Your Manatee and Scalloping Adventure Retreat in Crystal River

We fell in love with this home for different reasons. I love the massive master suite with a slider to the lanai and room for all our kids and grandkids to visit. For him, less practical maybe but "you had me at the palm trees". You walk thru the front doors directly onto a large foyer and a view through the living room of the lanai and pool with woods behind. We were home! Just perfect. I hope you enjoy it! ...If planning to book it is important that you KEEP READING. There is important info.

There is a lot of information in these descriptions that you may not get from the generic boxes available for me to check or even the photos. Please take the time to read everything to know what you are getting!

The mature palm trees are spectacular, but so is the house. And it all leads your gaze to the pool and lanai. An entire wall of moving glass doors overlooks the pool off of the living area; and there is even a full bathroom in the courtyard. Wow. What a view.

6 bedrooms it says? 3 huge bedrooms, a game room, a den and an office - all with doors for private sleeping arrangements - surround an open living area with a fantastic, fully appointed kitchen available for your use. It's almost like the house in the game "Clue".

We had really high standards for a master suite. And this home checks all the boxes. Large, with a sitting area overlooking - and accessible to - the pool. Enormous walk-in closet. Gigantic master bathroom with multiple sinks, a huge shower, and a 2 person jetted tub. And, one thing that was a bonus. A sauna. Just perfect.

The other bedrooms are at the other end of the house. They are large and share the other full bathroom that is larger than many master baths! And remember, there is a third bath off the lanai. Both are easily accessible to the pool and the house.

To add to the argument that you might have with each other regarding "what is the best feature of the house?" Did I mention the pool and lanai? Fully screened with a covered lanai housing a large dining lounge set and four large, cushioned chaises surrounding the newly resurfaced and heated pool.

Originally, we added a solar heating system to the pool for a renewable energy solution. That wasn't warm enough for everyone so we also put in an electric heat pump that can handle cloudy days and colder guests. Solar heat is included. There is an additional daily fee for using electric heat.

We also wanted to make the out-of-doors more a part of your experience - with a gas grill, a charcoal grill, and a fire pit. The firepit sits under a tall canopy of trees surrounded by citronella buckets and sparkling lights. A magical place to spend your evenings visiting and making s'mores.

There is a grove of trees and bushes that create a thicket that adds a great deal of privacy to the front yard. Our daughter and her family recently visited; she took it upon herself to make a special place in that grove. She hollowed out the center of the grove and found a way of setting up the hammock that I previously hadn't found a place for. I now call it "Hillary's Hammock Hollow". That name probably deserves a plaque! It is an awesome spot to get away from it all in relative privacy.

The other new inspiration was to install two separate fences. One outside in the backyard for pets, the other - inspired by my active, toddler grandson - is a child/dog fence on the lanai blocking off the pool. This will add a great degree of comfort to any parents with small children. You can now enjoy the lanai without watching them every second around the pool. It will be installed only for guests with small children by request and can be removed altogether or partially opened for access to the pool.

You will have access to the entire home and grounds with a few exceptions. The garage will be off limits as well as one of the closets in the master suite. We will put anything private in those locations. So, you can feel confident that you are free to use anything else. Also, the camper is not available to guests at this time.

At this time, you being in the home means that we are likely up north. However, if work has kept us in Florida we may need to stay in the camper that we store on the property for a few days at a time.

We are very prompt at responding to questions through the Airbnb system, and hopefully, we will have provided you with everything you need to know for a wonderful stay

When we first saw the house, we noticed how mature the trees were, and how much space there was between homes. An awesome neighborhood. Quiet. Spacious. Acres of deep woods behind our home. Close to a golf course and not far from a grocery store.

But what we cared most about was the location. We're close to all the natural attractions that make this area so popular: Crystal River, Homosassa Springs, and Weeki Wachee. So, we are incredibly close to all of these spring fed rivers and some of the most spectacular clear water kayaking, paddleboarding, and manatee watching anywhere. And then there is "scalloping" from July 1 through Sept 24.

And the food? Awesome restaurants abound. Check out my guidebooks for help in navigating the various adventures. And culinary options!

We're not far off of US19/98. So it's easy to get around. But not a mecca for public transportation. US19 takes you to Homosassa Springs and Weeki Wachee to the the south and Three Sisters spring, etc in Crystal River just to the north.

Tampa is the nearest major airport. The best way to get there is via the Suncoast Parkway (SR589). You can now catch it just East of Crystal River by taking W Venable St to SR44. The parkway takes you straight to and from the airport.

This is also the fastest way to get to Clearwater area beaches.

That expansion also brings the Suncoast Trail trailhead to within a few miles of our home. Just another example of the broad access we have to outdoor activities.

Once your booking is complete, please be aware that we require additional steps to complete your reservation of this property. You will receive a link to our Rental Agreement. Once completed, you will receive a link to our Guest Portal where you will find access to additional information and will be asked to reserve certain free amenities and have the opportunity to purchase "Add ons". A short time before arrival we will also request and require a payment source to reserve a Security Deposit for your stay.

For direct bookings and bookings through services that do not require positive identification in order to book, we will require a photo ID to be provided through the guest portal. This will consist of uploading a scan of your passport or driver's license along with a 'selfie'.

The House Rules are also available for you on the Guest Portal. The House Rules are an easy-to-read addendum to the rental agreement that outlines the information that is applicable to all guests. We will also send you a copy and ask that you download and share this document with all other guests.

We provide additional services offline. We call these Add Ons.

"Add ons" include both certain free amenities and items available for a fee. All can be easily arranged through our Guest Portal. This is the site that you access immediately after you sign our Rental Agreement. We will send you a link. You will be able to: 1) request optional free amenities like setting up a port-a-crib, etc. and 2) select and pay for things like: a late checkout, a supply of breakfast groceries waiting for you in the fridge in case you arrive too late to go to the store, a cleaning by our housekeeper during your stay, electric heat for the pool, etc. If you have questions or can't find these on the guest portal, reach out and ask about any of these items of interest. Our guest portal is a separate system, so purchases will require separate payment (credit card) arrangement.

We have purchased Damage Protection Coverage on your behalf. This policy covers the first $1500 worth of accidental damage. It excludes damage by unregistered pets, and linens. Please let us know right away if anything happens. You would remain responsible for anything beyond this coverage. Please note, while booking you may be offered a 'trip interruption' policy. It's not a damage policy, but may be a good purchase if you are worried about events that might lead to cancellation. We especitally recommend it to all of our long-term guests because of the alternate cancellation policy for long-term stays.

For long-term stays during the months of January - April we have a specific cancellation policy. The first 30 days is the deposit. It is due at booking and is non-refundable. The remaining dates are refundable until 30 days before check-in. To reiterate, we recommend that anyone considering a long-term stay purchase a trip interruption insurance policy. Ask and we can refer you.

Because of issues with parties and disruptive events, at this time, some of the booking services do not allow gatherings of more than 16 people - even just during the day. We're in agreement with that. If you have a larger group, and you were hoping to make it easier to share the cost of an exclusive home like ours - we're sorry. We aren't interested in alienating our neighbors or having our listing suspended for you.

If you've ever had a pool you know it can take more work sometimes than a once-a-week visit from 'the pool guy'. While you're staying you may need to do a few maintenance things to ensure that it is available when you want it. For example, chlorine evaporates. If there is a heavy rain, it can impact the water chemistry more than the experts may have anticipated and now algae is growing and the pool is getting cloudy, etc. The easiest thing to say is, let us know and we will talk you through what you can do. And none of it is hard. There is more about maintenance in the house manual.
Check-out time: 10:00

Area Information

When we first saw the house, we noticed how mature the trees were, and how much space there was between homes. An awesome neighborhood. Quiet. Spacious. Acres of deep woods behind our home. Close to a golf course and not far from a grocery store.

But what we cared most about was the location. We're close to all the natural attractions that make this area so popular: Crystal River, Homosassa Springs, and Weeki Wachee. So, we are incredibly close to all of these spring fed rivers and some of the most spectacular clear water kayaking, paddleboarding, and manatee watching anywhere. And then there is "scalloping" from July 1 through Sept 24.

And the food? Awesome restaurants abound. Check out my guidebooks for help in navigating the various adventures. And culinary options!