Coming up the stairs at Owlhaven, the first thing you’ll see out all those windows is ocean. We’re three streets away from the beach, but since the home is on a hill, there’s lots of ocean visible. And it’s pretty darned close– as a bird flies, we’re only 1700 feet from the water.
Those of us who aren’t birds can drive the 0.8 miles to the beach in about 3 minutes. A relaxed walk will get you there in just 15 minutes.
The route is downhill through a quiet neighborhood. Take Oceanview out to Bayshore Drive and turn left. Follow Bayshore Drive as it curves left. Turn right onto Westward Ho Drive. Once you’re on Westward, the Bayshore Beach Club swimming pool is straight ahead. (Day passes are available all summer. It’s heated and wind-sheltered, making it comfortable for swimming even on cooler days.)
To get to the beach, just walk around behind the Beach Club– (there’s plenty of parking both behind and in front)– and climb a small dune to the beach. Ahhhhhh…. You’re smack dab in the middle of seven miles of sandy beach. Enjoy!
Small warning: the home-going route is uphill– no problem if you are reasonably fit and/or not in a big hurry. But toddlers who’ve been playing in the sand for an hour or two may find the hill a bit much. With little kids in tow we’ve found it works well to walk down to the beach and hitch a ride back from another member of our party.
To make a beach excursion even easier, in September we’re adding this sweet beach cart as one of the home’s amenities. It holds up to 150 pounds, so it should be great to haul a little kid or two, or even a cooler and a couple lawn chairs.
Use it to walk from the house, or tuck it in your car to easily transport all your beach gear over the dunes from the parking lot to the water’s edge. Wide wheels are built to handle sand, and the attached tray gives you a great place to set a drink while you’re relaxing and enjoying the waves.
Back at home, just fold up the wagon and tuck it back into its cubby in the laundry room under the stairs. Be sure to find it and use it as needed on your next walk to the beach!
And if you’re the type who enjoys posting vacation shots on Instagram or Facebook, we’d love it if you added the hashtag #owlhavenvacation to any photos you share!
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