Beautiful, high-end home on the water in the heart of Florida's Nature Coast. Water in back, and nothing but native Florida wilderness in the front! Beautifully landscaped and furnished with comfortable sleeping accommodations for as many as 10 people (no more than 8 adults, please).
The home has 3 beautifully-furnished bedrooms and a private office that can be closed off to use as a fourth bedroom. The office offers a beautiful windowed wall with an open view through the patio lanai and pool, and over the landscaped yard to the water!
The master bedroom offers the same lovely water visage via large sliding glass doors, with the added advantage of a romantic opening directly to the built-in hot tub. Just slide the door, and slide in....
The rear door opens to a covered bar seating area that leads to a large patio and lanai running the home's length. A large L shape pool occupies one side, and a separate built-in hot tub on the other. The hot tub is just off the master bedroom, and features a beautiful stone façade, surround seating, and a retractable awning, just in case one of those tropical Florida rains happens by.
Also available on site are a washer and dryer with all needed for its use. In winter months, the pool can be heated for an additional small fee if there is no freezing temperatures. If too cold and cannot be heated, fee is refunded.
In addition to sunbathing and water frolicking, the large patio and pool offer a host of playtime activities including water basketball, water volleyball, mini-ping pong, and a full-size corn-hole set (for an out-of-water experience). For guests who prefer to vacation outside of the heat of Florida summer, the pool can be heated by request if necessary (it's generally not required in summer!). Our pool is a "saltwater pool", meaning its just as clean as chlorine with no harsh feel or taste. As a bonus, the bleaching effects of chlorine don't apply; your bathing suit stays pristine.
A BBQ grill, large table with plenty of seating, and a covered bar and seating area (again, tropical rains do happen!) provide plenty of space for outdoor cooking, dining, and drinking activities.
The lanai opens to an immaculately landscaped yard with outdoor shower area, the watersport rack (stand-up paddle boards and kayak), a rustic firepit space with seating that sits directly on the water, a sidewalk along the sea wall, and a large floating dock with patio furniture. The small grass areas are the perfect size for setting up the cornhole boards.
The water-front sidewalk (sea wall cap) runs the length of the yard, with a ramp out to a large floating dock. It is not uncommon to see manatees and various other sea animals and birds off the dock. The dock also offers outdoor furniture to provide a beautiful place to enjoy your morning coffee, a meal, or a drink directly on the water. We've been known to catch a few bass off the dock and wall as well, although catfish are more common.
We are avid stand-up paddle (SUP) boarders, and so we offer a large selection of boards for the more active guests, along with two Kayaks for the balance-challenged. This is the best way to see Florida! We have some very stable beginner boards to make it an enjoyable experience for most everyone. It's easier than you think, and absolutely the best way to experience the beauty and serenity of Florida's abundant nature!
Our waterway connects directly with the local Indian River, a short paddle away, which offers some breathtaking coves and natural areas and wildlife on the way to the magnificent Crystal River. It then joins Crystal River 2 miles from our dock and right next to the ancient Indian burial mounds of the beautiful and fascinating Archaeological State Park. A site well worth visiting, whether by SUP, bike, or even car. For the more adventurous, (or those with a boat!), a bit further up Crystal River (to the left) is the great Kings Bay and its famous Manatee sightseeing activity, along with the a host of watersports, bars, and restaurants. Paddle boards are the best way to experience the magnificent and friendly Manatees. We see them swimming along our wall about once a day. This year we had a mother give birth to a brand new baby just off our dock! If you're really lucky, you could even see dolphins fishing the waterway, though that's certainly more rare.
For boaters, our waterway is right around the corner from a local public ramp. Once in, you can leave your boat at our dock for the length of your stay. You can leave it longer, if you'd like, as long as you leave us the key! And the home has plenty of spare space for trailers. There are no houses across the street (natural preserve), so it offers ample parking for boat trailers for our Guests.
One of the advantages of this property is its proximity to the Gulf. Turning to the right (west) where our local Indian river joins with Crystal River, you immediately arrive at Twin Rivers Marina, and the beginning of the Gulf and open water (although it's very shallow here and takes a long time to reach deep water!). This is also the beginning of Salt River, a gorgeous, shallow natural coastal (if somewhat spaghettified) waterway that teams with little islands, mangroves, and local turtles, stingrays, dolphins, and a myriad of other local wildlife - both in the water and air. Boaters are advised to stay on Crystal River itself for access directly out to the Gulf, as Salt River has been known to offer more than a few opportunities to run aground in the shallows. While it's a bit treacherous for the unfamiliar boat captain, it is breathtaking for the paddler!
The Crystal River area remains, for the most part, natural and unspoiled. Much more so than most other areas of Florida. The water is clean, with large areas of both wet and dry land that has net yet been altered by man. It offers some of the very best fishing available anywhere, with everything from local shallows to deep water Gulf fishing. Many local charters are available to show you right right spots!
The scalloping season (July, August, and September) is world famous and one of the most fun boating activities you will ever enjoy. We even provide a few sets of snorkeling equipment, for those who don't have their own. Scalloping can be enjoyed in water as shallow as only 3 feet deep, which makes it accessible to almost everyone, including beginner swimmers and those not so comfortable in deeper water. Deeper areas above 7 feet deep can sometimes offer better pickings, especially later in the season, but bring a bit more of a challenging snorkeling environment. Some may find it difficult to get down that deep to find those little treasures hanging out in the grass!
For the truly fitness minded, our home offers a weight and exercise room, to burn those calories you're consuming on your vacation! We keep our SUP paddles, rackets, and bikes in here.
The Exercise room also has multiple bikes for land-based exploration of the teaming local wildlife and natural landscape. Bikers can choose either a nature cruise or a more urban experience (albeit a small one!) through the quaint down-town Crystal River shopping district and the cross town trail. There are lots of places to stop for food (and drink) on the water!
A more nature-oriented bike ride might start with a short loop around the local lake, then by a groomed 7 mile loop through the natural wilderness of the Crystal River Preserve, and then on to end at the Crystal River Preserve State park. Here you can look out over a water at the junction of Crystal and Salt rivers - a popular place for seeing dolphins!
Whether by SUP, boat, bike, or car, Crystal River is a great place to vacation. Whether you're looking for local seafood, a festive atmosphere with live music, or just a drink on the water with a gorgeous view, Crystal River offers it, and with a quaint, safe, small-town feel. And we like to think we offer one of the nicest places to experience this charming area. We're happy to offer advice to our guests on what to do and see, so please feel free to reach out before and during your stay.
*Note for Winter guests:
The pool can be heated during reasonably warm conditions. As a large outdoor pool, it's difficult to heat when very cold outside. The electric heat pump (there is no gas available in this area) will NOT function under ambient temperatures of 50ºF or lower. Therefore, we offer our Guests the option to heat the pool, but can ONLY do so during periods where the weather forecast calls for LOW temperatures to remain above 50º all night long. The last thing we want is disappointed Guests! So December and January Guests PLEASE understand that this is not south Florida and there is a good chance that the pool cannot be heated.
