Everything we expected and more.

Review submitted: October 31, 2012   Date of arrival: September 19, 2012

We just got home to Michigan and I had to let you know what a wonderful time we had at Innisfree ! You have a beautiful home,my mother couldn't get over how nice it was. What a perfect place to gather for our son's graduation from Marine corps recruit training.My wife,myself and our entire family could not have had a better time,or spent it in a more lovely place! Watching dolphins,crabbing,and just relaxing. It was everything we expected and more! Thank You so much,

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ANOTHER GREAT VISIT!

Lana (Clarksville, TN)
Review submitted: September 14, 2011   Date of arrival: September 2, 2011

I rented Innisfree last year and my family enjoyed it so much, that we returned this past Labor Day weekend. It was perfect for my grandchildren ages 7 and 22 month old twins to roam, swing, fish, catch crabs and tons of jumbo shrimp! The house is clean, beautiful and a true southern feel nestled in such a private, peaceful spot. My children live locally and they are in love with this place. We celebrated my granddaughters 7th birthday and the highlight of the party was the kids catching crabs of the dock in their small crab pots. The dolphins were very active, 4-5 playing off the dock nightly. The bugs were bad this year, so bring plenty of bug spray. The black lab, March, and his friend a german shepard greated us each morning and evening. Enjoyed shopping in nearby Frogmore and a trip to the beach on Hunting Island. The location, amenities, and the quality of the property makes this one of my most favorite places to stay in S.C. My kids want us to make this stay a yearly event! Thanks Estelle for sharing your beautiful home with my family once again. We are making lots of beautiful memories. As my 7-year old granddaughter put it..."this is the most awesomust place to have my birthday...can we do it again grandma?"

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Better than expected!

wayfield (Nashville, TN)
Review submitted: June 7, 2011   Date of arrival: May 27, 2011

Rarely do we go somewhere and have the property better than we expected. What a surprise it was to drive up and see a wonderful southern home with the most beautiful property surrounding it. The back of the house has a very large deck that was where we spent most of our time. The dock was really close and our son brought his boat around and kept it there the entire time. Everyone enjoyed fishing and catching crabs at the dock. If your up early enough there is also a beautiful sunrise every morning. The property is very peaceful and private. From this location we were able to visit Savannah, Bluffton and Beaufort. Nothing was too far away. We do plan to return sometime in the future.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Wonderful House

bernie (New York)
Review submitted: May 3, 2011   Date of arrival: April 17, 2011

The house is gorgeous.
I consider to be lucky to chose this property.
We had a wonderful time.
We might be your guests again.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: April 28, 2011   Date of arrival: April 16, 2011

I had a wonderful time here. Thanks for letting us stay here. There are two alligators in the pond! We caught 13 crabs, too! I got to watch my cousin graduate from Parris Island, also. The place is gorgeous!

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Beautiful location, wonderful house!

Review submitted: April 28, 2011   Date of arrival: April 2, 2011

It is a beautiful location and so relaxing. I hope to convince my Mother to spend some time there next year. We loved watching the alligators! I missed seeing the dolphins, but my brother and sister saw them. We really enjoyed the kitchen and cooked most of our meals there. The two coffee pots were great as I drink my coffee stout and my sister drinks her coffee weaker than I drink my tea!

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Beaufort Paradise

Lana (Clarksville, TN)
Review submitted: October 20, 2010   Date of arrival: October 4, 2010

My family rented this vacation home for my daughter's wedding which was held at the Beaufort Inn. It was all and more than I had hoped for! The privacy, beauty, comfort and location make this place a gem. Spacious, clean rooms and a beautiful kitchen and decks provided us the space for entertaining guest from out of town. My son and father from Montana caught 36 blue crab and 5 lbs of shrimp from the beautiful dock. At night the porpoises played in the water near the dock and we even spotted the baby alligator in the pond. At night we would work on wedding details and enjoy the night sky. My grand children loved the swings and my twin grand children loved the porch swing especially. We shopped in Frogmore and ate at Johnson's Creek Tavern on Harbor Island...they have the best scallops and crab cakes around! This place is well worth the stay and I can't wait to revisit my new found paradise outside of Beaufort! Thanks Estelle for such a home away from home!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

time away, alone & undisturbed

martin2trot (Southern Pines,NC)
Review submitted: March 4, 2010   Date of arrival: February 26, 2010

My husband & I loved the absolute privacy this home provided! One can get up to see a beautiful sunrise, walk straight onto the deck from the master bath/bedroom with your coffee cup in hand & pjs!
A beautiful setting with a long dock out over the salt marsh was another great spot to take out some chairs provided, a glass of wine & just sit & ID birds, herons, gulls......as the sun set behind us.

We ended up leaving only run in to the local seafood store to buy it fresh & bring home to cook in the wonderful open kitchen.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Came for Graduation--got a vacation

Review submitted: February 27, 2010   Date of arrival: December 9, 2009

From December, 2009: Innis-Free by the Sea is a slice of Paradise and what I imagined Southern charm and South Carolina to look like. The pictures definitely don't tell it all. The Kitchen and living room are open, airy, very large rooms. The bedrooms are large and the master bath is enormous. There is a beautiful view from all the windows, and the entire property is inviting, peaceful, and tranquil. We rented this property for my son's MCRD boot camp graduation, so it was a necessity to find a place, but we ended up having a mini-vacation and a trip that was wonderful for adults and children. My son left Parris Island base and stayed our last night at "Innis Free" and he loved the "peace" of it. Thank you for sharing your home with us. OOH RAH!

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Area is great for fishing

Review submitted: February 27, 2010   Date of arrival: October 10, 2009

Week of October 24 to 31, 2009 Estelle, we had a wonderful week. We especially enjoyed the comforts of your home. Everything was perfect including all the modern amenities, the privacy of the property, the scenic views of the marsh, and the convenience of your dock for fishing and crabbing. We caught many trout and a number of red fish from the creeks, and lots of crabs in a trap from your dock. The Beaufort area is like no other in South Carolina for its natural beauty, outdoor activities and local charm. The downtown area with its excellent restaurants by the waterway is note worth as well. You truly have a charming home in a marvelous setting. We look forward to spending time at Innisfree again.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

This guest's husband: It was a "second honeymoon"!

Review submitted: February 27, 2010   Date of arrival: September 5, 2009

From our guest book at Innisfree: Sept. 5-15-09 What a perfect "slice of Paradise" you have at Innisfree-by-the-Sea. Our bodies, minds and souls have been cleansed, rejuvenated, and reconnected to ALL that is truly important and lasting in this chaotic, stressful, and de-sensitized world we live in. At night the stars and planets glitter like jewels, scattered across a velvet black tapestry; palm fronds whisper as the coastal breezes gently caress your skin and fill your senses. What perfect peace! The marshes and waters are vibrant, healthy, and teeming with life and busy: we have seen a vast array of birds, ibises, great blue herons, belted kingfishers, black-crowned night heron, little blue herons, bald eagles and even witnessed an osprey diving to capture a 10-12" sheepshead, right out of the water--absolutely amazing!! John and I have enjoyed the challenge of fishing off the dock: lots of blue crabs, a 3' bonnet head shark, a 12" horseshoe crab (which of course we threw back) and some mullet. Every day we've seen pods of dolphins passing through and several times we've observed as a mother dolphin and other adults showed a very young baby how to catch fish near the banks. You have a beautiful home with all the amenities one could possibly need or want; thank you for having such a well-maintained and comfortable house and grounds. The front porch swing was relaxing beyond measure!....

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

VRBORORG264464 (-)
Review submitted: December 16, 2009   Date of arrival: December 16, 2009

Innis-Free by the Sea is a slice of Paradise and what I imagined Southern charm and South Carolina to look like. The pictures definitely don't tell it all. The Kitchen and living room are open, airy, very large rooms. The bedrooms are large and the master bath is enormous. There is a beautiful view from all the windows, and the entire property is inviting, peaceful, and tranquil. We rented this property for my son's MCRD boot camp graduation, so it was a necessity to find a place, but we ended up having a mini-vacation and a trip that was wonderful for adults and children. My son left Parris Island base and stayed our last night at "Innis Free" and he loved the "peace" of it. Thank you for sharing your home with us. OOH RAH!

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Dennis and Emily Moss (Greenville, SC)
Review submitted: November 3, 2009   Date of arrival: November 3, 2009

Week of October 24 to 31, 2009
Estelle, we had a wonderful week. We especially enjoyed the comforts of your home. Everything was perfect including all the modern amenities, the privacy of the property, the scenic views of the marsh, and the convenience of your dock for fishing and crabbing. We caught many trout and a number of red fish from the creeks, and lots of crabs in a trap from your dock. The Beaufort area is like no other in South Carolina for its natural beauty, outdoor activities and local charm. The downtown area with its excellent resturants by the waterway is note worth as well. You truly have a charming home in a marvelous setting. We look forward to spending time at Innisfree again.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Review submitted: October 9, 2009   Date of arrival: October 9, 2009

From our guest book at Innisfree:

Sept. 5-15-09 What a perfect "slice of Paradise" you have at Innisfree-by-the-Sea. Our bodies, minds and souls have been cleansed, rejuvenated, and reconnected to ALL that is truly important and lasting in this chaotic, stressful, and de-sensitized world we live in. At night the stars and planets glitter like jewels, scattered across a velvet black tapestry; palm fronds whisper as the coastal breezes gently caress your skin and fill your senses. What perfect peace!

The marshes and waters are vibrant, healthy, and teeming with life and busy: we have seen a vast array of birds, ibises, great blue herons, belted kingfishers, black-crowned night heron, little blue herons, bald eagles and even witnessed an osprey diving to capture a 10-12" sheepshead, right out of the water--absolutely amazing!! John and I have enjoyed the challenge of fishing off the dock: lots of blue crabs, a 3' bonnet head shark, a 12" horseshoe crab (which of course we threw back) and some mullet. Every day we've seen pods of dolphins passing through and several times we've observed as a mother dolphin and other adults showed a very young baby how to catch fish near the banks.

You have a beautiful home with all the amenities one could possibly need or want; thank you for having such a well-maintained and comfortable house and grounds. The front porch swing was relaxing beyond measure!....

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Seny (Cleveland, Oh)
Review submitted: August 12, 2008   Date of arrival: August 12, 2008

Estelle,

Thank you for sharing your home with me and my family. We came down for my brother's graduation from Parris Island, and having such a lovely place to stay, made the experience that much better.

The kids enjoyed the lovely yard and the dock. My parents enjoyed the deck and watching the sunrise and set, and my husband and I simply enjoyed watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

Besides the graduation, we also celebrated my dad's birthday and have lovely pictures of it.

The home is perfectly located. Food Lion is right down the street as well as Hunting Island Beach, which we visited twice. We even went up the 175 steps of the LightHouse. What a view from up there!!!

I am looking forward to visiting again and being able to stay in your home.

Once again, thank you very much for having such a lovely home and opening it up to us.

God bless and please have Pvt. D. A.Ortiz in your prayers as he continues with his journey in the Marine Corp.

Sincerely,

Seny

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Phyllis & Billy Armstrong (Greenville, AL)
Review submitted: October 26, 2007   Date of arrival: October 26, 2007

Estelle, Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us. Everyone enjoyed this very beautiful place and the peaceful scenery. My husband and I, our daughter, grandaughter, son-in-law and his parents were here for our Grandson's graduation from The Marine Corps. After driving all day in the rain, we were to tired to do anything the first night except relax, and did we ever! Your home was so inviting and relaxing, we sat on the front porch and listened to the rain for a long time. We enjoyed baiting the crab baskets and catching our dinner. My grandaughter said she saw an eagle when they were on the dock! We only regret that we did not have enough time to fully explore and enjoy the area. We are definitely planning to rent it again when we can get everyones schedule, for a family vacation!
I would highly recommend this lovely place to everyone! Again, thank you for sharing it with us.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Doug Johnston (Pittsburgh, PA)
Review submitted: October 23, 2007   Date of arrival: October 23, 2007

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the wonderful place you have on St Helena's Island. Myself and the family had a terrific time and everyone simply loved the place. The residence is "Top Notch" with no expenses spared on anything. I would recommend the place to everyone who asked, and we will definately keep you in mind should we be in the area again. My only regret is that we did not have a few more days to just hang out and relax. You truly have a piece of paradise with Innisfree.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Vivian Friend (Atlanta, Georgia)
Review submitted: July 28, 2007   Date of arrival: July 28, 2007

I had the great pleasure of being at Innisfree-by-the-Sea when Estelle first made it available. It was a peaceful, beautiful vacation for me, away from the hustle and bustle of my daily life. There was as much or as little as I wanted to do in this charming, historic coastal area. The town of Beaufort had much to offer: I attended a street festival which I thoroughly enjoyed, relaxed in a coffee shop with a cup of and some reading material, and found shopping to die for.

There were so many other activities to enjoy in the area. One day I toured some of the historic homes in Beaufort. Mostly I enjoyed the peace, comfort and quiet of the "cottage." It was wonderful to retreat to the seclusion of this large property at the end of the day and be with the beauty of quiet sunsets waterside.

I hope all of Estelle's guests have as much pleasure from Innisfree-by-the Sea as I did.

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Carolyn and Ron Oliver (Catawba, S.C.)
Review submitted: July 23, 2007   Date of arrival: July 23, 2007

My family and I had a wonderful stay at Innisfree! My daughter and her husband from Memphis were there, and my daughter from Asheville, NC was there with us also, along with her boyfriend.

We enjoyed fishing, crabbing right off the dock, along with just sitting and enjoying the birds, dolphins, and the beautiful scenery.

The "kids" visited Hilton Head and Charleston and enjoyed the Beaufort Water Festival activities in Beaufort, what a charming little town! The only time we ate out was at Gilligans, and it was not great, service wasn't good so I would NOT recommend it. Locals said the Shrimp Shak was good, but never tried it.

I visited Camelot stables, off Hwy 21 going towards Hunting Island and really enjoyed that, as I have horses and asked lots of questions about areas to ride. You can rent horses and take a guided trail ride through their 60 acres and onto St. Helena sound, which I would like to do. Beautiful facility also.

We went kayaking, my first time, with Beaufort Kayaking, Kim and Dan, and did the ACE Basin tour. It was quite fascinating, full of history of the rice fields, and slaves that cut down huge trees, and made the fields, all by hand. On that trip we saw several birds, egrets, cranes and huge nests in trees, birders would love the tour. Just slipping along in the very calm water was so relaxing, not strenuous at all. You HAVE to do this!

Don't worry about piling up on groceries ahead of time, as I did, there is a Publix and Food Lion right there and prices are reasonable.

We had a great time and may come back during Dec-Feb to ride our horses on the beach!

I read a Dorothea Benton Frank novel called "Pawley's Island", a lowcountry tale, while I was there and it was very appropriate. In the past, we have stayed at Pawley's numerous times, so I was reveling in knowing places the author spoke of. She has also written "Shem Creek," "Sullivan's Island" and "Plantation" that I hope to read.

I think Estelle should begin her book on HER area there, so we can read as we visit all about St. Helena Island!

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Review submitted: July 22, 2007   Date of arrival: July 22, 2007

My husband and I first made Innisfree-by-the-Sea available in late October 2006. From the beginning, we have had the good fortune of hosting families and individuals from all over the states, here for vacation or for family events; Innisfree has had many memorable visits, and even seen the single parents of two large families(both had spouses who died prematurely) become engaged while attending one's son's Marine Corps graduation. The electronic guestbook only recently became available to us, so we asked a few of our guests to record their impressions of their visits, which occurred anywhere from January to June. We hope to host many more visits by those wanting to celebrate, reminisce, or explore this beautiful, richly endowed coastal area.

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Anne 2 (Colorado)
Review submitted: July 19, 2007   Date of arrival: July 19, 2007

What a perfect getaway! Came to SC to watch our nephew graduate
from the Marines and also to spend time with the family. Hunting Island Beach
was great. The waterfront of Beaufort was wonderful there is a beautiful park
and restaurants right on the water and it all looks brand new. The kids loved
it! The Dockside restaurant has great fresh seafood. Hlton Head was a zoo, and
there are plenty of things to do locally. Saw lots of wildlife including frogs,
snakes, little and big crabs, dolphins and birds.
My son (7) has been drawing pictures of the "plantation" as we called it and the
details are vivd. Also, you can catch a gimpse of the dolphins expecially at
high tide! Definitely a memorable experience!
The O'Brien's Dillon, C0 9,500 feet!

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Gaile Allen (-)
Review submitted: July 19, 2007   Date of arrival: July 19, 2007

Thanks so much for making your home available for our 'retreat'. The QUIET, the wonderful marsh, and the mossy live oaks were exactly what we needed! Had that not sufficed, the quiet, happy noise from the wind in the palms by your back door would have done it. We returned home thoroughly refreshed and grateful.

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Jackie Butler & 5 friends (Atlanta, GA)
Review submitted: July 18, 2007   Date of arrival: July 18, 2007

Your home was the perfect setting for a girlfriends' weekend. The six of us had a wonderful time enjoying the spacious and comfortable setting of your home. We felt the spirit of graciousness as we entered. We hope that you in some way will feel some of the happiness and joy that we experienced this weekend as we communed with each other and nature. Our prayer is for you to continue to be a blessing to others through the opening of this wonderful place to others--Be Blessed!

Jackie Butler, Gwen Henderson, Shirley Moore, Bettye Jeffries, Martha Patton & Pat Robinson

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Review submitted: July 17, 2007   Date of arrival: July 17, 2007

From our guestbook at Innisfree: This home worked out fantastically for our celebration of my son's graduation in becoming a U.S. Marine. Thank you very much!

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Review submitted: July 17, 2007   Date of arrival: July 17, 2007

From our guestbook at Innisfree: Thank you for sharing your lovely and comfortable home with us. It provided the perfect venue for exploring the greater Beaufort area as well as welcoming our family together for a few days.

So quiet and peaceful--very relaxing!

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Sandi2 (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Review submitted: July 15, 2007   Date of arrival: July 15, 2007

What a find--Innisfree by the Sea is BEAUTIFUL! We came to the area for Marine Corps graduation, but also received a mini-vacation and family time in the most relaxing, peaceful, and gorgeous property in this area! Thank you for sharing your home with us, as it has allowed our family to make everlasting memories! This was the perfect family vacation...our only regret is that we couldn't stay longer!!

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0