Discover Florida #2 – Dream Vacation, the South Gulf Coast and a jewel of a private rental: Alan’s Florida Villa

Florida Vacationers' Prayer

Bless our Florida vacation, oh Lord we pray,
Please keep us safe every day.
Bless the weather, the clouds, the sun,
May the rain not keep us from fun.
Bless the lines in traffic we'll wait,
May we always behave like a saint.
Help us especially to try not to fuss,
When so many are in line ahead of us.
Bless our wallet, our credit cards too,
May we have enough money to visit the zoo.
Florida is such a great destination, Lord,
Please make it one THAT WE CAN AFFORD!
-Dawn Henthorn

Who wouldn’t love a relaxing Florida vacation? The Gulf beaches await you… powdery sands, azure skies and the green/blue waters. Ahh! Can’t you see yourself basking in the sun (slathered in sunscreen, to be sure.)

But after the beach, what then?

Do you really want to be in a motel? Don’t they all feel like jail cells after a bit? And if you’re in a beach side condo with all the sunbathers, kids and shell hunters walking by your window, you may as well be in a gold fish bowl. There’s always the big resort hotels for those who like to look down on paradise from a tenth story balcony.

There’s an alternative. Try a private rental. Spend your vacation in a real home, in a real community and live the Florida life the way Floridians do. I’ve found the perfect place.

Half-way down the Florida peninsula, on the Gulf coast, in between the cities of Sarasota and Fort Meyers, you find the Charlotte Harbor area – quiet, green and peaceful. Two large rivers flow into the harbor, to the north, the Myakka River and to the south the Peace River.

Just south of the Myakka, very close to Gasparilla Island and the wonderful destination of Boca Grande, in the luxurious development of South Gulf Cove, a villa awaits:

Alan's Florida Villa

Alan’s Florida Villa.

This vacation rental comes completely equipped with anything and everything a family, or a group of visitors could want.

And the location is perfect. Secluded, private and quiet, with only the forest for a neighbor.

Close to several wonderful beaches:

• Siesta Key -- rated #2 beach in the United States (one hour)
• Venice Beach (forty minutes)
• Englewood Beach (twenty minutes)
• Manesota Key (twenty minutes)
• Boca Grande and Gasparilla Beaches (fifteen minutes)
• Fort Meyers (one hour)
  

But this villa is so beautiful, you may not want to go anywhere.

Alan is a professional landscape designer and the grounds around the villa reflect his skill. The first thing to catch my eye was the Bougainvillea vines trained to climb the columns of the front entrance portico. They were just coming into bloom, now that the summer heat has passed and the more temperate months have arrived, and I hoped I'd return to see them in their glory later.

The garden under the front window was a joy to behold to a gardener like myself. I was as enthralled with the plantings and design as I was with the interior (maybe more so, but then that's me.)

Time to come inside, and first to greet my eye was the living room, and a view of the pool just beyond the lanai; a sight so lovely, I forgot to look at anything else. In the late afternoon sun, all I could think was 'Oh nuts, I didn't bring my swimsuit!' but seeing as it was just my friend, Karelle and I, and as you've noticed from the satellite photo, there isn't another soul around... Yes, had a nice swim.

Once dried off, I  again snatched up my camera and set about the task I was there to do, take picture of Alan's Florida Villa. And it is a beautiful place.

To the right is a picture of the living room, a comfortable casual place to relax.

If you were standing in the room, the kitchen is to the right, with a large bar and stools for casual eating. I snooped around in there, and I have to tell you, nothing has been overlooked. There's enough glassware and dishes to outfit a large party. Cookware, flatware, even spices -- all is provided.

Off to the side is a small kitchen style table and chairs -- for breakfast, I assume because ....

... for those more important occasions -- black tie affairs and such -- there's a formal dining room just through an archway.

I admired the furnishings of the room, as I did in all the rooms. Allan either hired a great interior designer or he has impeccable taste. Karelle assured me it was the latter.

Beautifully appointed, don't you think?

I imagined myself sitting down for Chilean seabass lightly grilled on the barbeque outside on the lanai, dressed only in a dab of butter and a squirt of Florida lemon (the fish, that is), with a side of Gulf shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic (squeeze that lemon again, please), and some of those delicious fresh tomatoes you can only buy at the farmer's market that actually taste like tomatoes ... Sigh!

Come the starry skies of night (because there's no street lights to spoil the view) and after a day at the beach, or a trip to Warm Mineral Springs or an afternoon of shopping and that beautiful dinner I just imagined, I'm tired. And so is my large group of family and friends vacationing with me.

This villa has five bedrooms, two of them master suites ...

.... and four bathrooms!

But there's more.

If the kids aren't ready to sleep, there's a Wii set up in one of the televisions, or if they just can't live another day without getting on-line and checking up on friends (or perhaps it's the business person who needs a fix) the whole house is wired for Wi-Fi.

Nope, I said to myself, nothing but nothing is left to chance. Allan has thought of everything for the comfort of his guests.

But Allan had one more suprise in store for me. I opened the door to the garage and found --

An amazing place.

I talked to Allan via Skipe (he lives in England) and asked him what the rental fees for all this comfort might be.

"The weekly rate fluctuates seasonally, of course, but averages to $1,000/weekly. Yes, there's a refundable damage deposit of around $350. The minimum stay would be one week, but terms can be for as long as desired..."

Sitting on the kitchen counter is a binder labeled Allan's favorite places. It's a comprehensive collection of places to visit, restaurants and their menus, local sights, businesses, theaters and shopping destinations, along with Allan's comments and recommendations.

How can you reach Allan? -- Easy.

home:01293 524949 (U.K.)
mobile: 07880731318 (U.K.)
email:alancovey@virginmedia.com

In case you need more reasons to make the South Gulf Coast of Florida your next vacation destination, I've added more pictures and links below.

Some of us came here once for a vacation and never did go home .... Like me!