Vacation Rentals by Owner

Vacation

Guest: Tom40 (Hendersonville, TN)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

This is a comfortable home and area. We had 3 generations with plenty of space. The Pool man came on Tues & Sat. The trash man comes on Tues too. An unreal sunset on the pier. We even attended Church on Sunday close by and were Blessed. We're coming back!

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

Guest: Scott Family/McCann Family
Date of Stay: 10/18/07 Review Submitted: 10/17/07

LIKED: Wild Blue Yonder is a wonderful house. It is so roomy, with lots of windows and light. It has a great master bedroom and bath, especially the jacuzzi! In the kitchen we liked it because it is so spacious (room for several to work at the same time). It was well stocked and had lots of storage. We really loved the 2 living areas--TV watching area, visiting game playing area. The pool area was lovely. For us the long distance service was very nice and videos/DVDs added a nice touch with the computer and wireless internet. MEMORIES: One of our best family get-togethers ever. 7 of the 10 attended the FSU/Miami game (a true house divided) then came home to swim some and beach some. Our son is scheduled for deployment after Christmas and this is probably the only time we can all be together before that time, so this is very special. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We are honored we could be the venue for your son's last vacation before deploying. I am hopeful you used the military discount when you asked for your rates. I returned from a year in the Middle East in the summer of 2007 and was very glad to get to the house in early 2008 with my 3 kids and my 3 nephews. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The steps are very slick when wet. The porches are lovely but railing heights make it difficult to sit and look out; some of the railing spokes are rotted and dangerous. OWNER'S COMMENTS: Steps -- the steps were painted with a sand/paint mix in order to increase traction when the stairs are wet. Also in the Spring of 2008, non-slip tape was added to some of the back stairs in order to mark the edges and increase traction. Railing spokes -- many of the railing spokes were replaced in the Winter of 2007 to address this very problem. Thanks for your comments, they make a difference.

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Guest: Emily, Shelby, Eva, Taylor, Dave
Date of Stay: 10/17/07 Review Submitted: 10/16/07

OWNER'S NOTE: I had to share this entry in our guestbook from the house because unlike all the rest it was in crayon and surrounded with great crayong drawings of the house through the eyes of a "less than 10 year old." The memories are exactly the kinds of things we hope to build at Wild Blue Yonder. MEMORIES: We went to the shops and to the ocean and swimming. I liked liked coloring and buying toys. I loved everything. I liked my Meme coming to the beach and loved Harry A's hamburgers. For Taylor -- the most fun moments were building forts and a when a crab crawled his my foot. Another child wrote, I loved the blue chairs cause you can spin in them, but don't sit back cause I flipped and almost broke my toe, everyone laughed, me too. OWNER'S COMMENTS: Again, we love these stories. Unfortunately, after two years of the "blue chairs" which kids loved and adults hated, the chairs are history. We have one replacement and will add more after we determine the "decorating road ahead."

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Guest: Smith Family plus 6 others
Date of Stay: 09/01/07 Review Submitted: 08/31/07

LIKED: We loved the house! Four bedrooms were great as are the two dining tables and two family rooms. Wild Blue Yonder had plenty of room for us to spread out. The pool was wonderful and the beach access is great too. MEMORIES: It was comfortable in the high 80s, so we swam, swam, and swam some more; then ate, ate, and ate. We took many trips into Apalachicola for chocolate. The Estuarine Research Center was quite a find! Lots of new fish with Critters. Met some crabs. All the kids dug it. The stupid puzzle we started would not have been so difficult if we'd started earlier in the week. We took day trips to Apalachicola and Tallahhassee. We fell in love with shops in downtown Apalach and ate lots of fabulous seafood we cooked ourselves. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: In the continuing saga of the stairs, they really need to be painted or marked for safety. OWNER'S COMMENTS: Similar to the comments earlier, the stairs were entirely painted with a sand/paint mixture to try and alleviate some of the guest concerns. In the Spring of 2008, non-slip tape was put down both to mark the edge of some of the stairs and to help folks' grip.

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Guest: Joyner Family
Date of Stay: 08/18/07 Review Submitted: 08/17/07

LIKED: The house is big enough to do everything. MEMORIES: We scallopped from ponttons at Port St Joe. We took a boat tour of Wakulla Springs Park (hilarious tour guide). We did lots of grilling, swimming, shell hunting, playing in very rough waves. We also cleaned scallops, and painted seascapes with a new paint set. But eh best part was when we saw sea turtles hatch; we asked the researcher millions of questions and then came back to the beach the following night to watch another nest hatch.

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Guest: Lambert Family/Ourdry Family
Date of Stay: 08/04/07 Review Submitted: 08/03/07

LIKED: Overall, this was one of the best vacation experiences to date. We plan on visiting St George Island and Wild Blue Yonder again next year. MEMORIES: We really enjoyed the quiet beach, local restaurants,and of course, the ice cream place. I completed one project - grew a beard. The walks on the beach were beautiful and our quality time in the pool was excellent. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Some of the DVD/VHS cassettes were empty, aside from this our only other suggestion is an elevator or ramp for individuals suffering from motor disability/elderly. OWNER'S COMMENTS: DVD/VHSs -- Unfortunately some of our videos walk off during the year. We try to replace some of them in the Spring of each year. Obviously, with guests as diverse as a 14 month old up to grandparents, we cannot choose replacement ones which fit every group. We are hoping the cable company will begin offering TiVO-type services soon, so our guests can stay on the beach or at the pool all day and still get their shows recorded to watch before bed. Elevator -- we are considering this and exploring options for the future.

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Guest: Diehl Family/Lottman Family
Date of Stay: 07/21/07 Review Submitted: 07/20/07

LIKED: The house was fantastic! The baby chairs and cribs were great. I must admit for my first family vacation together it turned out to be great -- would definitely rent Wild Blue Yonder again. MEMORIES: We spent most of our time swimming (ocean and pool), walks on the beach, and riding Harleys. We played alot of football in the yard, cooked out, enjoyed watching the nightly storms with lightning, read books and played games. We found a baby turtle in the pool, saw lots of birds and woodpeckers too. The best expereince was seeing my husband relaxed and happy, just all of us being together without being on top of each other was great. OWNER'S COMMENTS: The thunderstorms with lightning from the screened in porch or from the upstairs veranda is awe inspiring and one of our favorite things. While we play lots of basketball while we are there, football seems to be a big thing. We will be clearing some of the brush behind the pool in the Fall of 2008 to make even more "play space." Over an acre is alot to work with. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Maintenance had to come out for upstairs shower handle, they were great people. The steps when wet are really slick, maybe yellow caution tape or grip tape would help out. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We are glad our guests needs are met in a timely manner. Collins maintenance folks have never let our guests down. Slick Steps -- as we mentioned in our comments regarding comments from a guest in May, we realize this is a concern. In Spring 2007 we fully repainted the stairs with a sand/paint mixture to increase the "traction" and in Spring 2008, we put down grip tape along the edges of most steps to address your concerns.

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Guest: No name in the house guestbook
Date of Stay: 07/07/07 Review Submitted: 07/06/07

LIKED:-- This was our second time staying at Wild Blue Yonder. It really is the perfect house. We also love its pool and beleieve it is the biggest or one of the biggest on the island. We like the house because it's a perfect layout, we never feel crowded, even with all of us here. The kitchen is so well stocked with everything we need--one reason that we wanted to return for sure. We love the porches too and spend lots of time there. Even though we had the minor bathroom leak which was quickly fixed, we had a great time and we plan to continue renting here as often as we can. MEMORIES: We spent alot of time playing pool volleyball. We loved the beautiful sunrises -- we went to the beach for them daily. We spent most of our time at beach, noon and night. We also spent alot of time riding bikes and sharing ice cream at Aunt Ebby's. Daryl cooked amazing breakfasts in the great kitchen every morning. We ate supper at the courtyard of Harry A's with the cool breezes off the ocean and a band playing our songs. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: During our stay there was a minor leak in the upstairs bathroom. Maintenance came in 20 minutes and said they'll fix it after we leave. The switch on the dryer is not working well. We love the porches, but could even be better with ceiling fans. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We love to have return guests who think of this as "their" house each year. They give us great feedback and can tell what changes have been made and what improvements they would like to see to make their stay even better. Leak in the bathroom and the minor ceiling damage -- was fixed in July after the guests checked out in order not to impact their stay. The ceiling was totally repaired in the off-season. Dryer knob -- also replaced quickly. Thanks again for staying with us each year. Ceiling fans on the porches -- when we first bought the house, there were ceiling fans mounted in the porches. However, after two years of gusting winds in the winter, they became unstable, unsafe, and just plane ugly. We chose to take them down and will look into another idea for that area in the future.

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Guest: Mahaffey Family/Luezcy Family
Date of Stay: 06/30/07 Review Submitted: 06/29/07

LIKED: The size of the house was a bonus for our group. MEMORIES: We really enjoyed pool time, beach time and book reading. Enjoying the family was important to us on this first trip to St George Island. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The front and back screen doors had to have locks replaced. The upstairs pullout linens were stained. There were some cobwebs on front porch. There was no jacuzzi or dock. The blender bowl is busted and we felt the pictures on internet were misleading because they show front of house with only 3-4 steps, dunes cover the rest, gives the impression you can go out front to go around the house to the pool or to bring luggage in. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We are sad to see your first stay on the island did not seem like it was a good one. We try to stay ahead of every item, but find it difficult if guests don't report on things that need improving. We always welcome your comments and act on them as quickly as possible. Our goal is to help you make memories on St George Island, just as we and our family have. With that said, let's take each item -- front and rear screen door locks -- yes the locks were changed during and we understand the repair team was quick and responsive to your needs. Upstairs linens and the few porch cobwebs -- the cleaning crew for Wild Blue Yonder was replaced in the Fall of 2007. We went to personally check on the new team's work in the Spring of 2008. Both our evaluation and the comments of the recent guests point to an almost spotless house including the linens. Jacuzzi and dock -- the jacuzzi advertised is a jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom with room for two versus a jacuzzi brand outdoor hot tub -- the four minute walk to the private community dock is described in detail on the handout posted on the refridgerator. The blender bowl, as with the door locks was supposedly replaced/fixed shortly after your call. And finally, the pictures of the stairs. Our aim is not to mislead with our photos, but give you an overall sense of the property. The advertising describes a house with great views and one tall enough to park a large boat under. We did not try to hide the number of stairs (36 on the back side, less in the front). Again, we are disappointed your trip was not perfect but hope your comments and our subsequent responses will make it better for the next guests.

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Guest: Moores
Date of Stay: 06/23/07 Review Submitted: 06/22/07

LIKED: Absolutely loved the pool -- its was big and was great. The house was big enought for all of us to be comfortable--we have been coming to St George Island for 19 years and we all agreed we would like to come back to Wild Blue Yonder. MEMORIES: We always went fishing, caught lots of whiting, pompano, and have plenty to carry home for later use, enjoyed eating the fish and shrimp here at Wild Blue Yonder. Of our group, some of the kids went shopping, read books, watched TV, did puzzles, most of all rested and slept; lots of time at the beach. The best memory was just being with all of our children and grandchildren. These times together are treasured moments for all of us. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We look forward to being apart of these types of memories every year. The Moore's are returning in 2008 and we hope to have more great stories from them. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The front door needs a new lock. It surely would be nice to have an elevator. The back stairs can be tricky, maybe a dark blue stripe along the edge might help. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We really apprecaite comments from those who stay year after year with us. They see things we sometimes miss. Front door -- the front and back door locks were totally replaced in the fall of 2007 due to these and others comments. Elevator -- we are considering this in the future. Marking the stairs -- the stairs have continued to be a comment area where we can improve. They are painted white as you can see in the photos. IN order to make them less slippery after it rains, the St George Island standard is to mix sand into the paint. We had the stairs totally repainted with this mixture in the Spring of 2007 to meet our guest's comments. In March of 2008 we put down no-slip (gray) tape along the edge of the stairs to further meet our guests needs. Thanks for your suggestion.

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Guest: Rodgers
Date of Stay: 06/16/07 Review Submitted: 06/15/07

MEMORIES: It was our grandson Bud's first vacation, he's 14 months old and loved the pool and the beach.

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Guest: Rankins
Date of Stay: 06/09/07 Review Submitted: 06/08/07

LIKED: All the activities, the ocean and Bay. MEMORIES: Making wind chimes in Wild Blue Yonder's big living room. Our grandson went crabbing for his first time. OWNER COMMENTS: Many of our guests are multiple generations of families. When we review the guest book duirng our visits, we read lots of reports on fishing, crabbing, clam diggin, turtle hatch watching, birding, and just plain wildlife stories capture the memories of young and old alike. Keep your stories coming.

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Guest: Whiteheads
Date of Stay: 06/02/07 Review Submitted: 06/01/07

LIKED: Loved the house did not want to leave. MEMORIES: Being with my family on vacation for the first time in years was a blessing and Wild Blue Yonder was perfect for it.

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Guest: Brown Family/Cook Family
Date of Stay: 05/19/07 Review Submitted: 05/18/07

LIKED: Overall, Wild Blue Yonder is great -- this is our FOURTH year of returning and we definitely want to return next year. We love the pool, the closeness of the beach and the privacy of the house and pool. MEMORIES: We always love bike riding and kayaking in the bay and ocean. Good ice cream at Aunt Ebby's is a must. We also took day trips to historic Apalach and visited the Estuarine Center at St Vincent's Refuge. It had very interesting exhibits and nature facts for the kids. We celebrated Lori's (xx) birthday and had the best time letting the kids kayak in the surf and watching them flip the boat. SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Please replace the blue chairs. They flip over easy. The extra blankets for the pullout beds (not the couches) needed washed. The front door lock was difficult to use. OWNER'S COMMENTS: Thanks for these issues. Blue chairs -- yep, they are finally gone. Although we chuckled at the memories from the guestbook laughing at PawPaw flipping over, they had to go. Blanket cleaning -- In the fall of 2007 we changed the cleaning crew responsible for the house and have heard nothing but praise. We checked it out in March 2008 and everything was spotless. Front door locks -- both the front and back door lockes were totally replaced in the fall of 2007 due to yours and others comments. Keep them coming and we'll definitely have room for you next year.

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Guest: Merganthalers
Date of Stay: 05/13/07 Review Submitted: 05/12/07

LIKED: We loved Wild Blue Yonder with its many porches and the warm pool. MEMORIES: While we were there we mostly had pool parties and enjoyed family time together. Our best memory was the wedding on the beach with the reception at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola. OWNER'S COMMENT: The heated pool is truly an asset which is scarce on the island. It provides nearly year round enjoyment and is within "watching distance" of parents on the porches of the kids. We are looking into the elevator issue for the future. GUEST'S SUGGESTION/RECOMMENDATION: We would have appreciated having an elevator for the older people. OWNER'S COMMENTS: We are looking into the elevator issue down the road.

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Guest: Jennifer & Byron
Date of Stay: 09/18/05 Review Submitted: 09/17/05

“ We have been to St George Island many times and to Sans Souci/Wild Blue Yonder twice. We would definitely recommend this house to our family and friends because the house, the yard and the pool have always been clean, up to date and fully equipped with everything we need.”

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Guest: Kathleen
Date of Stay: 09/18/05 Review Submitted: 09/17/05

“We take our children and grandchildren on a vacation each year. The past March we rented Wild Blue Yonder. The top floor was perfect for my daughter, husband, and three kids (4, 6, 8). My husband and I had the master bedroom on the main floor. The laundry facilities in the house were a definite must with three little kids. We felt the distance from the road made the house very safe – and access to the beach was easy! The only downside was the pool heater was broken.OWNER’S COMMENTS: We realize the importance of an operable pool heater to all of you. Major pool heater maintenance was performed in May 2005 and there should be no more problems in the future.

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Guest: Cynthia and John
Date of Stay: 09/18/05 Review Submitted: 09/17/05

“We spend most of our time relaxing, fishing, biking, reading, and hanging out at the beach. We return to Wild Blue Yonder because it has plenty of room, a great swimming pool, and its location. You could improve your house by putting other than carpet in the dining areas to avoid messes during eating. Please check the propane level during the spring in order to heat the pool.” OWNER’S COMMENTS: Thanks for the idea on flooring for easier care, we will work on that. As far as the pool heater, major pool heater maintenance was performed in May 2005 and there should be no more problems in the future.

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Guest: Vickie
Date of Stay: 09/12/05 Review Submitted: 09/11/05

We have visited different homes on St George Island six times and we loved Wild Blue Yonder the most of any that we have ever stayed at. Things to improve -- we could not get the telescope to work and the linen rental is dumb. Other than that we'll definitely be back! OWNER’S COMMENTS: The linen fee has been eliminated and we will take care of the telescope shortly.

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Guest: Trish
Date of Stay: 09/09/05 Review Submitted: 09/08/05

Why would you recommend Wild Blue Yonder to your friends or family? Because me and my family had a wonderful time. We had PLENTY of room and it was quiet! My family feels the same way I do -- they say they don't want to stay anywhere else when we come to St George Island. We will definitely return to your home. Thank you!

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