Our love affair with family beach vacations began long before Kristen and I met.  It's a tradition that runs deep within us.  

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Kristen's family beach vacations took place in several resort towns along Florida's 30A area - lots to do, but often with over-crowded beaches and traffic. They stayed in condos and homes along the beach, but their tradition was "time spent together" on some of the prettiest beaches of the South.

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Tuck's family vacationed on a sleepy island near Wilmington, NC.  They rented the same home year after year.  The beaches were pretty, but let's be honest, the eastern seaboard isn't the Gulf of Mexico.  The island's vibe was quiet, family centric and had an abundance of cottages instead of hotels or high-rise condos.

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When we married in 1996, and for the years before we had children, we often flip-flopped between the two areas we had grown up visiting, but occasionally explored other areas in search of "our" kind of beach. 

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In 2009, Kristen began hearing about Anna Maria Island, and those who spoke of it had glowing reviews of "old Florida" charm, laid-back vibe, being family oriented, and having some of the most amazing beaches and sunsets ever seen.  Kristen heard enough and we found ourselves on Anna Maria Island the next May.

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Two days into our visit, we knew we found our beach.  Anna Maria Island offers the best of everything we each loved about our childhood beaches.  There are few condominium complexes - none towering, and no chain-restaurants which makes the island feel like home.  The beaches are sugar-white and soft with plenty of shells and sand-dollars to discover.  Some of the calmest, clearest turquoise water outside the Caribbean Sea surrounds the island.  Inviting and quaint coastal vacation cottages and newer homes are the norm here - as are 25mph speed limits, frequent bicycle and golf cart rides, and quiet hours beginning at 10pm.  It's all designed to make you relax!  

 

An added bonus is the ability to day-trip away from the island to take in the sights and experiences Tampa, Sarasota, and yes, even Disney (it's less than 2 hours away).  Even those who get restless on vacation can find plenty of action nearby.  

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  We've bought, remodeled, built, and sold homes our entire marriage, so we thought why not own a vacation rental on Anna Maria Island.  Three years of searching finally paid off when we bought and remodeled what we named Cozy Cabana's - a couple of villas off 82nd Street in Holmes Beach. They were ideal for small families and couples.  As our children grew, we needed more space and transitioned to owning and updating Cozy Cottage - a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom vacation home on the northern end.  Both of our properties received rave reviews from hundreds of guests. We attribute those reviews to the way we treat every guest like they are an extension of our own family; and how we supply our vacation homes with everything you want and need.

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We sold Cozy Cottage in April 2019 to begin searching for our next vacation home to take us into our next stage of life, and one that would accommodate us and our adult children (and their future families) together.  In May 2020, we purchased and began designing Sunkissed & Salty - four bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom, extra space for additional guest(s), a game-room that kids of all ages can enjoy and an outdoor environment where everyone will certainly gather and play together.  The best part may be the location - about a minute's walk to the beach, and close to everything in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.  We're thrilled with the outcome and it is our hope that you will, too!

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Thanks for taking a few moments to learn more about us - we hope it makes you feel more connected to us and our home.  We invite you to book your stay or reach out to us today! 

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