Oregon Coast Cloisters Unusual Resort of Vacation Rentals
On Oregon's Central coast lies an unusual idea in the world of
vacation rentals. It's called Bella Beach, and it's like a small
town full of rentals.
The little community of Lincoln Beach lies between Lincoln City
and Depoe Bay, where another charming enclave is cloistered
within. Bella Beach is a bit like the archetypal, cozy suburban
neighborhood that could be the stuff of "living happily ever
after," (coming complete with the white picket fence), except
that it's really a collection of rather upscale, gorgeous beach
cottages that are vacation rentals or for sale. There are about
40 rentals available inside this pretty place, and more are
still being built.
The philosophy of Bella Beach is to create a place with a
"neighborly feel," and indeed they've succeeded. Set in the
midst of a Central Coast wooded area, there are the rustic
architectural themes common to places like Manzanita or Cannon
Beach, where garages are tucked away behind the buildings and
front porches are the emphasis.
It's early summer, and I'm slated to stay there with a group of
friends - except all my friends disappear on me and cancel
within the week before the prearranged stay. So, for better or
for worse (depending on how you think about it), I have this
entire home to myself.
"Song of the Sea," as it's called, sits in a little park-like
area in the middle of Bella Beach: the last in a row of quaint,
rather diminutive houses that ooze cuteness. It's red and
adorable as all get-out.
Inside, it's absolutely immaculate, decorated with a lighthouse
theme and filled with a myriad of lighthouse knick-knacks and
artwork - right down to a lighthouse clock. This beautiful pad
sleeps six. There are two bedrooms, each with an elegant
bathroom nearby and a ceiling fan. (Thank goodness for that, as
it's one of those extremely hot days we've had on the coast this
summer.) A couch in the living room folds out to accommodate
persons number five and six. A full kitchen with coffee maker
and loads of utensils helps complete the dream vacation home
thing, as does a VCR and really big TV with satellite.
Oh yeah, and there's a hot tub in the backyard.
There's a playground for the kiddies, and the homes vary from
hideaway lodgings for two with oceanfront hot tubs, to larger
accommodations for bigger groups. Bella Beach also offers up
accommodations for groups as large as 60, if you happen to have
a business retreat or reunion of some sort.
The phone lines provide the opportunity for dialup Internet
access, if you have a toll free number for your laptop.
Then there's that wondrous beach. Like many of the beaches in
the area, the tide line is at a rather steep slope, so waves
come in fast and hard, but dissipate quickly to shyly lap at
your feet.
A few awesome homes line the cliffs here, with a solid stairway
for guests to access the beach. On this night, it seems everyone
had gathered here for the spectacular sunset to come. It
disappointed no one.
Staying at Bella Beach certainly won't disappoint anyone,
either. Beauty, charm, chic, all the modern amenities you could
ever want and a sense of old fashioned Americana combine with a
day at the beach to create a place poised to make lots of
memories.
Each home is individually designed, and made from materials that
stand the harsh coastal weather. Some homes occasionally become
for sale, but they go fast. These days, they go for no less than
$425,000. Soon, Bella Beach will become its own self-contained
city, with a market, cafe and shops. Recently added to all homes
were barbecue grills.
The formula for Bella Beach is a highly successful one, although
completely unusual in the Northwest. In recent years, the
developers at Bella Beach started another such rental vacation
community on the Washington coast. Seabrook, as it's called,
this development has about 300 cottages.
Prices on rentals vary greatly, depending on stay, size of home
and number of people and amenities. 866-994-7026 or
www.bellabeach.com.
For more on the Oregon Coast, including extensive virtual tours,
see www.beachconnection.net