Vacation Home Rentals Blog

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Lagoon-style pools. Manicured grounds with palm trees and exotic flora and fauna. Pearly white beaches. Golf courses, tennis courts and oh, the conveniences of home, in the forms of full-sized kitchens and Starbucks.

In a nutshell, those are the many virtues of Destin condo rentals, where families, couples and singles co-vacay in spaces nestled on resort-like settings. Sure, you can always default to Orlando vacation homes for Mickey Mouse, but Panhandle vacation rentals are just-as-affordable and nice breaks from hearing “It’s a Small World” 5 million times and the $15 lunches inside Magic Kingdom.

Fares to Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS), the closest airport to Destin at just 20 miles, are especially thrifty from Wisconsin right now, according to AirfareWatchDog.com. Fly from Appleton or Green Bay on Northwest Airlines for only $158 roundtrip.

If you’re willing to drive a little, search flights to Pensacola and Panama City Bay County International Airports–60 miles east or west of Destin, respectively–on airlines like America West, American, Delta, United and more.

One final piece of trivia: Before the reigning pop queen became Bald Britney became Comeback Britney, she vacationed in Destin with ex-husband Kevin Federline. She had a home there.

What are the chances you’ll run into her this summer? Not likely, because she’ll be on tour in Europe, but still a cool story to tell when you’re bragging about the blast you had in the Panhandle.

A public shout-out to the first reader to name the ferris wheel above. And no cheating. (Here’s a hint: Drew Barrymore filmed a key scene in “Never Been Kissed” there.)

Ding-ding! Chicago’s Navy Pier.

On a clear, summer day, there’s nothing more perfect than admiring the city’s skyline from the Ferris wheel car. To the west, the curvaceous, sleek Lake Point Tower, to the north, the John Hancock and that windy boulevard we Chicagoans heart: Lake Shore Drive. If you happen to be lucky enough to be staying in a Chicago vacation rental downtown, you may even spot it during your spin. (Another thing to do while buzzed at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock. Go at night to eyeball the skyscrapers and city blocks that twinkle on the massive, maze-like horizon.)

Ferris wheels bring out the cheesy tourist in all of us, the feeling that you’re 10 again. They’re romantic, too. Just you, your sweetheart and the open air.

I’ll skip the blatant “top of the world” cliche, but you get my drift.

What other cities host these timeless, family-friendly beauties? Book a Santa Monica vacation home, Dallas vacation rental or Anaheim vacation home to find out.

You’re not the type of traveler who’s happy sitting on the sand with a Mai Tai. If there’s beach volleyball to be played, you’re schooling folks on your serve. If the tide is cooperative, you’re out there on ripping those waves, and you’ll still have lots of energy for a four-mile run afterward–in your bare feet.

You’re fit and proud of it.

Why not plan your vacation in a city that cares about healthy living?

The American College of Sports Medicine published its second annual American Fitness Index, a report that ordered 45 metropolitan statistical areas based on 30 different factors, from the number of parks per capita to the percentage of residents with diabetes. My hometown–Virginia Beach, Va.–proudly ranked No. 10. (Yay, 23456!)

The top five aren’t just the five fittest cities, but great places to visit to boot–regardless of your athleticism. So grab that couch potato friend and hustle to …

1. Washington D.C.
You’ll definitely work up a sweat after hoofing around Georgetown, DuPont Circle, Capitol Hill, endless museums, the Washington Monument and so on. Say hi to Malia, Sasha, Michelle, Barack and oh, yes, Bo, for us. (Find your District of Columbia vacation rental here.)

2. Minneapolis St. Paul
Tons of parkland, golf courses, nature sanctuaries, gardens and lakes mean that Twin Cities residents get lots of exercise. Not to mention acres upon acres for picnics and that impromptu frisbee session with Fido. (Look for Minneapolis vacation homes.)

3. Denver
Secure your Iron Horse Warrior to the back of your SUV and hit the road for the Mile High City’s extensive family of trails, paths and garden- and riverside vistas. Beginners, watch out for that mountain air. Don’t overexert yourself. This is supposed to be a vacation, remember? (Find your Denver vacation home.)

4. Boston
Bostonians take full advantage of public transportation to go to work, a plus for visitors, because that’s proof that it’s a walking city. And if cities are like hotels, this one is certainly boutique chic–manageable, yet stylish. You’ll want to experience all that history–Boston Common, Paul Revere House, etc.–by foot. (Look for Boston vacation rentals now.)

5. San Francisco
A word of advice to first-timers: Wear flats. You’ll need them to scour every neighborhood, from cute patisseries to taquerias from Russian Hill to the Mission. If you’re lucky enough to visit during a farmer’s market, do. If you didn’t already know, there’s another reason SF ranked fifth on the AFI: Residents eat more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. No wonder. A walk to the farmer’s market and indulging in all those fresh samples are as much habits to locals as boozing and baseball to Chicagoans. (Search for San Francisco Bay Area vacation rentals here.)

The mortgage meltdown forced a glut of California home owners to lose their shirts–and the keys to those fabulous manors that most of us only dream about when we’re watching HGTV. Because when it comes to luxury real estate, no state does it quite better than the Golden one.

The odds are, many of those borrowers turned to California vacation home rentals, bringing caviar dreams to everyday folks and turning that sitting real estate into cool cash.

The Napa vacation home pictured above? Yours for just $4,375 a week. Situated next to Cline Cellars, the Gloria Ferrar Champagne Caves and Viansa Wineries, the house comes to $364 a night when divvied among 12 guests. Not cheap, but this is wine country, friends. You won’t see Friesian horses in Queens.

Now, for a few other properties that could fuel lotto fantasies …

Oxnard vacation home
This Silver Strand Beach property screams brocation or girlfriend getaway. Tricked out with a 60-inch HDTV, game room, rooftop deck and barbecue, the party-ready home is the pad the newly rich might call a starter home after they’ve banked their first million. Not overly flashy. It only has one elevator after all.

Santa Barbara vacation rental
You know a house is big when it requires an aerial shot to fully capture its size. Don’t be fooled by the four-bedroom spec–this is a true California hacienda with cathedral ceilings, expansive verandas with daybeds, Brazilian wedding hammocks, a lit tennis court, pool and spa. Swathed by avocado and coral trees, the home also comes with a private chef upon request.

Well duh.

I’ll have my dinner by the outdoor fireplace, please.

Maybe you bought your Lake Norman vacation home as an investment, hoping to flip it after a few years for big bucks. Maybe your Charlotte vacation rental won’t get used this year because you’re worried about taking too much time off. Smart–we’re all nervous about losing our jobs.

Whatever the reason, it would pay off now to list your property with VacationHomeRentals.com, because according to the Charlotte Observer, the area is seeing a lot of traction. Only 12 miles from Mooresville, aka Race City USA, Lake Norman is a bastion for NASCAR fans and families seeking the peaceful 520 miles of shoreline, jet skiing, fishing, sailing and canoeing.

One of the reasons travelers might favor a lakeside home is the access to boat docks to park that spankin’ new watercraft. I mean, that’s probably why you bought the property, right?

Share the spoils with other folks. Don’t let your vacation home sit stagnant when there’s $ to be made.

Relax, procrastinators. If you haven’t nailed down any firm plans for Memorial Day weekend, you still have–oh, 48 hours–especially if you’ve always wanted to stay in an Oregon vacation home.

Our Last-Minute Deals section plucks multiple beach houses for the weekend, from affordable vacation condos to luxury oceanside cottages with roomy verandas.

But hold on just a minute. If you’re seeking sticky, sweltering heat that can only be solved with fizzy, frozen cocktails, then this wouldn’t be the place for you. In Lincoln City, Ore., for example, the weather will likely hit a high of 67 degrees on Sunday, according to weather.com.

Not quite the Bahama Mama temp for busting out the new bikini, but with wine and the hot tub in your Oregon Coast vacation home, perhaps you could be coerced.

If you choose Lincoln City, make a stop on Monday on your way out to the Tanger Outlet Center–home to clearance houses for 60 brand names like Jones New York, American Eagle Outfitters and Old Navy–to pick up some new pieces for summer.

Broke? Whalewatch, kayak or come the beach for the local sea glass. Finders keepers.

Steamboat Springs vacation homes aren’t the first places on your radar for spending summer break. After all, you’ve just spent months with an ice pick frozen to your hand–wouldn’t you rather be holed up in a Florida vacation rental instead?

Well, humidity, not to mention pastel-colored everything, isn’t for all of us.

Give some folks a mountain chalet and its accompanying crisp, thin air, pine-covered reserves and fishing rods for the vacation of a lifetime. Getting back to nature, y’all.

While the home above has hosted its share of ski bunnies, don’t discount the 3,500-square-foot chalet for that long-time-in-coming family reunion, corporate retreat, post-final exam escape, girlfriend getaway and mancation. The owner was wise enough to post photos of the property when weather’s warm. I highly suggest that strategy to other Colorado vacation home owners, too.

Don’t pigeonhole yourself as a one-season only destination.

Think of the folks who already live in warm climates. They might need a place to “cool down” during summer, too.

For this Jamaica vacation home, I’ll let the user reviews do the talking.

Mike: “I can not think of a better way to spend time in ocho rios than in your home with millestte and lindo. Everything was great,including the food and service.”

Debby: “Once we got the hang of the buying the food to cook (wished we had done that from the start ) we couldn’t get enough of Millie’s cooking.”

Marsha: “For the price of the villa compared to what you pay at the all inclusives, you can’t miss. The villa has an amazing view of the glorious sea, with loads of space … ”

I’m a die-hard fan of the all-inclusive package, regardless of whether it’s a Caribbean vacation rental or Mexico vacation home. If you’re like me, sure, a kitchen at your property is a bonus, but it’s also the last place I want to be unless it’s for firing up the blender for mixed drinks.

Incidentally, the home above includes breakfast and dinner in the price, so you’ll have to fend for yourself for at least one meal.

Who cares, though? You’ll be happy to give Millicent a break while you’re splashing around Dunns River Falls and swimming with Flipper’s cousin at Dolphins Cove.

When was the last time you saw a rainbow?

For me, it was 2002 during my honeymoon in Co. Kerry, Ireland. (Cue cheesy, tin-whistle soundtrack here, preferably with a strapping Colin Ferrell emerging from the bog in nothing but a kilt.) Fantasy aside, the image was spectacular: An afternoon shower misting into that green grass grazed by–what else–sheep and dotted with cottages. Above, that perfect arch of ROYGBIV. And damnit, the camera failed to get an image worthy of the memory, but oh well. At least I was there.

On MSN’s feature of the world’s best places to see the most gorgeous waterfalls and rainbows, Ireland misses placement, so you’ll have to head to Jamaica, Norway, Brazil, Zimbabwe, India, Vietnam, New Zealand, Venezuela, Canada and closer to home, Hawaii, Oregon or California to capture Mother Nature at her most heavenly.

With airfares to Hawaii so value-priced right now (Under $400 from Minneapolis on Northwest Airlines, wow!) , my choice would be Nanue Falls on the Big Island. The 1,200-foot waterfall is swathed in a lush rainforest on the Hamakua Coast. To get your heart even more aflutter, I found this Volcano Vacation rental for $100 a night. Close your eyes and smell the Hapu’u ferns, Lehua flowering Ohia trees and aromatic ginger. Imagine yourself lounging in a hammock on one of three lanais after frolicking through steaming craters on Hawaii Volcano National Park.

Need to shop around? Check out our other Hawaii vacation homes.

You’ll be happy that you did go chasing waterfalls.

A friend who calls Brooklyn home once vowed never to invest in real estate again, unless it was a vacation home. A Maine vacation rental perhaps or possibly an upstate New York vacation home.

That’s a New Yorker for you–priced out of her own zip code for purchasing, where decent-sized flats are considered a steal if priced under $800,000, but still in the market for that other American dream that elude most of us in the middle class: The second home.

Well, if you’re itching to buy, now is the time to pluck a deal, according to BusinessWeek.

However, unless you’re already familiar with what constitutes a fair-market price for, say, a Cape Cod vacation rental, the smart way to take a plunge is to spend time in the area first. Book a trip. Take the kids. Shop, eat and drink local. See what it feels and smells like, and eyeball other homes to see what properties are moving.

Wouldn’t it be ideal if all life’s scenarios were like that? Shadowing a future co-worker to see if you want to join full time. Going as a third wheel on a date to see how that potential suitor treats his love interests. In both situations, you’re armed with the knowledge to make an informed decision.

Same deal here–except this one’s more fun. After all, you’re on vacation.