Oceanfront, Family Atmosphere - Vacation rental home in Emerald Isle, NC

About this Property

• Sleeps 6
• 3 Bedrooms
• 3 Bathrooms
• Private vacation home

Privately-owned 3 BR, 2.5 BA duplex town home ON THE BEACH in family ambiance beach village. 4 flat-screen TVs with internet TV. WiFi cable internet. Washer/drier. Totally-equipped kitchen. Ceiling fans. Outdoor stainless steel charcoal grille. Outdoor hot/cold shower on deck. King master suite with Jacuzzi, walk-in shower. 2nd and 3rd bedrooms with queen beds. Nearby eateries, grocery store, movie theater, miniature golf, water slide, go-carts, shopping. Saturday to Saturday rental.

Linen/Household Package Supplied: Includes linen for 3 beds; 12 bath/hand towels, wash cloths; kitchen dish cloths/towels; kitchen condiments (salt, pepper, spices, etc.); 12 rolls toilet tissue; 6 rolls kitchen paper towels; trash bags, laundry & dish detergent, miscellaneous cleaning items, and more. Email us for more detail.

Beach Package Supplied: Don't pack and bring all that stuff taking up room in your car. Let us provide it for you to use during your stay. Includes 6 beach chairs; enormous beach shade; beach umbrella; cooler, 3 fishing rods/reels (tackle not supplied - locally available); kids's age appropriate beach toys and body boards; 6 beach towels; 6 outside shower/dry off towels, sand shovels, buckets, big water gun, adult body board, ocean dipping nets for kids, hammocks for bedroom decks, safety rescue belt (not a toy), bocce ball set, plus more. Email us for more detail.

Things You May Hear or See from the Beach House that Could Seem Strange/Interesting or Just a Mystery

Witnessing the Sun and Moon Rise and Set
Our beach home is on one of the southernmost North Carolina Outer Banks islands and faces south out to sea. This means our beach runs east-west. Because of this geographic layout, we have numerous months during the year when the sun and moon rise and set over the ocean. The unique view of sunrises and sunsets can be impressive. Witnessing a full moon rising over the eastern horizon providing what appears to be a shimmering golden reflection path of shining diamonds to our beach home shore will just soothe your soul. All the sunrises and sunsets year round, especially when there are a few stratus clouds on the horizon in the direction of these events, can make you believe nature is painting these scenes just for you and your appreciated ones as “y’all” take it all in.

Deer in the Dunes
Keep an eye open for our local (nearly tame) deer. They rather often cross our neighborhood streets and sometimes walk down them like they, too, are visitors. We know, based on their tracks, they sometimes cross the dunes in front of our beach home at nighttime. For reasons I don’t understand, they will occasionally walk down to the edge of the ocean before returning to their daytime bed down areas. Usually, they do not walk alone. Generally, there will be does, bucks and fawns in their group. They are really excellent to see.

Pelicans
Pelicans are very huge birds that fly most often in groups along the beach that rarely flap their wings. They use thermals to stay aloft, mostly from the hot roofs of beach homes. I bet that Orville and Wilbur Wright studied their abilities to soar along the Outer Banks of North Carolina many years ago. They fly so gracefully, including what is known as ground effect lift in aviation terms/aerodynamics to glide very low over the water. This elegant flight is only interrupted by a fast climb to ungracefully dive into the ocean head first to catch a fish. Oh! By the way, I have only seen adult size pelicans. How can that be? How can they seem to go from an egg to an adult without people ever seeing them in modest and medium sizes? I surely don’t know.

Butterflies
Our beach home is on one of the few flyways for the Monarch butterfly (and other butterflies) as they migrate from Central Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico for the winter each year. When sitting on our decks, I have often had them land on my arms, legs, feet, and even my head as they rest a while along their journey. Have the camera ready.

Dragonflies
Like the many species of butterflies, dragonflies pass through our front yard, or maybe it’s our back yard, depending on your perspective, as they migrate each year. From time to time they, like the butterflies, will land on you. Now, that is a real treat.

Sea Turtles
The adult female turtles come to our beach starting in May each year to lay their eggs in the sand and leave them to hatch out little turtles that crawl on their own to the ocean. You, too, may be so lucky to witness the hatching of the infant turtles and witness their trek to the water.

Dolphin
The sight of bottlenose dolphin (not porpoises, that’s a different animal) in front of our beach home is really fascinating. No matter how many years and times I have had the enjoyment of appreciating their interaction with the sea and other dolphin, I can’t help from stopping what I am doing and take it all in again. They are really intelligent and gorgeous animals. If you get lucky, you may even see them jump high in the air and do flips or chase fish while surfing a wave with the help of the sun to enhance your view.

Sound of the Sea
The sound of the waves as they crash on each other and the beach can be relaxing to the soul, even from your bed inside the beach home. I believe this is nature’s way of helping adults deal with their troubles of the day and help the kids get to their dreams of the fun they will be having tomorrow.

Ride the Waves
You can see any type of apparatus you can imagine in front of the beach home to ride the waves and water. They include surfboards, body boards, skim/body boards, paddle boards, kayaks, kite boards, Hobie cat sailboats, jet skis, and windsurfing, not to mention any kind of flotation device you can think of. Most of these items are available to rent and lessons are offered. Check the basket on the counter.

What You Can See at Nighttime
Your view of the universe as seen from our south facing decks over the ocean with no lights to interfere with your view can be beautiful. Even if your knowledge of the cosmos is limited, you will be dazzled by looking edge-on at our own galaxy “The Milky Way”, the Moon as it goes through its fazes, planets as they appear to move faster than the stars and sometimes go backwards, constellations (Orion during the winter months is my favorite), and satellites as their steady star-like light appears to move rapidly through the stars. All of this plus an occasional meteor as you are laying on your back in our hammock can really open your eyes.

Lightning Fireworks Show
Occasionally at nighttime, you can be a witness to nature’s impressive lightning show display out over the ocean. These shows can usually be seen from March through October.

About the Area

Located in Emerald Isle, this vacation home is on the beach. Emerald Forest Golf and Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those in the mood for shopping can visit Emerald Plantation and Salty Air Open Market. Salty Pirate Water Park and Emerald Isle Adventures are also worth visiting. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

Special Instructions

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Know Before you Go

A car is required for transportation to and from this property

Pet Policy

Pets not allowed

Tips and Tricks to get the best Emerald Isle vacation home experience:

How to get the best rental home value:

• Book your vacation rental as early as possible. Rental schedules usually become available twelve months in advance (or in September just after the Summer season ends). Many groups book their Summer rental homes during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve gatherings. Reserve before these holidays for best selection.
• Booking your vacation home in the Fall or Spring shoulder seasons is one of our best tips for saving money on your vacation. Rates are lower, and you'll find a better selection of suitable properties. Speaking of the off-season, don't overlook the holidays for a New Bern vacation! Who wouldn't love a holiday on the coast? Thanksgiving and Christmas are great times to gather with loved ones at your favorite beach.
• Veterans and Active Duty Military members may be qualified for special discounts. Be sure to ask your prospective host whether your vacationing group qualifies for a special rate.
• Property management companies often offer renters an option to obtain trip insurance protection. Trip insurance, which normally costs between 1% - 5% of the base stay price, offers visitors reimbursement of costs for any missed vacation time as a result of medical-related emergencies or weather disasters, as well as hurricane evacuation costs or charges, such as an unexpected hotel overnight or extra gasoline expenses. Trip insurance is definitely a bank account-saver if the unforeseen happens. Ask the property owner for additional information.
• Often, rental management companies and vacation rental houses supply New Bern area visitors guide magazines that include coupons, either offered directly by local businesses, or through a partnership between the management company and the business itself. You can also find visitors guide and coupon books at local gas stations and shopping centers.

How to select the perfect vacation home in Emerald Isle:

• To start, have your family select vacation dates and a max budget.
• Determine how many bedrooms and the bed configuration your family needs. Oceanfront, Family Atmosphere has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. If you need a larger or smaller rental, use our vacation rental search.
• Specific information regarding bedrooms and bed sizes & counts is commonly accessible online. If not, email or call the host before you reserve your home. Note that most properties list maximum guest capacity, which oftentimes includes sofa beds.
• Are you bringing the family pet? Many vacation homes allow animals, but guidelines and restrictions apply. Allowable pet type, breed, and size are often limited. Make sure to ask before booking, and study your agreement thoroughly! Additional pet fees or could be applied to your invoice.
• Visiting for a specific attraction or event? Use a map search to browse nearby rentals.
• Suitable accessibility amenities can make or ruin a vacation for those with limited mobility. Confirm all required amenities are available and included before reserving a rental

More tips for your visit:

• Add the property manager's contact info to your smartphone. Take a copy of check in/check out procedures.
• Hosts are available to help! Don't be shy to ask questions during your stay.
• Lock your vacation home while you are out. Keep your property safe!
• To ensure that damages aren't attributed to your family's stay, make note of any problem areas upon your arrival. Call the property manager immediately to document your findings. If there is a dispute about who is responsible, having the recorded issues and contact attempts will be valuable.
• Don't forget to respect your neighbors. Often times, surrounding homes are filled by permanent residents. Respecting late-night noise limits and parking policies is the right thing to do.
• Speaking of neighbors... Ask a local resident! Local residents can often help. Who better to ask where to enjoy a steak with a view, have a great night out, or the best spots for crabbing?
• Re-check the vacation property to make sure that you've packed all personal items at check-out. Make sure to check garages, decks, and cabinets for hidden treasure. Clean out the refrigerator and take any leftovers home.
• Record a video to document the condition of the property.
• Did your group have a wonderful vacation? Most rental websites make it easy for guests to provide comments. If your rental and/or property manager was great, they would love to hear about it. If anything was wrong and they failed to address it reasonably, or if the vacation rental wasn't described correctly, you'll want to make a note as part of your feedback.