Suwannee Stay

peteg (redington shores, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: August 28, 2012   Date of arrival: July 14, 2012

We arrived on site quite perplexed when one of the toilets was inoperable and the dryer was disassembled on the floor before it. We inspected the house only to uncover 3 rooms, each containing a king/queen bed, it as advertised "sleeps 8". We were also promised access to a room that was described as "can sleep a small child." that was locked and not prepared for us. In past experiences only bed space counts toward validating occupancy, never before did couch space count towards occupancy limits. We contacted the owners with concerns, and in our good spirit and nature, we assumed via conversation, that these problems would be remedied.


On Sunday morning the satellite technician showed up without notice, we "house sat" the gentleman for a good 6 hours. We tried "to make the most of our scenario" even by creating a clothes-line from wire, but for clothes to dry, the weather must abide, unfortunately it didn't. We called mid-week with concerns about the dryer and told it wasn't an easy fix, and that a $7 part stood between a working dryer and us having to travel 40 minutes to a laundromat(which was suggested by the owner) We also informed the owners that our purchase of an air-mattress wednesday night solved our sleeping arrangement and provided us with much needed space.

The lack of effective, contrite communication clearly played a role and could have deterred these events from dictating the course of our stay. Had we known about the dryer, toilet, lack of space, brown water/ice and the service to the satellite, we could have responded accordingly or rented another property (especially since the knowledge of these problems/scheduling were preexistent to our arrival).

After a seven day stay, the toilet was never fixed, the dryer never assembled to working order, and keys to the spare room were never mailed to us. The disappointing feeling of being an afterthought or lack of priority was a reality.

Unfortunately, I do not recommend "Sothern Grace" on the Suwannee River, my suggestion, and the lesson we learned from previous positive experiences, is to deal with a third party in the rental agreement, someone who can intervene when things don't go as planned and act on behalf of an owner that can be hundreds of miles away. I also implore, that any sites advertising this property as a rental, inquire and challenge the claim of an "8 person occupancy" so families such as my own are not lured into an environment inhabitable by its profession

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Helpful votes: 3 / 5

Perfect Thanksgiving Setting

Macmari (Miami, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: December 29, 2011   Date of arrival: November 23, 2011

We rented Southern Grace for a Thanksgiving retreat for our extended family. What a lovely place! We all felt like we were in a movie setting. The home is beautiful. Every time I looked out the grand windows overlooking the river I smiled and thanked God for this lovely opportunity of spending time with family in this remarkable setting. This was truly a quiet and lovely getaway.

The home was well stocked, and with it's beautiful 12 person civil war table served our family well for our Thanksgiving feast. Kerrey was a lovely hostess and very responsive to all our needs. We had a minor issue with the oven, some times it worked sometimes it didn't. Of course I was in a panic when I realized this and immediately called Kerrey, who on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was calling around trying to get the oven replaced. It didn't happen, but we certainly appreciated her efforts! Luckily, my husband and sons decided that they could and would grill the Thanksgiving turkey. A quick trip to the Branford hardware store, and we were ready for the challenge. We bought a fresh turkey from Laughing Chicken Farm, a nearby organic farm. It was the best turkey we've had! Was it because it was grilled, because it was organic, because of the lovely setting of grilling a turkey over looking the Swanee River? we think all of the above.

Southern Grace, so appropriately named, is a perfect getaway for anyone looking for a place to kick back, relax and enjoy it's beautiful and picturesque setting. The home is comfortable and elegantly decorated. It is well maintained. There were games, movies, books for us to enjoy. Knowing that we were a big football family, Kerrey subscribed and got direct TV for us to be able to see the Thanksgiving day football games and college games on Saturday.

I have a child at University of Florida and one at Florida State University. The big UF V FSU game, was the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, this year being played in Gainesville. Our family wanted a place to gather close to both universities so travel time would be a minimum for our boys. It was a 45-50 minute drive into Gainesville, so we were able to swing over for the day and enjoy the rivalry of the game.

We so loved the property, that we will have to return on another occasion to enjoy the springs and hiking that make this area such an attractive vacation spot. This family didn't even leave to go golfing as originally planned. We loved the home and it's comforts!

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: 2 / 2

Fun times on the Suwannee

goddesstracee (Fort Myers, Florida)
Review submitted: December 22, 2010   Date of arrival: November 7, 2010

This place is awesome! It's far away from the hustle & bustle of ordinary life. We came up from Ft. Myers and brought the boat and our corn hole boards and had a blast. We went on Craig's List when we got up there and purchased a whole truck-load of wood for $50. We had fun listening to music at night and starting blazing fires out back in the firepit. I love this part of rural Florida and would definately go back. The water on the Suwannee is so crystal clear, we just had to be careful with the boat around the scholls. We went to the sandbar where the Suwanee River and the Santa Fe River meet which was packed with boaters. We brought our horse-shoes and had a great time with the locals. I would absolutely recommend this beautiful place to anyone who just wants to get away and enjoy a beautiful piece of paradise. Since I went in the fall this year and the weather was in the low 30's at night, I think I would like to go back in the summer and float down the river & tube. I hear that is very nice. Thank you for sharing your little piece of paradise with me!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

AmaZing

firegator (Jacksonville, FL, USA)
Review submitted: August 5, 2010   Date of arrival: July 25, 2010

Simply put with just one word, "Amazing"! More beautiful than pictures show as they appear dark and the house is bright, warm and comfortable. My husband, twin 6 YO boys, 19 YO daughter, 6 month old 5 lb pup and I stayed a week. No one wanted to leave.

The property offers nature galore. We saw plenty of deer, frogs, lizards. On the water, many birds, turtles, deer and cows at the river's edge. The only gators spotted were four when shining for them one evening. There was this one cardinal that ran into the living room window several times a day. One of my boys felt so sorry for it as he said he must be blind.

The kids enjoyed much time tubing behind the boat, fishing, the tree swings to land in the water, and this little place like an island area at the Y when going south. I took over 350 pics during the week; many memories for years.

Kerrey was friendly, wonderful and pleasant to work with.

We will return next year to once again enjoy the elegance of Southern Grace!

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

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4