This past week has been truly an incredible time for all of us here at the beach!

The excitement began on Tuesday, March 13 with Seabrook’s appearance on King 5’s New Day Northwest. It was such an honor to share the Seabrook story with New Day’s loyal watchers and to announce our Win A Beach House for a Year Sweepstakes!

Since Tuesday, we have been absolutely astounded by the response to the contest. In fact, our contest website was literally overwhelmed by people who wanted a chance to win a beach home at Seabrook! Fortunately, everything is back up and running smoothly, but we would like to extend an emphatic thank you to everyone who gave us their feedback on the contest web site and helped us get it back up to full speed!

Due to the inconveniences resulting from our website’s challenges this week, we’ve decided to postpone this week’s 2-night stay giveaway. Instead, we will be giving away TWO 2-night stays next Friday, right here on the Seabrook blog!

(more…)

Each year, hundreds of memories frozen in film are submitted to the Seabrook Photo Challenge. This year, the competition was tougher than ever before! We had over 300 pictures submitted for this year’s Photo Challenge and, of those, 13 images were handpicked for the Seabrook 2012 Calendar!

Each photographer of the winning pictures will receive a $100 gift card to the Mill 109 Pub-Restaurant. Additionally, the cover picture winner will get a free beach cruiser bike – a well-known trademark of Seabrook’s lifestyle.

Ladies and gentlemen…drum roll please…we present to you the 2011 Seabrook Photo Challenge Winners!

The Cover Page

(Photo by Mandy P.)

(more…)

About a month ago, we asked some of you for your feedback as guests of Seabrook Cottage Rentals. While we all know surveys aren’t a ton of fun, the sheer number of guests who took the time to respond was tremendous and made us all extremely proud!

Your feedback is invaluable to us. It not only points out the positive aspects of our beach town, but it also helps us ensure that each of your visit to Seabrook is better than the rest.

The memories you shared made us smile, made us laugh, and also made us aware of great ways to improve the Seabrook experience for everyone. For this, we are sincerely grateful and hope to see you all at the beach again soon.

Of the 700+ surveys filled out, two questions in particular mean a lot to us and make us think we are continuing to meet and exceed your expectations.

Over 95% of you enjoyed your stay at Seabrook, while more than 92% will come back and vacation at Seabrook again!

But enough with the numbers. As you all know, your survey submission entered you in the drawing for a free weekend in one of our beach vacation rentals.

Without further ado, the winner of the free weekend is …drum roll please…
A. Rosenthal of Seattle, WA!

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to tell us how much you enjoyed staying at Seabrook’s beach cottages.

Stay tuned to the Seabrook Blog, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to win weekend giveaways in the future!

Whew, this was a tough one. Earlier this summer, we asked you all to share your favorite things to do while at Seabrook. In a short time we received a lot of really good responses from both homeowners and guests! While that made it difficult to select the winner of the contest, we finally found one post that comprehensively summarized many fun things to do while on the Washington coast.

So without further ado, please join us in congratulating Dana H. for being the winner of Seabrook’s summer contest!!

Dana will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to Seabrook’s favorite dining spot, the Mill 109 Restaurant & Pub. Her response was very well written and had a very unique perspective given the fact that she lives in Arizona. Here is what she wrote:

Coming from hot Arizona, Seabrook is always a welcome relief from the dust and heat.

The top things that we have done in Seabrook and the Seabrook area are as follows:

• Relax. Seabrook is very laid back and it’s easy to just relax and kick back for a while
• Watch a movie. Most, if not all rental homes have a DVD player and after the drive from Seattle it is nice to just sit down, relax, and watch a movie to unwind.
• Cool Off. Especially for people like me coming from out of state it is nice to be somewhere it can be sunny and cool, cloudy and cool, or windy and cold. Any one of these is better than where I am coming from and an enjoyable experience. A great memory I have from Seabrook is sitting by the fire outside watching the mist “rolling through the air” from the trees. Hard to explain, just something that has to be experienced!

(more…)

Whether you’re here for the day or for the week, one of the most common questions asked at Seabrook is: “What should we do while we’re here?”

Seabrook’s best activities are always changing, but we recently sat down and put together the following list of our summertime favorites to share with you. We hope your favorite Seabrook summertime activity is on the list, but if it’s not, we want to know what it is!

Just post a comment below and tell us what we missed and what you enjoy doing at Seabrook the most!

Each suggestion will be entered to win a $50 Gift Card to Seabrook’s Mill 109 Restaurant and Pub!

Winners will be announced here on the Seabrook Blog, on Thursday, July 21.

1. Take a group photo on “The Big Stump”

This stump has become famous among Seabrook residents and guests as a landmark here in town. The notch scars in its trunk giving it the designation as a “Springboard Stump” were created by loggers who carved out a place to rest the springboards in order to cut the tree. We believe the tree was cut in the late 1800’s when logging was prevalent here on the Washington Coast.

2. Discover Gelato at Lil’s Pantry

Gelato finds its roots in the frozen desserts served in ancient Rome and Egypt. It was originally made from ice and snow brought down from mountaintops and preserved below ground. In the 1500’s, gelato as we know it appeared during banquets at the Medici court in Florence, Italy. Today, this famed Italian treat has made its way to the Washington Coast where you can try one of Lil’s Pantry’s three rotating flavors any day of the week!

3. Enjoy S’mores in Crescent Park

After a day of surf and sand, who can resist a hot gooey s’more at twilight around one of Crescent Park’s coveted fire pits? Not us! There are also many firepits across the different neighborhoods at Seabrook where s’mores are a popular activity. We found this new take on the traditional childhood classic in Seattle Magazine last summer and fell in love! Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!

4. Fly A Kite On The Beach

Did you know that there are tons of different kites to enjoy? Whether you prefer the classic Diamond Kite, the sophisticated Dopero Kite, the variety of two-line Sport Kites, or even the exhilarating Power Kite which is used for kite boarding or kite surfing, there is a type of kite for everyone! With miles of sandy beach, Seabrook is the perfect place to fly your favorite type of kite!

5. Experience an Ocean-view Massage at Blue Spa

If relaxation is your desire, Seabrook’s newest business, Blue Spa, is your destination. Book a massage in the brand new ocean-view studio while the sound of the ocean soothes your body and mind. Choose from shiatsu, deep tissue, hot stone, Swedish massage, or a couples massage. You can even have a massage at the house you’re staying at while at Seabrook. Check out the Blue Spa webpage for a list of services.

6. Have a Beer on the Mill 109 Patio

One of life’s simple pleasures (for those 21 and over) is to enjoy some Pacific Northwest sunshine with a great beer and a great view. Here at Seabrook, one of the best places for these things to converge is the patio of the Mill 109 Restaurant and Pub. We’ve included today’s list of Beers on Tap, but the list is always changing, so check out the Mill 109 website and make sure to follow the Mill 109 on Facebook & Twitter:

• Manny’s Pale Ale
• Alaskan Amber
• Alaskan IPA
• Deschutes Black Butte Porter
• Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale
• Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

7. Go Horseback Riding on the Beach

If you love horses and the beach, why not try horseback riding on the beach? Each summer, Seabrook offers numerous opportunities to do just that! This exhilarating experience is certainly one you won’t want to miss! Give our cottage rentals office a call for details and to schedule a ride for your next visit (360-276-0265). In the meantime, check out our Top 5 Favorite Horse Facts!

8. Paint a Keepsake at Colours Pottery Painting Studio

Let your creative side have a little fun and paint a keepsake mug, platter, or a sculpture to take home with you! Seabrook’s pottery painting studio offers a Girls Night every Friday night and Camp Colours for kids every Saturday! Check out the Seabrook Events Calendar for details!

9. Stop by for Yappy Hour at the Salty Dog

The almost monthly event called Yappy Hour at The Salty Dog is one to most certainly attend. Whether you have a canine friend to bring or not, come visit this beloved business to peruse the selection of creative doggie merchandise while socializing with both people and dogs. Each Yappy Hour is posted on the Seabrook Events Calendar and features both adult and child-friendly beverages.

10. Rent a Beach Cruiser and Ride Around Town

For many people, Seabrook is synonymous with bike riding. As one of the earliest activities available to homeowners and guests in our town, we have a whole collection of classic beach cruiser bicycles (as well as a few mountain bikes) for you to enjoy while you’re here. Check out the Seabrook What’s With The Bikes webpage for more details!