HOUSE ON THE BEACH AND LOOKING OUT TO SEA

What was supposed to be a weekend getaway, ended up as a week long stay at the beach, and I am SO glad I choose to do so! FIRST thing that you cannot help but notice once you are standing on the porch of this house is the VIEW! Water and beach as far as the eye can see! Sound of the waves all day!! This place is a photographers heaven! Yes you are in a subdivision with other houses, but you never really feel like you are. Going there in December I figured that we would just be walking the beach and maybe build a sand castle or two. I was so wrong about that! Up until our last day there, the weather was warm and wonderful, and me and the Grandson were on the beach every day. Building sand castles, looking for shells (and yes there were LOTS of shells), and the grandson romping in the water. My sister who came down with me LOVED it so much, that she's still talking about it! The rest of my family got there by Thur/Fri, and EVERYONE enjoyed the beach. We did go into Galveston (about a 30 min drive, and there is a toll bridge, $2 each way...have some cash with you) several times. For shopping, seeing the city, and a few rounds of mini golf at Magic Carpet Golf (go there if you can...so worth it). The house itself was very nice. There is a large living area that is nothing but windows, and views! A nice fully functional kitchen. The 3 bedrooms worked just fine, with the master bedroom being the best (of course) The HUGE tub in the master bath became my Grandsons favorite place to bathe, with bubbles and a view that is wonderful! The other bathroom is standard, but great to have with a full house! The wifi in the house worked great. There are plenty of books, magazines, games, movies (but no kid titles), and Dish to keep you entertained while in the house. My son did bring his Wii, and it was easy to hook up. We also brought a bag of activities down for the Grandson, and bought him some other goodies at the Walmart in Galveston. Not once while we were there did I hear anyone say they were bored! Communication with the family that owns this property was prompt and friendly. (thanks andrew) Any problems being resolved quickly.And when we got there the Dad and other brother happened to be at the house, and were also very nice. Only cons? Wish there had been a little more comfortable seating in the living room, and on those REALLY bright sunny days, some window blinds in the main area would be GREAT to have. BUT overall FANTASTIC stay! I WILL go back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our family spent Thanksgiving 2012 at the Last House on the Beach and had a wonderful time. The beach was great – no problems with seaweed. It was warm enough for our grandsons to play on the beach and in the water. They pulled out the owners’ boogie boards and hit the waves, built a sand “fort,” and flew their Angry Bird kite. One morning, we drove into Galveston to the Pleasure Pier, which is only about a 20-25 minute drive. It is not a long drive, and we found it interesting. Like other reviews, we also saw pods of dolphins. On our last evening, the weather turned stormy, but this is also a great house for watching storms over the ocean. We started a fire in the fireplace and enjoyed the lightening show.

The house is a good distance from the other beach houses in the community, and it has a 180 degree view of the ocean and of the bay to the northwest. The house takes full advantage of the view through its many windows. The Adirondack chairs on the deck are comfortable and just sitting on the deck is a treat. There’s a nice library - the 7 year old wanted to know what the encyclopedias were! – filled with books and puzzles and games. Be aware that the bunk room is most comfortable for children. It might not work well for an extended period for anyone older or of large build. We were hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and this meal requires a lot of kitchen time and cookware. The kitchen is easy for multiple people to work in and, as others have mentioned, very well stocked – often with duplicate equipment. We never ran short of cooking equipment or serving pieces.

We started planning this beach vacation 6 months ago and considered many different beach houses in the Freeport/Galveston area. We decided on this house because it was located right on the beach, all the reviews mentioned it had a private feel, it had a working fireplace (November in Texas can be chilly), and it looked bright and cheerful in the photos…plus it could accommodate our family of 9. This was our first time to rent a house, it was our first Thanksgiving dinner away from home, and it was our first vacation with our grown daughters, their husbands, and our grandchildren under one roof. I was naturally nervous, and the owners were always responsive and accommodating – a pleasure to work with. The house was everything pictured and more, and our family found it to be the perfect beach house.

We truly enjoyed our two weeks at The Last House On The Beach. The kitchen was well stocked with nice glassware and enough dinnerware for a large party. The beds were comfortable and sleeping was pleasant with the sound of the surf just a few yards away. The location is great, very close to the dune walkover to the beach. The beach is very private and often deserted. We could walk for miles and not see another person. But the best thing is the view from the deck: Sunrises, sunsets, the birds and the dolphins. On a couple of occasions we were treated to long “dolphin shows” as the dolphins jumped and flipped and splashed in the surf in front of the house. Also, the stairway that leads from deck down to the ground has a gate and latch on it, so pets or small children can be allowed on the deck and there is no danger of them wandering off. It is a bit of a drive to a full service grocery store….you will want to do your grocery shopping on the way in or schedule it around a sightseeing visit to Galveston….but the Brite Light Bait Shop is very close and is surprisingly well stocked for a small ‘fishing oriented’ shop. So, if you need milk, eggs, bread, lunch meat, snacks, ice or drinks you can easily get them without going into the city.