EXCELLENT FAMILY VACATION!!!!!!!

Wendy (Missouri)
Review submitted: April 8, 2013   Date of arrival: March 23, 2013

WOW! We have been to Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, and on cruises and this is hands down the best vacation we have ever had. This was our first time staying in a private home and I will tell you right now we will never stay in a hotel or a resort again. This home was above any expectation that I could have ever dreamt of. The house had everything that you would need. I kept emailing them asking if there was anything that I would need and they said no just beach towels and food. I just couldn't imagine that the house would meet 12 peoples needs and it surpassed. We had 3 families me and my husband both 40, our 14 year old son, 4 year old son, and 2 year old twins boy and girl. My friends early 30's their 8 year old son and 4 year old daughter and my other friend 35 and her 14 year old son. Every single of one of us loved it!

We went to Gulf Shores and took the ferry, we went deep sea fishing one day, we went to the Sea Lab, Fort Gaines, and the beach. We took a nap everyday sat out on the wonderful deck and watched the boys kayak and fish and the sun set. We sat on the front porch in the morning and watched the sun rise. It was absolutely relaxing and beautiful I couldn't have asked for more.

If you are looking for a vacation to get away and relax this is it!!! Beautiful home and beautiful people the Vickers, so appreciate that they shared their home with us. So those of us that have the chaotic lives can take a step back, take a deep breath, and ENJOY!!!!!

Thank you both so much I could go on and on but I promise we will be back if you will have us!!!!!

God bless,

Williams Family
Piercy Family
Rogers Family

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

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Most relaxing vacation for two families!

Jill C. ()
Review submitted: April 3, 2013   Date of arrival: March 16, 2013

We had such a lovely stay at Island Pleasure. This was our first time to Dauphin Island, and we sure hope it won't be our last! What a beautiful property! There was plenty of room for our two families of 5 adults and 6 children. Steve and Cathy were so prompt to answer any of our questions, although they didn't leave much to be asked, they were so thorough. The water in the pool was a bit cool for the adults in March, but the children didn't seem to mind. We all enjoyed the beach and doing a little boogie boarding in the gulf. Everything was clean and well maintained, and the kitchen was well equipped with anything you could desire.

We would also recommend a visit to the SeaLab on the island. Although it is a very small aquarium, the docents were fantastic! We spent close to three hours there because they were so interesting. We did most of our cooking at the house, but did enjoy a couple of dinners out at Islanders and the fresh cinnamon rolls at the local bakery. Thanks for opening your home to us, Steve and Cathy!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Amazing vacation!

Michele (St. Louis, MO)
Review submitted: August 1, 2012   Date of arrival: July 21, 2012

We were fortunate enough to stay for (1) week on Dauphin Island at "Island Pleasure", and it truly was a pleasure! Steve and Cathy were awesome to work with from the very beginning, and they are very kind and accomodating. Our entire family (Mom, Dad, daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons, son & fiance and daughter and fiance) fell in love with the house, the deck, the pool, the boat, the view, the sandy beaches, etc. We felt right at home and we did not want to leave! We picked up groceries at Greer's on the way onto the island, and filled in with supplies from Ship to Shore in town. We enjoyed pizza, BBQ and Po-Boys from the local restaurants.

We spent a big part of each day in the pool and sitting on the deck watching the gorgeous sunsets. The house had everything we needed and everybody had their own space. The kayaks and the boat were bonuses that we thoroughly had fun with. The fishing was great, too - lots of cat fish and a few sting rays as well.

We hope to return someday to this lovely house and to create more lasting family memories!
The Thomas Family (St. Louis, MO)

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

What a wonderful week!!

ALB46 (Strafford, MO)
Review submitted: July 20, 2012   Date of arrival: July 7, 2012

Thank you so much to Steve and Cathy for opening up their lovely home for our family vacation! From the moment we walked in the front door we were pleasantly surprised, the house and view were above our high expectations--even the pictures online couldn't do it justice! The Vickers provided everything we could have possibly needed, thanks for helping make our family vacation a success!

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

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

OUT STANDING PLACE

Bill (Washington In Daviess County)
Review submitted: June 4, 2012   Date of arrival: May 26, 2012

We are from southern Indiana and stayed with our kid's and grandkid's everything was great the amenities are something else, bikes, kayaks, pool, hot tub, and especially the pontoon it is a must when you went here. Very relaxing place to stay plenty to do morning coffee on the deck and cocktails at sunset were really great on the deck. The deck was our meeting place and we really had a lot of good memories from staying here. Steve and Cathy are great host they really are concerned with your stay, even though they are BAMA fans, I'M A TENN. VOLS FAN, I can still say roll tide. ha If you are going to go to Dauphin Island this is the place you want to stay it is close to everything and there is really no reason to leave the house except for the beach and yes as someone else commented the dummy waiter was great for taking everything upstairs I just wish I would have found it when I first got there because I carried everything up the stairs and then found it oh well got my exercise for the month. Steve and Cathy we can't thank you enough for your hospitality and letting us stay at this beautiful home our family will always have good memories of this place and will be calling again to see about staying. Thanks again we feel we have made some really good friends with you guys.

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

GREAT Place!

Elisha (Piqua, Oh)
Review submitted: April 12, 2012   Date of arrival: March 31, 2012

We stayed here over spring break with another family--12 of us in all (8 kids between 6 and 13). It was a PERFECT set up for us! Plenty of sleeping room and very comfortable. We stayed on the gulf side last year and thought it was wonderful--but this is BETTER! The amenities of this place don't compare to anywhere else and the multilevel deck--oh, the deck, is lovely! The bikes, the kayaks, the fishing, the golf cart, the pontoon, the pool, the hammock and the hot tub--WOW! We loved it ALL! The house is well equipped, the laundry set up is great and the kitchen is well appointed...didn't want for anything. The lift to carry groceries and luggage up to the main floor was handy too. The showers have double heads. The towels are cushy. And, we can't say enough about Steve and Cathy's service to us--they are great communicators and we knew everything we needed to know and more before and during our stay.
We enjoyed nightly bike rides to the Ship and Shore for treats, kayak adventures out to Little Dauphin Island, fishing off the deck with hermit crabs the kids caught, swimming, lounging on the deck and relaxing in the hot tub. We drove over to the beach each day on the gulf side for just enough sand and surf to appease the kids and then went back "home" to all the fun. Definitely the way to do it! We took the ferry to Gulf Shores for a day of fun...ate at Lulu's and then went to "The Track" for go kart racing. Ship and Shore has dvd rentals for rainy days and we enjoyed the Lighthouse Bakery one morning for cinnamon rolls and cream cheese danishes. Would definitely recommend this place--just hope it's available for us to come back next year! Thanks Steve and Cathy!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Perfect Vacation!

gail (Oxford, MS)
Review submitted: March 15, 2012   Date of arrival: March 10, 2012

This home exceeded our expectations in every way. Not only was the home beautiful but the beds were very comfortable. This was our first time to rent a home and we could not have asked for a better experience.

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

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Island Paradise

Pat1326 (Punxsutawney, PA)
Review submitted: February 5, 2012   Date of arrival: January 29, 2012

This is a great house with lots of amenities. Pool, hot tub, bikes, fishing poles, hammocks, kayaks and internet. If you like being away from all the commercial stuff, you'll love this place! We biked to the bird santuary and hiked the trails and watched the turtles in the lake. There is an old civil war fort there and on some days it has a real blacksmith doing demonstations. The blacksmith was very knowledgeable of the history of the fort, super interesting. Steve Vickers, the owner, was very attentive and willing to help us if necessary.
Just be careful, some of the attractions off of the island advertise on their internet sites that they are open year round, but a lot were closed while we were there (Delta AirBoat Express, Dolphin Tours Orange Beach). Aligator Alley opened while we were there and it has LOTS of alligators and a great tour guide! We found all the people in Alabama very friendly and helpful.

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

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

A Great Week in a Great Home!

Ralph Britain (Lexington, SC)
Review submitted: January 11, 2012   Date of arrival: December 24, 2011

We are so fortunate to have found this home. The home was immaculate and well furnished. It provided a very comfortable retreat for our family of 11 to spend the holidays in. We found the home to be in a quiet area on the island that is close to everything. There is a swimming pool, hot tub, kayaks, bicycles, golf cart, fireplace, and fishing pier so there was hardly any need to leave the house. We were very impressed with the new appliances and beautiful decor. Finally, I feel that I have made a new friend in the owner of the property. He was accommodating to a tee and really made us feel at home. Hopefully, we can stay here again in the future.

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

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Family from Mobile

jracine (Mobile)
Review submitted: September 7, 2011   Date of arrival: May 2, 2010

We enjoy going to Dauphin Island, at least once a year, for a family vacation. We have enjoyed many vacations at Dauphin Island. It is convenient to Mobile and Gulf Shores. The Island Pleasure, is prettier than the pictures. The house is very comfortable. Our grandkids love the pool and riding bikes. We enjoyed eating crawfish on the back deck. The sunset is beautiful. The early mornings are enjoyable, watching the humming birds fly around the feeders. We enjoyed fishing and following the dauphins. We would highly recomment this property to anyone we know.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 5 / 5

Dauphin Island Fans

Dauphin Island Fans (Mobile)
Review submitted: August 14, 2011   Date of arrival: August 5, 2011

Steve and Cathy, Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful beach home with our family. We thoroughly enjoyed every detail that you have included in your home. The layout is awesome and there is plenty of room for everyone. What an fantastic view from the waterfront bedrooms! It is so great for a large family like ours and our little dog loved it there, too. You have the most spectacular views from your deck! We loved sitting and watching the sun go down over the Dauphin Island bridge. The kids could not get enough of the pool and it was great to be able to have that view as they played. Our kids have decided that this is the only place they want to visit from now on. They loved hopping on the bikes and riding down the bike path. We even caught the ferry and rode to Gulf Shores for a day at Waterville. It was well worth it. We saw so many dolphins on the way back. Once again, thank you so much for sharing this with us. We will definitely be back every chance we get! God Bless!

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: 7 / 7