We spent a week here in the snow! The home was very comfortable and clean. Chris was an amazing host for us. This is a great family vacation home. It was beautiful in the winter with snow -- I would love to see it in the summer -- the beach was covered in snow while we were there -- so, we will just need to return in the summer!

Enjoyed the wonderful gourmet kitchen to cook and then gather family as we looked out at the beautiful Puget Sound steps away; thank you

Enjoyed the wonderful gourmet kitchen to cook and then gather family as we looked out at the beautiful Puget Sound steps away; thank you

Enjoyed the wonderful gourmet kitchen to cook and then gather family as we looked out at the beautiful Puget Sound steps away; thank you

My only hesitation in sharing a second glowing review is that I'll never find an opening in the calendar to return to this wonderful home on beautiful Maxwelton Beach. Chris is a wonderful host, providing detailed information leading up to your stay. The home has everything you could possibly need or want to enjoy the long summer days at the beach. Thanks for another fantastic stay and memories to last a lifetime.

We stayed with our kids (20 & 16) and their friends. This place was perfect! The kids had their own giant room with a deck, foosball and darts with access to the beach. After a tough year with Covid it was so wonderful to spend time with everyone and see them laughing and playing. The kitchen was awesome. Loved the big tables for gathering. I would definitely stay here again!

We stayed with our kids (20 & 16) and their friends. This place was perfect! The kids had their own giant room with a deck, foosball and darts with access to the beach. After a tough year with Covid it was so wonderful to spend time with everyone and see them laughing and playing. The kitchen was awesome. Loved the big tables for gathering. I would definitely stay here again!

Very Nice Property and Hosts! Orca Viewing off the rear deck is priceless!

We highly recommend “Once upon a Tide”. We have come to Whidbey Island for short getaways from the city for years and have stayed in many places. “Once upon a tide” beats them all with a spectacular view of the Olympic Mountains, a long sandy beach for early morning and sunset walks, and a spacious lot with enough lawn area for ball games. We saw and heard many bald eagles with their young ones; there were deer, herons, and even a shy coyote. The house itself is cozy and inviting. Rentals are often impersonal, minimized for potential damage and maximized for the number of beds. This house is a clearly a family home and their happy spirit lingers everywhere. The kitchen is better equipped than my own with a large cooking range and oven, an extra griddle for pancakes, all possible coffee equipment, and lots of utensils, silverware, plates, cookie sheets, a kitchen aid, cutting boards…if you look carefully enough you will find everything you will ever need. We loved the big dining table that had room for all of us to enjoy meals together. As promised the beds/mattresses were fabulous; there were big comfy hammocks and beach chairs available on the large deck, in addition to a beach fire pit. Our kids fell in love with the large grey beanbag-like couch in the living area (Not squishy! Truly comfortable even for adults!) Perfect! The house works best for one large family (like ours) or 2-3 families knowing each other well because the bedrooms offer limited privacy. The master bedroom is located on the spiral staircase landing – although the space is generous and has fabulous views, a fire place, a truly impressive master bathroom and closet, it has no doors and everyone accessing the bunk bed room has to walk through there (unless they use the outside deck stair case). We loved the large sunny room with the three bunk beds, foosball table and dart board – it is really pretty and offers amazing ocean views. The “third” bedroom offers privacy but also houses the washer and dryer. We wish the bedroom layout was explained more clearly to set the right expectations. It worked well for us after the initial surprise. In any other way, communication with the hosts was seamless; the neighbors were super friendly. We made great memories. Overall, a really great, indeed stunningly beautiful place! We hope to come back with some more time to spend and our crab cages and kayaks.

My family (wife, and children aged 2 and 7) had a wonderful time staying here. Easy check-in process, every kitchen amenity, and amazing beach access right out the front doors. Chris and Jacqueline are fantastic hopes and I look forward to staying with them in the future as they open their availability.

We only stayed for a couple of nights but this was a perfect location to spend time as a family and take in the natural wonder of the island. Other than hanging out on the beach collecting shells, building a fire and playing yard games with sunset, the kids enjoyed their huge bunk bed room and fuseball, and the kitchen was great for throwing together a few meals. (Pickles is a great deli btw!!!!)I had a few questions about the property, some of which I missed in the opening instructions text, And the property manager was not only helpful and quick to respond, but also exceedingly kind.

We only stayed for a couple of nights but this was a perfect location to spend time as a family and take in the natural wonder of the island. Other than hanging out on the beach collecting shells, building a fire and playing yard games with sunset, the kids enjoyed their huge bunk bed room and fuseball, and the kitchen was great for throwing together a few meals. (Pickles is a great deli btw!!!!) I had a few questions about the property, some of which I missed in the opening instructions text, And the property manager was not only helpful and quick to respond, but also exceedingly kind.

We had a very nice extended weekend stay at this house on the south end of Whidbey Island. The house was very clean on our arrival. The kitchen is very spacious and well outfitted with many appliances and dishes. It's probably the nicest kitchen in any house rental we've been in. The beds were comfortable. We all enjoyed playing foosball. The spiral staircase was easy to navigate for our family, but it might be challenging for young children or elderly. The neighborhood is quiet and the beach is wonderful for walks, with many beautiful rocks. We had a very peaceful stay appreciated the responsive communications with the owner.

We had a very nice extended weekend stay at this house on the south end of Whidbey Island. The house was very clean on our arrival. The kitchen is very spacious and well outfitted with many appliances and dishes. It's probably the nicest kitchen in any house rental we've been in. The beds were comfortable. We all enjoyed playing foosball. The spiral staircase was easy to navigate for our family, but it might be challenging for young children or elderly. The neighborhood is quiet and the beach is wonderful for walks, with many beautiful rocks. We had a very peaceful stay appreciated the responsive communications with the owner.

We greatly enjoyed our family stay! This beautiful home was a perfect island getaway! Everyone slept well on the comfortable beds and had a great time cooking together in the well supplied kitchen! The view is unbeatable and the shore endless exploration!

We greatly enjoyed our family stay! This beautiful home was a perfect island getaway! Everyone slept well on the comfortable beds and had a great time cooking together in the well supplied kitchen! The view is unbeatable and the shore endless exploration!

My family spent a wonderful 4 days in December. House was beautiful and extremely clean! Hosts were very accommodating and helpful. We throughly enjoyed our time there! My only "ding" would be regarding temp difference upstairs and downstairs- it was very cold (full disclosure it only seemed to bother me and no one else in the family) and we never could figure out how to work the fireplaces. Definitely loved and recommend!

We had a wonderful time staying here - great property and amazing hosts! Being right on the water was a must and the sandy, walkable beaches made our stay. This was a perfect (and clean!) family home and the kids room was perfect for our three. Overall, just a fantastic property and the hosts were extremely communicative and available. Can't wait to come back!

Easily island stay just a few minutes from the ferry.

The house and views are even more beautiful in person! It was the perfect weekend getaway to relax and a great location for us to explore the island. The house was very clean and checking in and out was a breeze. We would definitely enjoy staying here again.

What a lovely break!!This beach home was perfect for us. The back yard was an indescribable playground. Our sons built mini forts with driftwood, dug holes and buried each other in the sand. We had wine on the balcony and cooked for our friends. It was definitely a blessing!!!My husband cooked meat and potato pies in the well supplied kitchen. The coffee was terrific!!!Thank you for opening your home for others to enjoy!!

What a lovely break!! This beach home was perfect for us. The back yard was an indescribable playground. Our sons built mini forts with driftwood, dug holes and buried each other in the sand. We had wine on the balcony and cooked for our friends. It was definitely a blessing!!! My husband cooked meat and potato pies in the well supplied kitchen. The coffee was terrific!!! Thank you for opening your home for others to enjoy!!

This is a great vacation home. The location is perfect and the deck is spacious. They provide every electronic appliance imaginable. The "kids" room even has a foosball set! We're grandparents and enjoyed the house as much as our son and his family with 4 & 6 year olds. Sue E Sequim Wa

Beautiful location on Mexwelton beach, clean well-equipped home with comfortable beds and plenty of room for kids. The host was very nice. Can’t say enough about this location.

We rented this property for our extended family members who were in town for our daughter's wedding on Whidbey. The house is beautiful; and the location is peaceful and serene with a spectacular view. The owners were very easy to communicate with and answered all my questions promptly. I recommend this property to anyone visiting Whidbey looking for beachfront property or to anyone living on Whidbey looking for extra lodging for their visitors.

This property was great for our large group. There is an awesome outdoor space and it is in a great location. Most of the beds are in a bunk room, so be aware of that, but it was fun for our group!

Fantastic location with Sandy beach in Clinton. It suits my big family well, we have stayed here multiple times. Chris is always a pleasure to talk to when any problems arise. Highly recommend.

Everything we needed for the two of us (a family could easily enjoy, with a second bedroom and twin beds). Clean and neat (no shoes request is perfect when coming in from sandy beach). Views and beachcombing go without saying; sunsets gorgeous. House details: clean and well supplied kitchen and Keurig coffee maker; soft luxurious sheets, duvet comforter, and towels. Love love love the Master Bath corner windows, soaking tub, and craftsman tiled shower. Gas fireplace very handy in October chill, and large screen TV great for our movie nights. Window views from every beach-facing wall breathtaking. Note the round spiral staircase up to bedrooms would not work for limited mobility, but there is an outdoor staircase up to the deck entrance. Second bath on main floor and laundry room were spacious and handy! Many thanks to owner Chris; we enjoyed our stay immensely.

We were lucky to find Chris's place at the last minute for a shared vacation with our friends from North Carolina. The 1st floor common area is the best we've stayed in. It is comfortable for everyone to eat, for meal prep and to chill by the fire. We enjoyed the hammocks on the deck, watching the osprey and eagles every morning. The upstairs bunk room for the kids is huge, and all 4 were able to sleep. The upstairs bedroom is exposed to the noise of the downstairs via the spiral stair case and is accessed by the kids bunk room. The downstairs bedroom shares the room with the washer/dryer.

This was one of our family's favorite VRBO rentals ever. The beach was fantastic. We all wished we had been able to stay much longer. The kitchen and living room were great gathering places. Lots of sleeping accommodations and bathrooms. Our wish list was that the beautiful tub was hooked up. I would stay again.

This is a nice place to spend a beach getaway. The house is modern and reasonably well stocked. The beach is unobstructed and easily accessible.The website photos are accurate. Our group of 8 was comfortably accommodated. Convenient to the Clinton ferry dock. The owners were easy to communicate with. Nothing negative to say, but here are a few points to be aware of: you'll need to climb a steep, narrow circular staircase to get upstairs (this would be tough for elderly folks); you must walk through the master bedroom to get to the second bedroom (this could be a privacy issue for some); the neighbors' houses are very close by on both sides (this is typical on Whidbey beaches) and there may be noise from them (we had to listen to their music for a couple of hours one afternoon). None of these things were a problem for us. We had a very nice stay in this pleasant house, and would be happy to return.

Perfect beach location with a sunset deck overlooking the Sound and sunsets.