I don't know where the time goes. Last week, we were in Destin, Florida and had a very good time. While there, I spent some time journaling and fully intended to post to this blog while I was there. However, I spent time living in the moment in the beach with my family. It was what we need to build some energy and chill out. Once we returned home, it was back to work and the usual every day activities. I didn't get back to blogging until today.
We had such a great time that we decided to go back to Destin next week with my husband's sister, Maria, her husband, Carl and their daughter/my niece, Jessica. My son, Anthony, starts Cosmetology School at the Toni and Guy Academy on August 5th and he also has orientation on July 28th. Jess starts college on Aug. 20th. So we had a short window of dates for all of us to go away together.
We didn't have the benefit of price shopping when we went to Destin over the 4th of July weekend. We left last minute and were desperate so we paid a high price for our one bedroom condo at Destin.
For our next trip which is only a week away, I was planning to shop for a better rate. We planned on renting a beach front condo with at least a two bedroom and maybe a three bedroom condo. I found that most two bedroom condos have twin beds in the 2nd bedroom. This was a problem and presented even a bigger challenge on getting a rental that did not cost us $500 a night.
I called the Sandestin resort directly and was quoted a rate of $600 for a 2BR beach front condo. I knew I could do better than this. So I went to the website, Vacation Rentals By Owner or VRBO.com. We rented vacation condos in Colorado through VRBO and had positive experiences. There were many listing on VRBO for Destin.
I focused on finding a condo in the Westwinds building at Sandestin and was so lucky to find one after 10 or more phone calls. The condo owner outsourced the property management to Gibson Beach Rentals. (Gibsonbeachrentals.com) I spoke with Joanna Gibson, who owns the agency with her husband. She was very courteous and helpful. I highly recommend calling them if you want to rent a condo in the Destin area.
The condo we rented for next week is located beach front on the 7th floor and has two bedrooms each with a King bed! We also have a queen sleeper sofa and 2 1/2 baths. We will also be taking an inflatable mattress for my son to sleep on. The best news is that I got the condo for $400 a night or a 30% savings over renting directly from Sandestin reservations. This nightly rate is also less than what we paid for our one bedroom rental last weekend. It pays to do a little legwork to save some money.
Please note though that are less expensive condo rentals in Destin. The prices are less if you are not right on the beach. Also, older condos in older buildings have lower rental rates. I really think there are rentals at many different price points.
During my research, I also talked to some very nice people at myvacationhaven.com who were helpful but unfortuantely did not have condos available that met our requirements. I just wanted to also put in a plug for them since they represent some very nice Destin area condos on VRBO.com
I can't wait to head back to Destin next week. This week we are staying for a longer time with 4 days on the beach. Heaven on the beach.
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