Super friendly place

Guest: Pinny1 (Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/31/09 Review Submitted: 02/09/10

The description was accurate, it was clean and well maintained, the owner was fantastic, friendly and kept us informed as to what was in the area, eg restaurants etc. We have already recommended this listing to other friends. We loved the restaurants in Port St. Joe and also Apalachicola, we went to Wakalla Springs and had a great day, we also went to the Dixie Theatre in Apalachicola which was great, we golfed and the golf course was good. This listing was well equipped, and had everything we needed and felt like a home and comfortable.

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

Here are a few comments regarding our week @ Cape

Guest: Robyn and Joe (-)
Date of Stay: 11/27/11 Review Submitted: 11/30/11

Hi, Barbara. I meant to send you an e-mail once we returned, but work intervened. We had a great trip. The weather was wonderful and the location perfect. The house is in a great location. Close to both beach and bay. The house is very clean and well-maintained, not your typical rental house. The screened-in porch is a great place to have coffee in the morning, with a distant view of the bay. Furniture is comfortable and linens are nice quality and in good supply. We met Glenn (?) after we arrived and he said to call him if we needed anything. It was good to know that there was someone there, nearby, if we had a problem (which we never did). I was a little apprehensive about staying in a "pet friendly" house, as you never know what you might find. But, we didn't need to worry. Everything was fine -- you would have never known that a pet had been there. We made sure we left it just as we found it. Our dog had a blast -- a non-swimmer before her trip, she ventured into the gulf several times during our week-long stay. She met several other dogs who loved to run, play, and swim and she just had to fit in. We were all disappointed when we had to leave on Sunday! Although we usually pack a lot of kitchen supplies, it was nice to find the basics already in the house. We loved the area and will be returning. Kayaking in the bay, hiking in the state park, walking on the beach, eating oysters............what a vacation!

Recommended for:

Incredible Rental

Guest: Joshua (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/07/10

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation at Cape San Blas. We stayed at the Blue Mermaid and couldn't have been happier. The townhome can easily accommodate 4 couples and is very well equipped with all the amenities you could possibly need. The beach is only a short walk away and from the front patio, you can see both the bay and the gulf. I had a chance to meet the owner (Barbie) while I was there and she was very gracious and made us feel at home. I would highly recommend The Blue Mermaid to anyone considering a vacation in Cape San Blas.

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

Townley Family

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/22/10

Thank you for another wonderful stay at the Blue Mermaid. I think this was our fourth summer with you, and the house is just as nice as ever... still seems like new! We love all of the extras you provide from beach towels and toys to ziplock bags and cooking spray-- nice things to nice have to pack or purchase. We were also thankful to see no oil or even signs of problems. We look very forward to our next visit!

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

Excellent Choice for Visit to the Cape

Guest: clemsonsc (South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 08/01/09 Review Submitted: 08/11/09

We just returned from a one week stay at the Blue Mermaid and had a great time in the condo, as well as at the beach. The condo is very tastefully furnished, is brand new and has every convenience one needs. It is just a few minutes walk to the beach. I highly recommend this as a comfortable and quality value choice when looking at condos in the area.

Owner response:Thanks for your kind comments. I hope you will come again.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, age 55+, pet owners, sightseeing.

Guest: Dawn Golden (-)
Date of Stay: 07/10/09 Review Submitted: 07/10/09

Barb, Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful vacation! You have a beautiful place!!! We would definitely rent from you again!!! (what are the temps for nov/dec & rates).The web pictures does no justice for your condo!! Very beautiful. It was sad when we had to leave and come back to reality. We met a really nice couple that vacationed in another condo right by yours. The guys fished and loved it. The kids had a wonderful time swimming fishing and building sand castles! They caught several baby sharks and one that was about 4 feet. Brian caught a red fish and it was 38 in. We never did try for any scallops! We also met a another couple that are Friends of yours. Not sure what there names were, but very nice. They live up by you and called you by Barbie. They came down for the weekend to do some sailing. Going to end now, but just wanted to say, Thanks for everything. Jim, Dawn and Hunter Golden

Recommended for:

Guest: Julie Townley (-)
Date of Stay: 07/07/09 Review Submitted: 07/07/09

It was great to meet you guys this weekend. I wanted to share a funny story. We met up with some friends and had dinner last night at Papa Joe's . We saw some gators out in the water while we ate. We walked out on the rackety-old pier after dinner and got to see a big gator up VERY close! He was right there at the end of the dock . Anyway, we were trying to get close pictures, and Joy's 10 year old daughter Anna drops her camera in the water. The gator comes over and rolls on top of it like it was prey and he was about to eat it. Fortunately, two manatees swam up and caused some excitement and he left the camera alone. We couldn't believe all the excitement and all of these animals that were right next to us! The little girl was upset and we told her the camera was a goner, but some very kind people in a tiny boat came over to the now heavily gator infested water, grabbed the camera, and handed it up to us. Son of a gun if it worked! The camera and camera card were working to our unbelief. We then saw some dolphins on our way out and joked that we just got a free trip to Sea World! It was a great dinner with free entertainment!! Have a good day, Julie

Recommended for:

Guest: Julie Townley (-)
Date of Stay: 07/07/09 Review Submitted: 07/07/09

It was great to meet you guys this weekend. I wanted to share a funny story. We met up with some friends and had dinner last night at Papa Joe's . We saw some gators out in the water while we ate. We walked out on the rackety-old pier after dinner and got to see a big gator up VERY close! He was right there at the end of the dock . Anyway, we were trying to get close pictures, and Joy's 10 year old daughter Anna drops her camera in the water. The gator comes over and rolls on top of it like it was prey and he was about to eat it. Fortunately, two manatees swam up and caused some excitement and he left the camera alone. We couldn't believe all the excitement and all of these animals that were right next to us! The little girl was upset and we told her the camera was a goner, but some very kind people in a tiny boat came over to the now heavily gator infested water, grabbed the camera, and handed it up to us. Son of a gun if it worked! The camera and camera card were working to our unbelief. We then saw some dolphins on our way out and joked that we just got a free trip to Sea World! It was a great dinner with free entertainment!! Have a good day, Julie

Recommended for:

The Ideal Vacation Home for Anyone

Guest: Joe and Janis (Three Mile Bay, Lake Ontario, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/12/09 Review Submitted: 04/20/09

Dear Barbie, You have an absolutely gorgeous home! Even though the pictures are accurate, they still do not do it justice. It is very clean, stocked with all the amenities anyone would ever need, and so very comfortable! The price is right and definitely worth every penny! You were kind enough to let us bring our dog, Bailey, who loved running in the water. We walked on the Gulf of Mexico white sandy beach twice a day on our stay April 12-17, 2009 and saw a large family of dolphins just off shore (as close as 30 feet) each time. We ate at Gracie O'Malley's, the Dockside Inn at the Marina, and Papa Joe's. Papa Joe's was definitely the best: large quantities, reasonable prices, and popular with the locals. We walked on the .5 mile nature walk just before you entered the St Joe's State Park on your right, an absolutely gorgeous view of St. Joe's Bay. We wished the Blue Mermaid was available for next year, but we can understand why it isn't. Barbie, you were very obliging in finding us another lovely home to rent and we thank you for your courtesy and tremendous customer service. Thank you for a week in Paradise,

Owner response:Thanks for your kind words. I hope to get down next year during your stay and finally meet you in person.

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

We Found Our Own Little Paradise

Guest: Vet Squared (Knoxville, TN)
Date of Stay: 10/04/08 Review Submitted: 10/16/08

Wonderful little duplex beach house! Barbie (the owner) was very helpful with restaurant recommendations and things to do. It is a beach house, (<5 minute walk to the beach), so it is up on "stilts" - the main floor is 2 short flights of stairs up, so not appropriate for handicapped. The master and one other bedroom are on the main floor (each have one bed) and the loft is upstairs with 2 double sized futons (probably more appropriate for kids, who should love the spiral staircase). There are 2 full baths - the master has just a shower (no tub), and a full kitchen well stocked with pots, pans, dinnerware, etc. When we arrived, the unit was very clean, nicely decorated, and charming. Our dogs loved the beach - we did twice daily long walks with them, and they didn't want to come back home! The unit sits on the first part of Cape San Blas (where it juts out from the mainland), and is about a 10 minute drive from Port St Joe, and about 25-30 minutes to Apalachicola. There's a fairly large grocery store in Port St Joe (Piggly Wiggly) as well as more stores in Apalachicola, and a couple minimart kind of shops on the cape, as well as numerous places to get fresh seafood. As we were there in October, the weather was great - about 68 in the morning, warming to about 83 in the late afternoon. We only had one day of rain while we were there. Just a couple notes: as with any beach property that's not directly ON the beach, mosquitoes can be quite aggressive as soon as you leave the beach, so don't forget the bug repellant. Also, in October, there is a grass that lets go of it's seed - a nasty little sticker called a "sand spur" - we learned quickly not to take the dogs out in the grass so we wouldn't have to pick the sand spurs out of their fur and from between their toes. Once we quit walking them in the grass, though - problem solved! Anyway - we had a wonderful, very relaxing time; I understand the beach there is never very crowded, but when we were there, we often felt like we were on our own private beach. This is a spot not to be missed, and the Blue Mermaid is a great place to stay for a small family or a couple. Thanks again, Barbie!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners.