Special Note: In case you were wondering, the red tide being experienced in southwest Florida is not at all present at our location. The water is clean and the fish are biting!
*****Also see our other waterfront listing (vrbo# 961733) just down the canal from this property. It is a larger home and yard, big enough for 10 yet cozy for two.*****
Hernando Beach is a special place. It is so rare to find such a laid back, safe, and friendly place these days, where the neighbors walk their dogs or just stroll down the street to catch the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. You can feel the vibe as soon as you roll into town. It seems to go hand-in-hand with the fresh ocean breeze.
This property is quintessential Hernando Beach. Built in the 70's but updated and newly remodeled inside and out. It's a two bedroom one bath home, with high ceilings, a heated pool and a large back deck overlooking the water. The master bedroom includes a queen bed. The second bedroom includes twin bunk beds. The sofa in the living room is a sleeper sofa. So, all together it sleeps six comfortably, and an inflatable mattress is available to sleep two more if needed. Fully stocked kitchen with stove, oven and microwave. Cable TV, high speed internet, DVD player and library. The cabana by the pool includes a full sized washer and drier. Very large back deck overlooking the water and the private boat dock. Beautifully landscaped with tropical foliage including citrus and bananas. Great for grilling and watching the boats go by. Or use the dock to tie up your own boat, or a locally-rented pontoon boat. The property includes a 17 foot canoe and a small boat ramp for launching it. It is also ideal for launching kayaks, paddle boards, or even a small john boat. We love our dog and we know that they are part of the family. Therefore, our property is pet-friendly. We keep it sparkling clean and we expect our guests to abide by our pet policy. The back area is fenced-in with a vinyl privacy fence, so Fido can run around and chase the lizards or perhaps just watch them curiously.
Dolphins are frequently seen frolicking in the canal. Even manatees, sea turtles, and huge tarpon are sometimes seen. Ospreys are always around, and bald eagles are spotted sometimes as well. Just down the canal, the open water of the Gulf of Mexico is very inviting, with clean sandy areas ideal for dropping the anchor and wading in the waist deep water while collecting shells and viewing fish. The sunsets over the gulf are spectacular, showing nightly.
Two beaches are within a few miles, as is kayaking on the crystal clear Weeki Wachee river, where manatees are always around during the cooler months of the year. At Weeki Wachee State Park, you can catch the world-famous mermaid show where a below ground theatre provides a view into one of the largest freshwater springs in the world, and site of many Hollywood movies. If paddling with manatees makes you want to jump in the water and hug them, you can actually do that - just down the road a few miles in Crystal River or Homosassa, where tour operators provide wetsuits, snorkeling gear, and boat rides to enter the water with wild manatees that have come in from the Gulf of Mexico to the 72 degree springs to wait out old man winter.
We provide two bicycles for your enjoyment. The neighborhood streets and sidewalks are safe for riding. Just a short walk from the property, there's a trailhead for the 11,000 acre Weeki Wachee Preserve. Many miles of hiking or biking provides a nature experience with crystal clear spring lakes, palm forests, countless wading birds, and if you're lucky you might catch a rare glimpse of one of Florida's wild black bears.
Hernando Beach is a very small, quiet seaside town, but it includes some of the best restaurants in the Spring Hill area. The food is great, there's live entertainment, and the waterfront setting is very relaxing. Just 5-10 minutes down the road, depending on which way you go, Spring Hill offers many more opportunities for shopping and dining. With a population of 170,000 people in the Spring Hill/Brooksville area, you can imagine the retail and dining options. However, if a trip to the big city is called for, a one hour trip down the Suncoast Parkway will lead you into the Tampa/St Petersburg metro area, with a population of about 4 million people and all the offerings of one of America's finest resort destinations. Highway 50 leads to Orlando in under two hours. Disney, Universal, and people from all over the world.
After a long day of fun, it's really nice to return home to your beautiful little home overlooking the water in Hernando Beach. The streets are all dead-end streets that end at the Gulf of Mexico, so traffic is light. It's an ideal little village for walking or riding your bike, or if you have a boat, just cruising the canals and viewing the properties and boats. There's even some waterfront dining where you can arrive by boat, and the same goes for the convenience store just down the canal.
For really great boating, there's of course the open gulf, where one may enjoy fishing, scuba diving, scalloping, swimming, sailing, dolphin watching, or star gazing. The near shore waters in this area are usually quite calm, with 2 foot seas or less most of the time. It's an ideal area to head out offshore, drop anchor and spend the night.