Situated in Dauphin Island, this charming house for $375 per night is a fantastic option for your next break. THE SALTY DOG on DAUPHIN ISLAND: BEAUTIFUL, FAMILY-FRIENDLY BEACH HOUSE 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, 1 half bath, outdoor shower, WI-FI; Sleeps 8 in beds Come and experience this wonderful home on Dauphin Island. The home is located on the East End of the Island in DeSoto Landing, the only gated subdivision on the beach with a neighborhood gulf-front pool and tennis court. You can have the benefits of a condo, with the space of a house. The house features multiple open and covered decks which offer gorgeous views. The neighborhood boardwalk brings you to a beautiful beach, perfect for long walks, bird-watching, or dolphin spotting. The home includes a collection of books, magazines, beach chairs, and sand toys; everything you need for a perfect day at the beach. Dine out or cook local seafood in the fully-stocked kitchen. Plan your day by checking out the menus, maps and brochures kept in the house. You will also find games and books for both adults and kids, puzzles, playing cards, movies, and wireless internet access. Check out our dedicated Facebook page (search: Salty Dog Dauphin Island) for seasonal events, restaurant recommendations, and tips for a fabulous getaway. As you are considering your rental options on Dauphin Island, I encourage you to click "About Elizabeth" and learn more about us, our home, and why we chose Dauphin Island. We are not a real estate company with 100+ homes to rent. This is our family beach house. We love sharing it with guests and look forward to hearing about the memories you make here. Truly Family-Friendly Vacation Home: The home includes lots of extras for your little travelers. The Twin Bedroom contains a television hooked up to a DVD player and a collection of Children's Movies, including several Disney favorites, and a Wii game console, which allows access to Netflix. The Twin Bedroom also contains a toy box full of toys, and the adjacent hallway holds a bookcase of Children's Books. A drawer in the kitchen holds coloring books and crayons. The bathroom connected to the Twin Bedroom (as well as the downstairs half-bath) has a step-stool, so little ones can reach the sink. We also have 2 portable booster seat/high chairs, child-size cups and utensils, and 2 umbrella strollers. A crib-size mattress is available; however a crib is not provided (bring your own crib bedding). Under the house is a sandy area for the kids to play, particularly when everyone needs some time in the shade. And the under-house storage area is packed with sand toys. The neighborhood pool, tennis court, and bath house are must-haves for a family. (When not needed, the kids items can be stored out-of-sight.) Fun Things to Do Off the Island: If you are looking for sightseeing opportunities beyond Dauphin Island, the area has a lot to offer. With just a short drive, you can visit nearby Bellingrath Gardens and the many attractions of Mobile, including historic homes, the Gulf Coast Exploreum, IMAX Theater, Gulf Quest, History Museum of Mobile, Mobile Museum of Art, U.S.S. Alabama, and Mobile Carnival Museum, just to name a few. The Mobile Bay Ferry departs the East End of Dauphin Island for Fort Morgan, where you can explore the fort, or drive in to Gulf Shores for more shopping, dining, and golf. A day trip to the Outlet Mall in Foley, Alabama, just north of Gulf Shores, is a popular trip. The Saenger Theater in Mobile is a magnificent theater showcasing national talent. Or, drive over to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to enjoy the casinos, fine dining, the Mississippi aquarium, and live entertainment. Relax or Be Active...the Choice is Yours! Kayak and jet ski rentals are available on the Island, which allow you to explore the gulf, bay, and waterways surrounding the Island. Leave the car parked and bike to the seafood market, the store, or the bakery using the Island's extensive bike paths. Take a hike through the trails of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Kids and adults enjoy Historic Fort Gaines and the Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Play a game of tennis; swim in the gulf-front pool. Or, curl up with a book in the hammock, on the deck, by the pool, or on the uncrowded beach and just enjoy the peace and quiet. It takes only a few minutes to walk to the private neighborhood beach, pool, or tennis court. Must Do's at the Salty Dog: 1) take a hot shower in the outdoor shower, don't just use it to rinse off from the beach (it's amazing); 2) read a book and/or take a nap in the hammock under the house; 3) enjoy your morning coffee on the exposed deck; 4) watch the sunset from the top level deck in the afternoon with your favorite cocktail; 5) play a board game on the screened porch; 6) use sidewalk chalk on the huge concrete driveway to play hopscotch or foursquare; 6) steam shrimp for dinner from Skinner's (or let them do it for you!); 7) try pigs in a blanket or a huge cinnamon roll from Lighthouse Bakery; 8) walk west on the beach to the 'cove' and see how many hermit crabs you can find; 9) go out on the beach at night with a flashlight to look for ghost crabs; and 10) relax, unplug, and have fun What will you and your family add to this list? A quick overview of the home: The house is on pilings with two elevated levels. Under House: storage room with chairs, bikes, sand toys, and tennis rackets; wide concrete driveway and concrete under house for parking (and hopscotch); gas grill; small charcoal grill; outdoor shower; sandy area in the shade with hooks for the hammock; 4 wrought iron chairs and coffee table. First Level: kitchen, dining, den, screened porch with seating for 4 and coffee table, open deck with seating for 4 and dining table, half bath, bedroom #1 with queen bed and attached full bath with tub/shower. Second Level: bedroom #2 with 2 twin beds, toy box, and tv hooked to DVD player and Netflix; shared bath with two vanities, toilet, and shower (between bedrooms #2 and #3), bedroom #3 with queen bed, loveseat, reading chair, cable tv, and access to upstairs deck with seating for 4; bedroom #4 with queen bed, 2 reading chairs, private full bath with tub/shower, and access to upstairs deck. A quick explanation of cost: We breakdown the costs for your vacation, so you can see what the quote entails. The rental rate is set by us and reflects the cost per night; VRBO does charge a fee for credit card payments -- we absorb that fee on your behalf. Meaning the credit card fee is deducted from our payout, not added to your bill. Taxes: we collect and remit lodging tax to the Town of Dauphin Island, Mobile County, and the State of Alabama for a total of 13% of the rental rate. Cleaning Fee: Our housekeeper charges $170 per cleaning; we do not hike that fee. VRBO Fee: This fee is added and retained by VRBO and protects both you as the guest and us as hosts, making sure that this is not a fraudulent transaction (meaning someone pretending to own the home taking your money). Booking a home "off platform" may save you that fee, but you run the risk of showing up for vacation only to find out that you paid a scammer. Why do we break this down rather than just charging a "flat" rate? Because the VRBO fee is based on the cost of your stay (rate plus cleaning fee) minus taxes; if we provided a "tax included flat rate" you would be paying higher fees to VRBO.