Vacation Rentals by Owner

girls week

Guest: grayce (port charlotte fl)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 09/30/11

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lipman, My Grand daughter, Nikki , arranged for her Mother, her Aunt and me, her Grand Mother, to stay in your adorable cottage recently (Sep 10 - 17 2011). We enjoyed it so very much. It was the perfect vacation - your thoughtfulness in the furnishings and anticipation of our every need all contributed to this. We loved being there so much we never went out to eat, not once. Also, I must tell you how happy I was when I walked the property and the Beach. My people are all old Florida natives (I am fifth generation). When I was young and before the development of this area, we often fished near "The Rocks" and cooked over an open fire in the cabbage hammock(Sabal palms) on the shore line. So, you see, I was absolutely amazed that Nikki found your precious cottage in the very area I remember so well from my much younger days and, had not visited in ever so long. Thank you for everything and especially, for the chance to revisit a very special place in my memories which I hold close to my heart. With much appreciation and in all Sincerity, Grayce

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

A little piece of heaven!

Guest: Anonymous (Orlando, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/07/11 Review Submitted: 06/11/11

Perfect setting to get away for some relaxing down time. This was our third stay at Cuddlefish Cottage and it just keeps getting better. Mark continues to upgrade and improve this little piece of heaven. Our dogs love it because they get to go on vacation here too! Our stays here have been the most relaxing vacations we have ever had and we look forward to returning...again and again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, pet owners.

Great Escape

Guest: MAINERS (Southern ME)
Date of Stay: 11/12/10 Review Submitted: 11/18/10

The owners of this property have taken great care to provide a getaway that feels like home. The house is decked out with modern appliances and amenites. Wifi and cell phone coverage make it possible to stay in touch if need be. The property is spacious and looks like they are starting some planned landscaping. The beach is empty most hours of the day. If you want to get away/outside, but still have a comfortable indoor life at night/bad weather - this is the place.

Owner response:Thank you for staying at our Cuddlefish Beach Cottage. We look forward to having you stay with us again...

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

Great Beach Getaway, in style

Guest: Ken & Lisa (The Villages, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/18/09

Great private spot with wonderful lanai right on the beach. Finally finished my book with no interruptions, except watching pelicans diving for food. You just never knew what you were going to see next. We just booked for our next vacation at this beautiful spot again.

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

Guest: Alyssa Fletcher (Maine)
Date of Stay: 11/17/08 Review Submitted: 11/17/08

We had a very nice time and enjoyed our stay. the house was cozy and fun and the beach was so beautiful and PRIVATE!!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/14/08

Wonderful absolutely beautiful. Very private and the place provided every need you can imagine. Beautifully decorated. Mark Lipman you are a true professional to work with. Thank you for sharing your paradise with us.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/16/08

We had a wonderful time in the Gulf Coast Beach cottage. As we live in an overcrowded, small country, we especially liked the quietness and privacy all aroud. Our children loved to swim and loved to search for sharks teeth on the beach. We had a special time in a lovely and very convenient cottage.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/13/08

This is the perfect getaway for a family with children! It was the kids first time seeing the ocean and it couldn't have been more perfect. Only a handful of people would walk by a day so it felt like the whole entire beach and ocean was ours. If you are looking for privacy it doesn't get any better then this. We came home with hundreds of sharks teeth,it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your beach house, it was perfect.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 04/22/08

The cottage was GREAT. Peaceful, relaxing get away.We enjoyed walking on the beach looking for shells.The sunsets were amazing from the screened lanai on the beach. We had a wonderful 2 weeks. Thanks Mark & Michelle.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Pino ( Michigan)
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 10/13/07

WOW,WOW,WOW.Definetly the place to go, dolphins, snorkeling,fishing right in your back yard and much more. My wife and i had the oportunity to name the baby sea turtles.SHANE and CLAIR,just think clair will be back in thirty years to lay her thity somthing eggs. The turtle patrol was on the beach the same time we decided to take our morning walk along the never ending private beach, just beautifull. We will definetly be back next year for two weeks this time. I also want to thank Mark and Michelle for setting everything up for us, everything is just like they said it would be and then some. Almost forgot the land turtles name is GUIDO, as your walking to the beach from the beach house he or she is on the left about 30 feet. We also have sharks teeth, shells.There were pelicans diving in the water for food.The area restaurants are great our favorite place is lock and key definetly a good place to go if you don't feel like cooking I could do this 24/7,I know what I would do if I hit the lottery.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Deborah West (Sanford, FL)
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 08/13/07

This cottage is a bit of heaven on earth. The house itself is adorable, the beach pristine and the owners wonderful. I think our favorite thing was the screened in gazebo on the beach. So relaxing..... would highly recommend to anyone looking for a little down time.

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Best vacation

Guest: BS1991 (Blaine, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 01/09/08

We stayed here in july 2006.What a georgeous place. This was the most relaxing vacation we have had. The house is beautiful and perfect for our family with 4 kids. The Beach was private and breathtaking. The kids loved finding sharks teeth and boy did we find a ton. So quiet and peaceful. We look forward to coming back. The owners are great to deal with. Super nice!

Owner response:Thank you! We love it too...

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Mary Jensen (Racine WI)
Date of Stay: 04/01/07 Review Submitted: 04/17/07

Absolutely wonderful. The house, the beach and the private lanai were perfect for our family of 6. We found many places to eat in both the Englewood and Venice areas. We rented jet skis a couple of times and rode the gulf. What an experience. We have found our home away from home. We will definitely be returning once if not twice a year from now on. Thanks again, The Jensens (Racine, Wisconsin)

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Guest: Klaus & Katharina Hinrichs (Münster, Germany)
Date of Stay: 03/30/06 Review Submitted: 03/30/06

2/28/06 - 4/1/06 - another month in heaven on earth!Our stay last year was perfect, this year's was even better: No red tide (!), but gorgeous weather for the outdoors - walking the beach, bicycling, flying, running, swimming, reading in the sun, just catching rays, watching the sunset almost every evening and after dark the stars and the glowworms. Even working on the laptop in the beach cabana or the lanai for hours was "fun" (Klaus).Thank you Mark and Michele for letting us stay again at your lovely beach cottage - the perfect getaway for people looking for privacy and a relaxed living.We will be back in March 2007!Katharina & Klaus HinrichsMünster, Germany

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Klaus & Katharina Hinrichs (Münster, Germany)
Date of Stay: 03/01/06 Review Submitted: 03/29/06

2/28/06 - 4/1/06 - another month in heaven on earth! Our stay last year was perfect, this year's was even better: No red tide (!), but gorgeous weather for the outdoors - walking the beach, bicycling, flying, running, swimming, reading in the sun, just catching rays, watching the sunset almost every evening and after dark the stars and the glowworms. Even working on the laptop in the beach cabana or the lanai for hours was "fun" (Klaus). Thank you Mark and Michele for letting us stay again at your lovely beach cottage - the perfect getaway for people looking for privacy and a relaxed living. We will be back in March 2007! Katharina & Klaus Hinrichs Münster, Germany

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Guest: Jeff and Brenda
Date of Stay: 07/16/05 Review Submitted: 07/15/05

It's difficult to say something not already mentioned but here goes. The weather did not drop below 98F during the day-Phew!!(not like this in England!) The sea geve us a different view every day. The beach changed each day-sometimes lots of shells, sometimes sand only. We saw dolphins, all sorts of sea birds-the pelicans made us smile. Their formation flying would be the envy of any country's air force! Although we only met the "gound turtle" it was facinating seeing the turtle tracks and meeting the "turtle nest spotters." They were upset with the number of "high" tides that are washing the nests away. The fish visited us on a couple of days. Eating was very simple-either "at home" or at the Gulf View restaurant; an excellant steak!! oh-and duckling and pork and fish dish ect. etc. In conclusion, Brenda and I haved had a lovely stay here. We take back lots of very happy memories and hope everybody following us has an equally outstanding time. A massive thanks to Mark and Michele.

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Guest: Pete and Laura
Date of Stay: 06/25/05 Review Submitted: 06/24/05

What an awesome spot this is- We love your "Jolly Mon" cottage with the "SubZero refrigerator" as described by a fellow down the beach! The seclusion here is special, really allowing us to convene with nature and sharing it with our family. Our 2 Golden Retrievers loved their first visit to the ocean. We spent all our time beaching it and so appreciated the screened porch down overlooking the beach. We had lots of storms but still managed to do a lot of fishing, shelling, kayaking, snorkeling and walking the shoreline. Thanks for sharing this beautiful place with us and we wish all who stay here as great a time as we had!

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Guest: Mike and Fran and Michael
Date of Stay: 06/11/05 Review Submitted: 06/10/05

Loved the house and loved the beach even more! Excellent shelling and snorkeling. We'll be back!

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 05/28/05 Review Submitted: 05/27/05

We came back for our second stay. It felt like we were coming home. We love the view the privacy and the beach with all it offers. We fished, snorkeled an sunned. I saw dolphins as well as a manatee! We enjoyed some wonderful food and "Mama's and Howard's". We're looking forward to next year.

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Guest: Kathi and Steve
Date of Stay: 05/14/05 Review Submitted: 05/13/05

I believe that's the last day. We lost track of time. We enjoyed the house very much. I love how you decorated it. We loved the beach, snorkeling, fishing and shelling. Being an expert stooper (we 've been to Sanibel and Captiva quite often) I found plenty of shells to use in my crafting efforts. My husband knows we can retire and live very well if I just get to work at my shell mirrors. We love the fact that we could bring Buckwheat. He is a part of our family. Being a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, he loved swimming every day. Anyway we wish we did not have to leave, but work calls. Oh yes we suggest going to the Ringling Museum and Ca'd'Zan John and Mabel Ringlings beautiful home in Sarasota. Peace and love to all...

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Guest: Tim and Debbie
Date of Stay: 04/30/05 Review Submitted: 04/29/05

We enjoyed every single day-even the rainy ones! We also enjoyed your cute house and especially the shelling. I found so many that I couldn't take them all home. I really loved the fact that most of the time, I was the only one on the beach...

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Guest: Sandy and George
Date of Stay: 04/01/05 Review Submitted: 03/31/05

Thank you for the lovely sunsets and beaches. We enjoyed our quiet time here and going off key for a little more life! Those visiting us also enjoyed you hide-a-way.

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Guest: Katherine and Klaus
Date of Stay: 03/01/05 Review Submitted: 02/28/05

For almost a year we carried a small printout of the internet photo of the house in our wallets. So glad to have found a "replacement" for The Pearl, where we stayed ten times. Manasota Key-the quiet Sarasota County part is gorgeous and this house with all its amenities and care for details is the PERFECT VACATION HOUSE! It's amazing how fast time goes by doing nothing and everything. Running on the road in the morning, walking the beach for hours (rain or shine, redtide or not) looking for seaglass, shells and shark's teeth, cycling on the backroads to Elngelwood or Venice, swimming in the Y-pools at Venice or Lemon Bay High School and in the Gulf. Watching animals at different locations (cardinals, wood-peckers, dolphins, pelicans, tortoises, armadillos, raccoons, ospreys, and herons... Going to the movies, meeting friends, getting a tan, shoping at Ellenton and the Sarasota Malls, cooking simple meals or carrying out. Watching college basketball and the most beautiful sunsets... and flying a small rented plane out of Venice Airport-the first reason we came to this area. It's time to say good bye-but in just eleven months we'll be back! Already looking forward to it

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Linda Gonzalez (Miami FL)
Date of Stay: 10/01/04 Review Submitted: 10/18/04

A piece of paradise..! The screend porch at the water's edge -- perfect for sunsets. Quiet, private - like your own private beach (our visit was in early October). Shelling, snorkeling, swimming, wandering along the beach.. a true getaway with everything you could need or want.

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 07/24/04 Review Submitted: 07/23/04

What can we say-- it doesn't get much better than this. The view and privacy was great! This is just what we needed, alot of R&R. Snorkling, shark teeth and shell collecting was enjoyable. Thank you so much for letting us experience this little piece of heaven!

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 07/03/04 Review Submitted: 07/02/04

We all had a great time the week we were here! The kids went swimming, snorkleing and fishing. We all collected shells and lots of sharks' teeth. We also visited the public beach one day. We spent one day shopping in Venice and one day in Boca Grande looking at the BIG lizards and lighthouse. We enjoyed the food and the view at the Gulfview Grill. Thanks for letting us stay!

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 06/05/04 Review Submitted: 06/04/04

We had a wonderful time! It doesn't get much better than this. R&R, beautiful views and privacy. It will definately be hard to go back to "real life." See you next year!

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 05/29/04 Review Submitted: 05/28/04

What can we say but---we have found heaven on earth! We'll definitely be back.

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Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 05/22/04 Review Submitted: 05/21/04

We have visited most of the east coast and west coast beaches. Manasota Key is by far our favorite beach. Everyone should get to experience this island paradise at least once in their lifetime. Thank God for this beautiful place. There are very few places left like it. We will return here again.

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