07/08/2025
When we were designing the Hibiscus house and a continuous mantra thereafter I would say to Kristy that "our bread and butter will be families that return every year. Those are the ones you develop a relationship with the arrivals, troubles that happened in the middle, and the departures will just be a matter of formality. The people we get comfortable with enough to deal with them directly and off the platforms. Saving both of us not just the money but the actual hassle of dealing with them sometimes.
When we were kids, mom and dad took us almost every single year to Maine. There were small variations in the trip. Like the time we went through Canada and coming back across the border we got searched. Of course dad was loaded for bear quite literally. Our trips almost always included a trip to "UpCountry Maine" which is a pretty untamed wilderness. We would stop and see Aunt Rhonda and her cute little New Hampshire town. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Bernard always had a house on a pond that included sleeping quarters. Though we would either drag along a pop-up camper, then eventually a hardtop camper, or we'd be pulling a boat with camping equipment. There was always a boat somewhere. In fact the canoe in front of the crew quarters has made that trip at least a half dozen times or more. the last 5 miles to the lake we had to carry it on our shoulders starting from a pretty young age.
Cuz I got older, Cecilia and I started a similar tradition for spring break. Every year to florida. Every year to see the same people and then usually added one more who found out we were making the trip. The last time we made the trip was like 12 days and it was hectic. We wanted to see everybody and that just got to be impossible. But it was the familiarity with the trip that allowed us to actually really get to see the places we were visiting and relax once we reached the next destination.
Some vacations are taken to see new places and expand your experiences. To understand the world and what you live. And some vacations are taken to solidify the bonds in your family and create the memories that will make you smile decades later and be passed down generation to generation.
And offshore breeze we're trying to make it both. But we definitely appreciate return guests. Each time trying to find a new thing that we've added for a new suggestion that we compliment to make it worth returning. To be the familiarity that allows them to explore deeper. The area has a whole bunch to offer and the more you're here the more layers of that onion is revealed.
And we're still hoping to add sunset sails to the mix. To all of you potentially new guests please to those who you have been here and want to return, know that it's greatly appreciated. We are getting more popular so I recommend you book early as the author here does.
Calm winds and following seas - Dwight
We vacation in the same rental home on the Oregon coast every year. Staying in the Airbnb each summer has become our favorite family tradition.