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. Entirely-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 Included: 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 included - 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 beautiful. 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 magnificent 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 handsome 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 charming 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 calming 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 impressive. 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 striking 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 property experience:

Find your perfect rental home:

• Reserve your vacation home in the Fall or Spring to get the benefit of warm weather while saving money and avoiding crowds. Many vacationers use this method to reserve larger homes, or to reserve an oceanfront vacation rental that would otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable during the Summer.
• The sooner you can book a vacation rental, the easier your search will be. The best rental properties are booked early. Booking your rental property six to twelve months before your travel dates is recommended. Winter holidays are excellent times to plan and book your rental property.
• Hosts sometimes offer discounts for active duty military and veterans. Check with your property manager to see if rate reductions are available for your family.
• Booking websites usually offer customers an option to purchase vacation insurance protection. Trip insurance, which will generally cost 1% - 5% of the reservation price, offers visitors reimbursement of their vacation costs for days missed as a result of medical-related catastrophes or weather, as well as ensuing additional hurricane evacuation charges, such as an unexpected hotel stay or extra gasoline expenses. Trip insurance might be a a life-saver if the unforeseen happens. Ask your property manager for details.
• Many management companies and vacation rental houses supply Morehead City area travel guides which will include money-saving offers, 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 grocery stores, shopping centers, and visitor centers.

Selecting and booking the best Morehead City rental:

• Choose vacation dates and maximum budget.
• Determine how many beds and what type of bedroom configuration your family needs. Oceanfront, Family Atmosphere has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. If you need a larger or smaller rental, use our search.
• Precise details about bedrooms and bed sizes & counts is commonly available on booking websites. Otherwise, contact the property manager before you reserve your rental. Remember that most properties list maximum guest capacity, which oftentimes includes sofa beds and bunks. You will need to work out what configuration is right for your trip.
• Does your family require special amenities? Most rental search websites include search filters with amenity lists.
• Suitable accessibility can make or ruin a vacation for guests that require the use of a wheelchair. Make certain to ask about specialized equipment and wheel chair accessibility.
• Traveling with pets? Although a number of vacation homes allow pets or animals, guidelines and costs vary per property. Type of pet, size and breeds may be limited. Remember to ask your host before booking, and study your agreement! Additional pet fees or charges may be applied to your invoice.

During your stay:

• Add the property manager's contact info to your smartphone. Understand and take a copy of arrival/departure procedures.
• To make certain that damages are not linked to your family's stay, inspect for any problem areas upon check in. Speak to the property manager immediately to report any issues. If there is a dispute about who is responsible, having a record of concerns and contact attempts will be useful.
• Property managers are great sources of help! Feel free to ask questions during your stay.
• Be a good neighbor! You wouldn't like loud visitors disrupting your quiet neighborhood. Employ the golden rule for best judgement. Happy residents may even recommend great restaurants and attractions you would've not otherwise known about!
• Speaking of neighbors... Ask a local! Residents can usually point you in the right direction. Who better to ask where to get the best breakfast in town, have a great night on the town, or the best spots for bird watching?
• Keep the property locked while you're away! Don't let crooks spoil your vacation.
• Don't leave anything behind! Before you drive away, take a walk through the rental property to make sure you've collected everything. Make sure to check bathrooms, dressers, and closets for hidden items. Clean the refrigerator and take any leftovers home.
• Go through the property a final time and keep an eye out for damages to contents or the property itself. We recommend inspecting the property with the host whenever possible. If the property manager isn't available, take photos and video of the property to record its condition.
• Did your family have a great stay? Many rental managers make it easy for clients to provide feedback. If your rental property and/or host was terrific, they will likely appreciate your kind words. If anything was imperfect and they failed to correct it reasonably, or if the vacation rental wasn't as described, you'll want to make a note as part of your comments.