Notes from the host
2/2 Florida Getaway With Private Yard
WARNING! This is not a bland, cookie cutter rental operated by profit hungry management company. This is an artist decorated home with colorful character and smart tech features- in a dream location! It is pet friendly, and cleaned up to my OCD standards between guests. You WILL fall in love with the neighborhood. You will NOT want to leave. Vacationer- beware, this home will raise your expectations for functional luxury. Not afraid of the consequences? Perfect :D WELCOME!
PARKING
Rainbow House is the prettiest house in the cul-de-sac! The bright yellow exterior is so joyful to come home to. Double wide paved driveway out front allows for parking of 2-3 cars or an RV/trailer on the left side, and 2 cars on the right side.
PORCH
The cozy porch offers seating for 2 so you can enjoy the outdoors and people watch (a personal favorite).
LIVING ROOM
The main space encompasses an open living room with large windows and high ceilings, separated from the kitchen with an open bar top- the perfect layout for organic flow of movement and socialization. The couch is SO comfortable and rated 10/10 one of the best places worldwide to take a nap. A pull-out queen bed can be found under the long part of the sectional. The TV is mounted on a swivel- so you can see the screen from any angle. The dining table is in the corner, with seating for 2-6 that can be pulled out to accommodate extra chairs.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is stocked with every appliance you might need for home cooking (drip coffee maker, electric kettle, crock pot, air fryer, rice cooker, waffle maker, toaster, blender, mandoline, electric whisk, vacuum sealer). The kitchen sink is touch activated so you can turn the water on/off without contaminating the handle. Super convenient, but a little weird to get used to. The pantry has an assortment of spices, oils and snacks for you to enjoy so you don't have to run to the grocery store as soon as you arrive.
FUN
Curious what that green glowing stuff is in the kitchen curio cabinet? That's my uranium glassware collection! It glows under the UV light. Super cool decor that looks amazing at night. Don't worry, my Geiger counter confirmed it's totally safe. Across from the hallway, you'll find a yellow cabinet filled with tons of board/card games and puzzles. The hallway is lined with high hanging cabinets stocked with an eclectic assortment of books.
DECK
The living room has a hurricane proof sliding glass door that leads to the vinyl deck (no splinters!). Step out and you'll find a covered lounge bench, a propane grill, table and chairs for seating, as well as an oscillating fan to keep the bugs away. You'll find lots of pre-chewed dog toys (Laika doesn't mind sharing) in the storage bin. The deck has 2 gated access points with a few steps to get to ground level. I enjoy letting my dog out on the deck, and by closing off the gates- giving her the opportunity to enjoy some fresh air, while having peace of mind that she's not digging holes in the grass.
POOL/CABANA/YARD
Right of the deck (strategically positioned for visibility from the couch inside) is a bird feeding station that I like to keep topped off with seeds. There are lots of blue jays and cardinals in the area that are fun to watch. Left of the deck, just behind the above ground pool (unheated, unfortunately), is the newest addition to the property- a cabana! It is mesh enclosed (mosquito proof, yay!) and has 2 loungers, a low table, and a mini fridge. Personally, I like to move the two loungers together, turn on the fan and the mood lights, and sleep out there when the weather is nice (I can even charge my phone for some late night doom scrolling). I can't officially list it as a bedroom, but I sleep better out there than I do inside.
LAUNDRY/STORAGE
Now, let's go back in the house. Standing with your back to yellow cabinet, in front of you will be the hallway. On your left is a door that will lead to the laundry room. This space doubles as a storage area for whatever bulky things you might have with you. In the cabinets you will find the vacuum, upholstery cleaner, mops, brooms, paper products, laundry supplies. Conveniently, the side entrance to the house leads to this room as well. The door to the garage is locked and used for storage.
GUEST ACCOMODATIONS
Walking down the hallway, you will see a locked door on the right (office used for storage). Infront if you will be the guest bathroom with a soaking tub. To the right is the guest bedroom with a queen bed, dresser, night table, and sliding glass door closet (with built-in drawers/shelves/clothes rack). This room gets lovely morning light, and a view of the deck/pool.
MAIN BEDROOM/BATHROOM
To the left of the guest bathroom is the main bedroom with a king bed, dresser, night table, full length mirror, and a small corner office desk. I have the bed up against the wall so I have a cozy corner to fill with pillows for lounging. Feel free to adjust the position of the bed to your liking. This room does not get morning light and stays relatively shaded. Since the closet is locked and is filled with my junk, I have a portable clothes rack available for hanging clothes. The main bath is accessible only through the bedroom itself. You'll find a glass enclosed standing shower, ample countertop space, and now... drumroll, THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE HOUSE... a heated bidet connected to the porcelain throne. I'm just sayin...
NEIGHBORHOOD
The cul-de-sac is an oasis of peace and quiet since there is no annoying through traffic. The neighbors are a mix of young families with kids and proud members of the 55+ club. The open lot at the entrance to the circle is a play area for the kids, as well as a community meeting space for bonfire nights. There are a lot of cats in the area because the guy in 1733 keeps rescuing strays. Most are spayed/neutered and are just a nuisance the community tolerates.
The property maintenance man, Kyle, lives in the circle and is close by in case of problems.
Another neighbor, Jeremy, operates a fishing charter if you are interested in a open water fishing trip during your stay! Mention "Rainbow House" to Jeremy and receive 15% off Frioudfamilycharters.com
The Pinellas trail (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0d793d85b8814d33a12ea8896e8cd551) is just behind the house, and from the deck, you can see people passing by. The cut-through to get there is off of Apache Trail, between houses 1777 and 1775. My favorite walking loop is going down the trail towards Stevenson Ave and stopping on the trail bridge to watch people fishing (and sometimes even spotting manatees!) Then I get to Edgewater Drive park to see the sunset, and head home past the Shuffleboard/Bowling clubs. There's an open field there where I can let my dog off-leash, and if I'm up for giving her a bath, we wander off into the bay and I let her run around on the shoreline at low tide.
Going north, you can take the semi shaded trail, or enjoy a scenic trip with waterfront views of Clearwater Beach, up Alt19 to Dunedin. It's a walkable town square with lots of activities/events year long. I recommend eating at The Living Room, or playing late night arcades and drinking a beer at Reboot. TD Ballpark, where the Toronto Blue Jays have their spring training, is very close by.
Going south, you can take N Fort Harrison Ave for quick access to the new outdoor waterfront pavilion at Coachman Park. My favorite places in downtown Clearwater are the massive public library (with a killer top floor view), Clearsky- where you can enjoy a very diverse menu and fantastic outdoor seating, and if you have a boat- the Seminole Boat Ramp.
If you're not wanting to drive but are hungry, I suggest you check out the mom and pop BBQ joint just outside the neighborhood. If you need essentials, Dollar General is walking distance as well.
***
There are security cameras on the exterior of the property with a view of the driveway, deck, backyard/pool. They will be checked ONLY for purposes of insurance claims or rule violation.
The property has 3 routinely scheduled services- landscaping, pool cleaning, and whole house water filter replacement.
PET FEE
per pet, 2 max
$10/day 1-60 days
$7/day 61+ days
Pet bookings of 42+ days include a complimentary full house cleaning (that includes the fabric couch) every 6 weeks.
If you want, I can also recruit the neighborhood kids to do a weekly yard de-pooping.
UTILITIES
An allowance of up to $350/month for electric, and $150/month for water is included in your booking.
The house is equipped with a Nest smart thermostat that can optimize energy savings. This assumes the A/C is kept around 75/76 during peak summer months, and presence sensing is activated. A Flume smart water meter is set up to monitor water usage, and notify in case of a leak. Utility usage will be checked monthly.
