access. We enjoyed the pottery books, records, art on the walls, and the use of hand-made pottery for dishes. The owners were very helpful in answering questions, making suggestions for restaurants, beaches, etc. The compact studio was very pleasant to be in; it has doors on two sides and windows on the other two sides, and has a view of the canal. A curious neighbor's cat was there to "help" with any pottery projects. It was a little difficult to decide whether to do pottery or take day trips; we only had a week, but we managed to do some of each. We enjoyed outings to the Ding Darling wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island and Captiva, the botanical gardens and art museum in Naples, watching sunsets on a local beach one night and the deck of a local restaurant another night, and a bike ride to a good local ice cream store. During the time we did stay around the house and studio, I managed to make 15 small pots.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• A budding potter's dream vacation

  A budding potter's dream vacation

  • Guest Jess
  • Date of stay 12/26/12
  • Review Submitted 02/18/13
  I spent a blissful 9 days at This Side Retreat. When I arrived I couldn't believe the beauty that surrounded me. The house is filled with Ed and Kate's dishes and sculptural work- absolutely inspiring. They were very helpful, even sending step by step directions for firing the kiln by text message so I could have them at my fingertips. I went kayaking in the neighborhood with the kayaks provided at the house. I cooked up a storm with veggies from the nearby farmers market. I played records on the sweet little record player in thd house. I listened to Pandora with the fast Wifi out in the studio until all hours. I fell in love with the kick wheel in between using the electric wheel. I spent part of most days at one of the nearby beaches and ate each meal in the screened in back porch. Really, I cannot reccommend this spot highly enough. Whether experienced of new to pottery, you will be inspired and spoiled by a reyreat here. I will absolutely be going back.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Potter's Retreat

  Potter's Retreat

  • Guest Potter
  • Date of stay 02/20/12
  • Review Submitted 04/10/12
  We spent the two enjoyable weeks in This Side Retreat during February and March. The small house was clean, well-maintained, comfortable, and tastefully decorated with pottery and art. It's located on a quiet residential street very close to a main thoroughfare, offering easy access to the beaches, grocery stores, and restaurants. It's also only a few miles from Coconut Point, an upscale shopping area with many, many shops, restaurants, and a wonderful movie theatre. We particularly enjoyed using the screened porch, the hand made dishes,and looking through the collection of art and pottery books. The attraction for me was the clean, well-lighted studio. It was a real pleasure to work there. The weather was balmy, the birds were singing, the fish were jumping, and the clay was centering. What an enjoyable experience! The owners were most helpful before we arrived and during our stay, answering questions about the use of the studio and kiln and offering advice on restaurants, fresh markets, and art events. I hope we can go again.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, people with disabilities, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Bonita Springs Vacation

  Bonita Springs Vacation

  • Guest Dave and Karen
  • Date of stay 02/07/12
  • Review Submitted 03/16/12
  This Side is a wonderful cottage; we stayed for 2 weeks and loved it. It was nicely decorated and very clean. We ate our meals on the patio where we enjoyed viewing the well-landscaped backyard. We took many trips in their kayaks, both up and down the Imperial River and the joining Oak Creek surrounded by lush vegetation and bird life. Beaches, parks, shopping and nice restaurants were all very close by. Be sure to look at the pictures on the wall to solve some of the puzzles in the house. We look forward to coming back again and might try the ceramics!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Fees:

• Refundable Damage Deposit: $300
• Tax Rate 11%

Cancellation policy:

$300 security deposit required to secure reservation and to cover any damages Full amount due 14 days prior to stay $300 deposit will be refunded up to two weeks after stay

100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date.