THE DRYDEN HOUSE. JULY 4TH WEEK STILL AVAILABLE !!

We've stayed in many waterfront vacation houses, but this one felt like home the minute we walked in the door. Having grown up in a Craftsman-style American Foursquare reminiscent of this house, I was so pleased to see the care that has been taken to preserve the old woodwork and even that classic original fireplace tile. That being said, we also enjoyed the modern conveniences that were added with the modernization --- such as internet, Netflix, and a Keurig coffeemaker. All of the comforts of home, including a generous supply of comfortable linens, made this a most pleasant visit. We enjoyed strolling through the town, browsing through the shops, walking out on the pier, and chatting with the local residents. Upscale restaurants offered excellent dining experiences. Although our visit to Cape Charles lasted only four days, we explored a nearby antique mall one day, and the next day took a drive up to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to see the wild ponies. A short drive from the Wildlife Refuge to the ocean rounded out our trip with a walk along the beach to watch the dolphins. Back to the house to relax on that wraparound porch, we wished our fall getaway could have lasted longer.

This house has everything you need for a perfect vacation - beautifully decorated rooms, huge kitchen with all the necessary amenities, various media and wifi for those who still need a little technology to unwind. Personally, I liked the ability to just disconnect. The views are beautiful and the wrap around porch just beckons to sit down with a good book for awhile. Just feet from the beach and an easy walk into town, the visitor has lots of options of how to spend the day. I recommend the house to anyone who needs the ultimate get away. Honestly, you won't want to leave.

I cannot recall when we had a more relaxing vacation. There were eight of us: my husband and me, our three kids, ages 22, 19, and 13, and our grandkids, ages 12, 11, and 8. The sandy beach was very shallow, the water was warm and calm, and the youngest four enjoyed beachcombing and sand-castle construction. We felt very comfortable permitting them to go across to the beach by themselves. They also had a great time riding their bikes together about town, to the pharmacy, hardware store, and ice cream shop...that was a novelty since they certainly cannot do that at home. We were glad we brought our little motorboat and sailboat for the older two. I think they might have been a bit bored with the slow pace if they hadn't been able to take those out in the bay. They were very generous with their time taking the younger kids out boating and fishing.

The house was simply lovely and the beach being right across the street and the fishing pier up the street was perfect. When we walked into the house Saturday night, the kids' eyes were wide with how "fancy" the house was, and they were very careful about showering off the sand before they came inside and keeping things picked up. (An unanticipated benefit!) The dining room table was wonderful for big family meals and we had great conversations each evening with dinner. My husband and I enjoyed eating breakfast on the porch and watching the sunset each night.

It was great having linen service and not having to piece together bedding for the beds or towels for the showers.

Cape Charles is charming and it reminded me of summertimes forty years ago. Lots of kids and families out on the beach and milling about in the evening. All in all, a memorable holiday and we hope we will be able to return.