BEachES, Key Largo? bEAches, the beach, BEACHES, BeAcHeS: Tel Aviv beach here

No matter how you spell it, the beach is most often a great relaxation, vacation playpen!
No all beaches are the same.  Part of the charm, I guess.    The geography of the sea or ocean often determines the function and the kind of 'scene' that is generated.

There is the Jersey Shore, the Maine Coast, South Beach, Laguna Beach, Hawaii beaches, Tel Aviv beach, South Pacific AND the beaches of the Florida Keys!

One of my favorite beaches? Depends on what I'm looking for...but to be honest, I love Tel Aviv beach:) in Israel.

We have warm clean waters like Tel Aviv just not as salty!

Our friend Danny's sculpture; Key Largo's 'sculptures' are the roots of the mangroves

Now, that's a beach:)  The Florida Keys' beaches are not like this.  They have a different kind of charm however:)

On our beaches here in Key Largo you won't find high rises:)

It starts with a gift--and then....Key Largo vacation rental face lifts!

Living in Key Largo is probably like living in other places around the country; well, with the exception of our weather, fish, birds, coral reefs etc.  One thing that Key Largo has is a lovely sense of community; the weekly Saturday yard sales, monthly Yappy hour at area restaurants,

this is the view of the Pilot House.  If you look across the water, you'll see our sailboat, the Dej O Mej. 

sharing meals.  When the boys go fishing, or shrimpingwe all eat well:)  When we changed our awning, we knew Manny would recycle it.  I have been blessed with being given some nice Kohler sinks, thanks to my neighbor, Art and Sheila.  So, one went into the dock's outdoor kitchen and the other in the Manatee Queen. 

Pet friendly for Hog fish!

I don't know if it was the same hog fish from the other day, but this hog fish is very very curious!  He followed Luigi up and down the dock. He was curious of me too.   His curiosity brought other fish. There are a few tiger. 

 The orange/red coral .....

 I hope these cute fishies hang around.  No fishing allowed! 

 Well, it may be hard to keep our friendly neighbor, this beautiful bird, from wanting to continue fishing!

Dog friendly Key Largo: Thanks to rescue efforts we found our rescued, fostered , adopted dog Luigi

Here is our dog Luigi.   He has been in the foster care system, waiting for a permanent home.   Lucky dog that he had been in loving homes, Marrveous Pet Rescue foster homes until we met him at one of Key Largo's Yappy Hours.

 Here in Key Largo, once a month, a restaurant hosts dogs needing adoption and there are other events as well in order to help match families with dogs needing adopting.  Here are two cuties at one such event, in front of Keys Kritters pet store and Dr. Bailey's vet office.

So when you come to one of our vacation rentals you may meet our Luigi- he would love playing fetch, swimming with you or playing with your dog!   Don't worry, it is not a necessity  to hang with the dog, my two cats, MommyKat and Emerson are two such vacationers that choose no dog:)

 SEE YOU IN THE KEYS!

Baby dolphin in our waters, here in Key Largo

This morning,the canal and bay were like glass.   I love the mirror of the sky in the water.  A break in the water caught my eye. Then, again, this time I saw the dolphin- or a tarpon fish?  By the time I had my phone out and took a photo, there was only a ripple- as you see above.  

Later in the morning, while Luigi and I were swimming in our canal, he suddenly got very anxious, wanted me out of the water.  Barking and talking you could tell he was really trying to tell me something and his main intent was getting me OUT of the WATER!  

 What I hadn't seen while I was in the water was that at the entrance of our short canal was dolphin! Our friends just coming up on their boat said there had just been a dolphin and a baby at the entrance. 

 Often we see dolphin in the afternoon out in the bay. 

But this is the second time in just two weeks we have seen dolphin in the canal.   The first sighting, initially, we thought it was a tarpon fish- they can be as large as 5 ft long and have a fin on the top. 

I haven't been able to get a photo of them in our canal but I do have some sweet ones from an afternoon in our bay of Tarpon Basin.

It is hard to see, but the one photo, if you look close, you can see the dolphin looking right at me.

On of our host's posts: Honey Room

By: Arthur G

Great room. Generous hosts. Interesting area. And my dog was very happy too.

Now I have to add, Arthur has the sweetest spaniel, named Honey.   He is our first guest in this new room, which was called Twin Nest until Honey showed up. Now I am calling it the Honey Nest:)  I think it fits too since I keep honeybees.  

One of our guests' posts: My first time in NY- Oct. 2011

Vernon R

This was my first time in NY. Giana made me and my girlfriend feel very welcomed from the start. She is a great hostess. She was very engaging and helpful with giving us ideas and direction on how to experience the city while maintaining our privacy. The room was magnificent; beautiful hardwood floors and a sun/moonlight that is simply magical. I heartily recommend this oasis in the heart of New York city. You won't be disappointed.

here by the houseboat is Super Mom & Sparkles.  She was very injured by a powerboat's propeller the previous year.  You can see her right arm looks 'curled' and there is a broad white mark on her.   I worked with her right arm to improve her function.  It really helped her.   Then we had that terrible cold spell and we lost about 400 of the manatee herd.   What a glorious surprise to see her.  I called to her and she swam over to me, not only survivingthe winter but bringing her new baby with her!.

There's nuthin' like a vacation seeing the wilds of Key Largo and her Manatee...

OK, so I love animals, dogs, cats, fish, horses, dolphin, fox, birds, people, and especially the manatee.

The manatee in general just make me laugh at their antics, marvel at their grace and calm communicative  energy, swim with them, them with me in the canal and bay, and when they fart- run and hold my nose!  (Although my 85lb puppy black lab also fits the description!)

  Every morning when I am in Key Largo, (a bit harder to do from my home in Brooklyn, NY)  I walk to our dock and see which individuals are around that morning.  After these 5 years, I don't tire experiencing and watching them.

I get the most pleasure when our guests encounter our wild life, including the manatee.  It makes wonderful memories for a vacation.
Here is a selection of photos of our manatee and rides out to the bay to see dolphin, manatee, birds, sting rays, fish jumping around, and just to enjoy the breezes and sunset!

Here is Big Moma & Baby Boo (yes, Moma, like the museum of mod.art)

here by the houseboat is Super Mom & Sparkles.  She was very injured by a powerboat's propeller the previous year.   I worked with her right arm to improve her function.  It really helped her.   Then we had that terrible cold spell and we lost about 400 of the manatee herd.   What a glorious surprise to see her.  I called to her and she swam over to me, not only survivingthe winter but bringing her new baby with her!.

WE often take our guests out on our boat for a spin in the bay- catch the sunset;

watch for birds in the mangroves;

These children were so much fun to watch- right along with the manatee! 

Then there is the 'after glow' of being out on the water, fishing, or swimming or just sunning at the beach!  Friends are made around our dock:)  Good feelings all around.

These young children learned about water safety.  They just wanted to learn about everything & see the wonderful manatee.  

One of our guests' posts: in good shape:)

We (family of four) had a fantastic time on the houseboat - swam with the manatees (the kids had names for them all), kayaked through the canals and into the bay. Chanoch and Giana were wonderful hosts and looked after us very well with lots of information about what to do and where to go locally. The houseboat was clean, comfortable and in good shape. We highly recommend staying on the houseboat for a unique Florida Keys holiday experience. Jamie F.

One of our guests' posts: Well equipped kitchen; Sept, 2010

Our guest wrote:
Spacious apartment with good subway access Host Jan was very accommodating and moved in a chair for my tall husband. Well equipped kitchen and even a small dishwasher! Bathtub was very high off the floor but a grab bar was installed during our stay. We found the rate a bit high for the neighborhood and amenities provided.  "We truly enjoyed our stay and realize it was not meant to be a Bed & Breakfast- our next stay is a B&B."

My note:
They were a sweet older couple and stayed in Mom's Treehouse on the second floor of my home in Brooklyn.   Some guests like our interaction and some want serenity, peace and afternoon naps.  My home is large enough that there is plenty of space for choosing to visit or have privacy.  I am happy our neighborhood in Brooklyn is free of traffic noise like much of the city can be.    

They had never experienced the 'vacation home rental' experience before- they thought we were a Bed & Breakfast- hence the amenity question.   I don't think they realized that the kitchen in the blog was part of THEIR rental! not MY kitchen!    Yes, the tub is an old fashioned clawfoot tub- original to my 1909 Victorian home.   I love the tubs- I painted the toe nails of the claws too!  

My neighborhood is one of the newest hip neighborhood in Brooklyn.  Artists & musicians have always lived in this area however, it is growing and there are more restaurants, bars, and a new 'scene'. 

There was the Village, then Dumbo, then Red Hook,  then WIlliamsburg,  now BedStuy, .....Cortelyou is the next area:)

One of our guests' posts: clean, safe & fun:) Eagle Cove Haven, Nov. 2010

Our guest wrote:
The Shiloh’s are a warm and welcoming couple. The property is very well kept and extremely clean, probably one of the cleanest places I have stayed while traveling. The neighborhood is safe, quite and relaxing. They had all the tourist info you could need and also gave us tips on local spots. Seeing the manatees is a must it was such a treat. The property is located near lots of things to keep you busy or you can lounge on the spacious deck over the canal. All you really need to bring with you is your bathing suit and toothbrush they have beach chairs, fishing poles, bicycles, fun doodles, kayaks etc.; Shelley

My note:
I loved their energy:)  I met them at the property, Eagle Cove Haven, and they hopped out of the car, ran to the dock, and were ready to jump in the canal for a swim!  They drove from the north and so were ready for vacation:)

One of our guests' posts: manatees, boat rides & ice cream:) Feb 2011

Our guest wrote:
We loved staying on the houseboat. The Shiloh's were very gracious hosts, giving recommendations for local attractions, taking us out on their boat and making us and our children feel very welcome. We especially loved the manatees (of course!) and taking the kayak to the private beach. There is also a very nice playground and coffee/ice cream shop a short walk away.  Nicole & family

My note:
Their children were simple delicious!   Seeing them in the water, experiencing the manatees and being able to take the family on a boat ride through the mangroves was a highlight for me:)   I suspect it was for them too:)

One of our guests' posts: immaculate boat:) April 2011

Our guest wrote:
My husband and I loved every moment of our houseboat experience. The houseboat was immaculate! There are not enough words for our host, Chanoch. He is pleasant and helpful. You will not find a nicer or happier host anywhere! Paula and Frank

My thoughts:
A fun-loving couple!  Paula is a beautiful painter-artist.  Wonderful to see her work- one hangs behind Chanoch's desk!

One of our guests' posts: Fantastic Location; May 2011

Our guest wrote:
My friend and I had a great time on the boat! It was a fantastic location - and we loved that the beach was just a quick kayak trip or swim away! Our host offered some great suggestions of area restaurants and day trips, and were all-around very nice people.
From Kate M.

My note: A sweet and interesting couple- we had another young couple staying at the same time and it was fun to 'hang' out, drink a beer and eat BBQ together!  

PERFECT Houseboat stay:) July 2011!

Our stay was PERFECT on the Houseboat! It was quiet, relaxing and such a great experience with lots of nice memories! Giana and Chanoch made such an effort to make us feel home! They are friendly and reaaalllyy helpful! We were happy to get to know them! They know everything about the neighbourhood and gave us every information about where to go and enjoy our stay there! There are a lot of things to do, 1 week was not enough to explore everything so more than 1 week staying there is highly recommended!! I feel I can write here a long story but there are no words how much we enjoyed being there!  Thank you! Szilvia & family

Still remembered!

Hey There!
It's been a while. Thanks so much for all your hospitality! We had a very pleasant stay. Renting both the bay's Sun Bay and the houseboat worked great for us.
Best Faraz

fantastic vacation- Spring getaway 2010

Brenden W

My girlfriend and I had a fantastic vacation staying in Best Sun Bay-Getaway. The room was clean and comfortable, and we enjoyed playing with the manatees and relaxing in the sun:) Chanoch & Giana were extremely hospitable, we couldn't have asked for better hosts and conversation. We would definitely stay here again!

Houseboat Wonderful, February 23, 2011

By David Fullbright (Ozark, Arkansas USA)
Cute minature home away from home on a wonderful clear canal very close to the Bay, it is adorable! It's on a very quiet street and canal. We would give it a "ten" rating and can't wait to return. We have stayed at several places in Florida and find this the very best.

Thank you David!

Our Getaway and stay on the Silver MOon

Review #1346530 Houseboat Beautiful!
We have never spent a better getaway and have been to many parts of Florida numerous times. The boat is wonderful, like a minature home away from home. The canal and manatee are enticing and the owners, Gianna & Chanoch, are so gracious and friendly and helpful. If we return, this will be our first choice of places to come back too. It is close to the Bay, beach, grocery store, post office, library and several other amenities. The restaurants around are excellent, expecially Mrs. Macs and The Fish House. We'd give it a "ten" for convenience. And we would recommend it very very highly. David & Louise, Ozark, Arkansas