It’s been 10 amazing months since we purchased SunCatcher! We have been so pleased with the response from family and friends and it delights us to no end to answer questions about our vacation rental!
So many questions have come to us that we decided to put together a list of “frequently asked questions” as follows:
Where is the house, how big, and how many does it sleep?
Located on St George Island Florida at:
857 East Gulf Beach Dr
SunCatcher is 1,500 sqft and has 3 queen bedrooms and 2 full baths. There is a twin mattress tucked under a bed with full twin bedding available as well as a queen air mattress. Please contact us regarding extended family as there are options for sharing a rental nearby!
What amenities are available in the house?
We are always adding something new to the house for our guests comfort and enjoyment! The house is fully equipped for your stay and includes:
* Bedrooms have full linens on each bed with one set of bath linens (bath/hand/face towel) for up to 7 guests as well as complimentary travel size bath soap and liquid hand soaps. Hair dryer in each bathroom; floor fan in west bedroom closet. Flat screen TV’s with Blue Ray VCR’s are located in 1st floor bedrooms; Cable TV with Blue Ray player in master suite.
* Kitchen is fully stocked for cooking including baking items, full set of cookware, utensils, table service, serving dishes, electric skillet, and small appliances including blender, toaster, toaster oven, Mr Coffee maker with filters, and Keurig coffee maker with complimentary k-cups. Fire extinguisher is located under the sink. Kitchen cleaning includes dish soap (liquid and dishwasher tablets) kitchen linens and scrubber pad. We have also stocked the kitchen with basic cooking spices and Folgers coffee. (If uncomfortable, feel free to purchase your own as these are open and available for our use as well as that of our guests!) We also provide bottled water to refresh you after traveling!
* Living room includes Flat screen TV with cable, free WiFi access, large selection of DVD’s (including children’s selections), puzzles, games, and a small library of books. Our large coffee table is a great place for games and comes with colored chalk for score keeping or your own artwork as the top is a recycled slate chalkboard!
* Laundry room is located under the house and includes Speed Queen washer and dryer (yes, they are older but work like a charm!) with complimentary soap and dryer sheets. Ironing board and iron are located in east bedroom closet.
* Outdoors we have seating on the front deck that includes 4 Adirondack style chairs and 2 chaises with table for relaxing in the shade! Pillows for outdoor use are stored on the entryway table. Under the house there is a park style picnic table as well as a built in park charcoal grill (charcoal & lighter fluid available) There is a large outdoor shower to wash off after the beach, foot washing station, and fish cleaning table. I should add that the house is a NO SMOKING establishment, but we have provided a “butt bucket” for those who partake outdoors. Lastly, we have 2 bikes available; one adult cruiser and one teen mountain bike. Bring your own helmet! (there are multiple rental options on SGI to accommodate group biking!)
* Beach items include beach towels (5), beach chairs (5), beach umbrella (2), beach bags, sunscreen, bug spray, boogie board and a new wagon to load and go to the beach! Don’t forget to take the bean bag toss game to the beach for a lil friendly daytime competition and the net and bucket for a lil ghost crabbing in the evening with the little ones! Please ask us about rental or purchase options for beach supplies…we have been known to assist with storage and/or transporting your purchases such as fishing poles and beach chairs!
Where is St George Island located?
SGI is a barrier island in the middle of Florida’s panhandle. It’s 28 miles long and 1 mile wide (at the widest point!) The island usage is broken into thirds: west 1/3 private, gated community called The Plantation; middle 1/3 (our location) called Gulf Beaches; west 1/3 is gated State Park (fee per vehicle for day usage) There is a modern, concrete 4 mile bridge from the mainland to reach us!
What airport do we use to get to SGI?
We recommend using either Tallahassee to the northeast or Panama City to the west. Either would give you a 1.5 hr drive along the Gulf Coast to reach SGI
How long is the drive to SGI from Iowa?
It’s a full 20 hrs drive from Des Moines to SGI. Not a rough trip, just long! LOL! Plan to drive straight thru 4am to 1am or break it into two days with a stop near Nashville or Tupelo; we’ve even made a 3 day journey straight south to New Orleans and then meandered along the Gulf Coast!
How much is your rental fee?
Our fees are based on similar area home rental fees (as required by federal guidelines to maintain our business). We charge based on a seasonal calendar which can be found under the calendar tab along with availability.
Fees are as follows:
$1,100/week low season (winter)
$1,400/week mid season (spring/fall)
$1,800/week high season (summer)
All taxes and fees are included in the stated price. Feel free to contact us about specials, discounts, or short stays!
Can I bring a pet?
Being pet lovers on a pet friendly island, this question has been difficult for us! We have decided on a “no pet” policy for a multitude of reasons, first and foremost being a dander free house for allergy suffering travelers! It is also more expensive for housekeeping staff to clean as well as frustrating to ask for damage coverage!
Thanks for understanding!
How far to the beach from the house? Is the beach public or private?
Our house is one block from the beach, and yes, you can see the Gulf and hear the waves from the front deck!
All beaches in the Gulf Beaches area are open for exploration and enjoyment!
What do we do there?
This is most frequently asked and most fun to answer! Do everything or nothing…just beach bum it!
OR
* Walk/bike/ride the beach and bike trail
* SUP/boat/boogie board/kayak in the Gulf, bay, or rivers
* Fish!! in the Gulf, bay, or rivers
* Shop on the Island or in nearby Apalachicola’s waterfront district (kind of a cross between Valley Junction & Court Ave: bistro’s, shops, microbrewery, restaurants and more!)
* Eat out and/or enjoy live music on the island or the mainland
* Prepare your own fresh seafood from local food trucks which bring fresh seafood to the island daily
* Explore! Climb the SGI Lighthouse, air boat rides, boat tours, horse back riding, charter deep sea fishing, schedule a dolphin experience, kayak the nearby rivers; all available along The Forgotten Coast on Highway 98!!!
Last but not least, during your stay on SGI you WILL NOT fight crowds on the beach, struggle with traffic or parking to get to the beach, nor experience resort type, high price/high end anything! Bring your flip flops and laid back attitude and be prepared to step back in time and enjoy real Southerners and a slice of “Old Florida” on The Forgotten Coast!
Hope to see Ya’ll soon!!!