Overall, we had an excellent stay and I would recommend this place very highly. It was very expensive, however when we booked, it was the only suitable option on the islands, and ultimately given the space and location, I thought it was worth the price.
Pros:
- Large and flexible space. The entirely separate one bedroom apartment (with bathroom, kitchenette and lovely deck) worked really well for our family.
- The private back deck and hot tub are awesome and shady
- There is a very nice gas grill
- The fire pit / beach area is awesome as well and allows you to really feel like you're at the beach. While we couldn't have fires due to the burn ban, it's a sweet spot when that's an option.
- We found the place to be very well cleaned
- Great amenities for kids with beach toys, balls, croquet, games, books, etc.
- We didn't have a dog, but the place seems well set up for that
- The host was very communicative and everything was easy and clear.
Cons:
- This is the closest property to the Clinton Ferry dock. We thought it was fun to watch the ferries come and go, but there is definitely quite a bit of noise when the ferry unloads (lots of motorcycles and big diesels flooring it up the hill behind the house)
- The loft area (the likely kid zone) has only a curtain, which was fine in terms of privacy for us, but it gets light up there super early with big east-facing windows. It is also accessed by a spiral staircase which our kids thought was awesome, but might be a consideration for those with young children.
- The apartment also has a large round east-facing window with no shade so it gets light very early.
- I say this about all rentals, since apparently I'm a snob about these things, but some better kitchen knives (they don't have to be fancy) and a burr grinder for coffee would be a great improvement.