Filed under Travel Thoughts by Jill on May 25, 2010 at 2:25 PM
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Our spotlight on St. Augustine, Florida continues this week with golf and restaurant reviews by our members. Take a look at last week’s Vacation Exchange Network Blog for posts about sights to see and things to do in St. Augustine and vacation homes available for swap in St. Augustine.
Our members’ St. Augustine golf course picks:
St. Johns Golf & Country Club is located between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida and offers extraordinary golf. The 18-hole Clyde Johnston-designed course has the right challenges for novice and avid golfers alike. A great place to hone your skills, St. Johns is known for its consistent quality of service and conditions, being nationally ranked for customer satisfaction and loyalty by the National Golf Foundation, and host to the PGA TOUR Qualifying School in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Cimarrone Golf in Jacksonville should not be missed. Cimarrone’s manicured course conditions and challenging design provides a fun, player-friendly experience for golfers of all abilities.
King & Bear Golf Course in World Golf Village is named for its co-designers, World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Wide fairways, top-notch conditioning. Not to be missed!
These restaurants have gotten rave reviews by our members:
O.C. White’s Restaurant: If sightseeing downtown, O.C. Whites is a good choice for lunch or dinner. Offering fresh local seafood, it is located in a historic building. Music in the patio area in the evening creates a fun atmosphere to spend part of an evening.
Pusser’s Bar and Grill in Ponte Vedra Beach (a short drive north of St. Augustine) is a great spot. Try the fish and chips. You won’t be sorry.
Ocean 60 (in Atlantic Beach) is a trendy spot with great food. You’d think you were in SOHO in New York City. Be sure and make a reservation because it’s a very popular spot. Located in a very cute little area that’s perfect for taking a walk after dinner.
Benito’s: There were so many good restaurants in the area, but for wonderful Italian food, don’t miss Benito’s. Located in Vilano Beach (a section of St. Augustine), the food at this very unassuming spot is terrific. On top of wonderful food, the prices are very reasonable. Over a two week period, we ate here four times.
Columbia Restaurant: This Spanish restaurant on St. George Street serves wonderful food with atmosphere. Indoor patio is stunning. Don’t miss the Scallops Casimiro.
Aunt Kate’s is a casual spot with great food and reasonable prices. The fried shrimp is terrific.
Salt Water Cowboy’s is not fancy but has a pleasant atmosphere; good food with a southern flair and good value. For those with a daring streak, try the fried alligator. Of course, be sure and try the fried chicken.
The Vacation Exchange Network is always looking for restaurant, golf, attraction, and destination reviews. Please share yours in the comments section below, or if you are a member, please email us with your reviews.
The Vacation Exchange Network
Unmatched in the home exchange industry, The Vacation Exchange Network is the vacation home owner’s first stop in vacation planning. Swap a stay in your vacation home for a stay anywhere in the United States or around the world, without the necessity of having to find someone who wants to use your home. Please visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s main site for more information about how home swaps work or to become a member and start planning your next home exchange vacation!
Filed under Eye on Vacation Homes by Jill on May 19, 2010 at 4:39 PM
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In yesterday’s blog post about St. Augustine, we highlighted the variety of sights to see and activities the oldest city in the United States offers to its visitors.
What better way to visit St. Augustine than with a home exchange? The Vacation Exchange Network has many beautiful homes available for swap in St. Augustine and the surrounding area. Here are just a few:
This modern oceanfront St. Augustine, Florida vacation home is steps away from beach and may be the perfect property for your next home exchange. Stunning wrap-around deck has private hot tub. The kitchen is modern with granite counters and upgraded Viking appliances. Vacationers can collect sharks teeth, surf, fish, charter a deep sea fishing boat, rent jet skis, para-sail, scuba dive, and rent ocean kayaks. The restaurants and culture of St. Augustine are less then 5 minutes away.
This ocean-side 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo in St. Augustine is 50 yards from the beach. Available are 2 pools and tennis courts, property is located across the street from the intracoastal waterway. Come to sail, tour, windsurf, surf, play golf, or just relax.
This ocean view condo has private beach access. The 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is newly remodeled and sleeps 7. The complex is gated, has 2 pools, tennis, a hot tub, and shuffle board. The property is just minutes away from Historic Old St. Augustine, Sawgrass, (home of Tournament Players Club), and the World Golf Village.
Home Exchange with The Vacation Exchange Network
Remember that with The Vacation Exchange Network, you always have the choice of mutual (direct) home swaps or non-mutual (indirect) home swaps. Browse our vacation home listings, or contact one of our Exchange Coordinators to find your next vacation!
Come back to our blog tomorrow for members’ reviews of St. Augustine golf and restaurants!
Filed under Travel Thoughts by Jill on May 18, 2010 at 4:39 PM
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This St. Augustine Florida Vacation Home Available for Home Swap with The Vacation Exchange Network
Founded in 1565 by Spanish settlers, St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the United States. It was born as a military outpost and, at various times, was home to Spanish colonists, Catholic missionaries, escaped slaves, and Minorcan settlers. The city was a winter resort for wealthy Americans in the late 1800s and played a role in the civil rights struggle with a campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
St. Augustine’s long and rich history is reflected in its unique architecture and city plan. Visitors can learn more by visiting the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum where several structures have been restored and re-enactors bring visitors back to the 1740s. Simply strolling the city’s narrow, old world streets and being amongst the Spanish-style homes and various other notable sights will also bring history to life.
For visitors looking beyond the city’s history, this unique vacation destination will not disappoint. For golfers, St. Augustine boasts the World Golf Hall of Fame and championship golf courses to match. For those looking for a distinctive adventure, you won’t believe The St. Augustine Alligator Farm and its zoological park. For vacationers longing to relax and perhaps find some seashells, the beaches of St. Augustine and the surrounding towns are among the best in Florida. And the St. Augustine Lighthouse surely won’t disappoint.
Thursday evenings are a night out for adults and kids alike, as tourists and locals gather at the St. Augustine Plaza for outdoor Concerts in the Plaza. Concerts are every Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
For even more information on all St. Augustine has to offer, take a look at a great blog tailor-made for St. Augustine visitors at The St. Augustine Travel Guide.
What better way to visit St. Augustine than with a home exchange?
The Vacation Exchange Network has many beautiful homes available for swap in St. Augustine and the surrounding area. Visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s blog tomorrow, or visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s main site to explore all of our home exchange opportunities across the United States and around the world.
To learn more about how home swaps work or to join The Vacation Exchange Network, please visit us at www.thevacationexchange.com.
We’d love to hear about your favorite spots in St. Augustine. Please comment below.
Filed under The Vacation Exchange Network Talk by Jill on March 25, 2010 at 1:00 AM
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Vacation Home Exchange Opportunity in Kauai, Hawaii
Besides offering a haven of tranquility or a home base for your adventures, vacation homes also offer many owners a major source of income. A substantial number of vacation and second home owners rent their homes to vacationers. This rental income is not inconsequential. Some vacation rentals can go for as much as $12,000 or more per week. But, even the most desirable vacation properties in the most desirable vacation destinations have unrented weeks.
So, the vacation home sits empty and unused, and the owners of the vacation home consider the week a loss. This doesn’t have to be the case. That unrented week can be used in a home exchange, also called a home swap. By joining The Vacation Exchange Network, an unrented week in your vacation home enables you to take that trip you’ve been dreaming about, in the United States or around the world. And you can take your trip in an affordable way, avoiding the high cost of lodging.
You don’t have to wait for someone to use your home in order for you to make a home exchange. Unlike other home swap companies, you can travel when and where you want without having to find someone to use your home. Simply find a vacation home in our Network, or have our home exchange coordinators find one for you, and arrange to stay there for your vacation. The other home owner will receive an Exchange Credit to be used on a future vacation. Similarly, when you allow another Vacation Exchange Network member to use your vacation property, you’ll receive an Exchange Credit.
Home exchange is a great way try spring skiing in Colorado, Utah, or Vermont, to dust off those golf clubs in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, or to travel somewhere you’ve never been. Just browse through our vacation properties to get some ideas, and we’ll help you find that perfect vacation.
To learn more about home swaps, including how to list your vacation home, how to join our home swap Network, or what makes The Vacation Exchange Network a unique house swap program, please visit us at www.TheVacationExchange.com. We look forward to helping you plan your next vacation!
No more lamenting those unrented weeks; they’re your key to your next vacation!
Filed under Travel Thoughts by Jill on March 18, 2010 at 1:12 PM
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Your Next Golf Vacation Could be a Home Exchange
Time for a spring golf tune-up?
The Myrtle Beach area boasts over 100 golf courses, including some of the most challenging and beautiful golf courses in the country. If your clubs are just aching to get out on the course, consider Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Award-winning courses abound, including those by world-famous architects Robert Trent Jones, Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Tom Fazio.
Average spring temperatures in Myrtle Beach range from the high sixties in March to the low eighties in May, making for perfect golf weather. Myrtle Beach is part of the Grand Strand, 60 miles of white sand beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. So, after those 18 (or 27?) holes, you can watch the sunset with soft sand between your toes.
Our members’ Myrtle Beach golf course picks:
Arrowhead Country Club of Myrtle Beach, by architects Tom Jackson and Ray Floyd, is an outstanding course, upscale and particularly visually appealing. This 27-hole course has three 9-hole tracts. Our members picked The Cypress as their favorite.
Glen Durnoch Golf Course, part of The Glens Golf Course, is located in Little River, South Carolina. This coastal course is located on the Intracoastal Waterway and has several natural elevation changes. Our members say the course has a fabulous layout and that the last three holes are particularly spectacular.
River Hills Golf and Country Club of Little River, South Carolina, by architect Tom Jackson has a southern feel with rolling hills and natural elevation changes. Our members were particularly impressed with the excellent condition of the course and made note of the outstanding greens.
These restaurants have gotten rave reviews by our members:
Parson’s Table, located in Little River, South Carolina, is fine dining in a one-of-a-kind setting. Upscale, with outstanding food and ambiance. The antique wooden floors and stained glass windows are a perfect accompaniment to a meal prepared by Ed Murray, Jr., recently selected as one the Best Chefs in America.
Umberto’s at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina offers outstanding traditional Italian food at a reasonable price. Their self-named house dish Chicken Umberto lives up to its name, and the owner has a sense of humor. Check out his Dining Tips!
Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is an entertaining dining experience. Their sizzling meats are delicious, and children six and under dine for free!
To spotlight just a few:
Located on Myrtlewood Golf Course, this condo (see photo below) in the Myrtlewood Villas sleeps 6. This beautifully furnished and centrally-located Myrtle Beach vacation home is close to the beach, shopping, water sports, and restaurants.
This Myrtle Beach, South Carolina vacation home is available for home swap at The Vacation Exchange Network now through the end of May.
Located in Surfside Beach, seven miles south of Myrtle Beach, this sunny 5-bedroom, 3-bath raised beach home is also within minutes of a variety of golf courses. The home’s gorgeous in-ground pool is perfect for a few laps or just relaxing at the end of the day.
This Surfside Beach, South Carolina beach home is available for swap during April with The Vacation Exchange Network
Located in Myrtle Beach, the home pictured below has both a lake view and an ocean view. The community is gated, and it has both a swimming pool and an outdoor waterpark.
This waterfront condo is available for home swap in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The Vacation Exchange Network has scores of vacation homes in South Carolina, including many in and around Myrtle Beach. Take a look at our homes in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and Garden City Beach. You’re sure to find one that is right for your next home exchange. Be sure to let us know about your restaurant and golf course picks!
Images: Rasmus Thomsen / FreeDigitalPhotos.net; Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
