This review of The Spotted Grouper was originally written by two guests who journal experiences of their travels online. We have obtained it from them in hopes that you may benefit from a third party's insight.
The Spotted Grouper
During our explorations of Bald Point State Park we had the pleasure of staying at The Spotted Grouper, a great little beach house just outside the park.
The Beach
The Spotted Grouper is a cute 2 bedroom bungalow located on the Gulf, sort of in the middle of Bald Point State Park. Well, not technically in the park, but the Sunrise Beach section of the state park is a mile in one direction, and the point beach part of the state park is a mile down the road the other way.
And there's a nice beach right there at The Spotted Grouper as well, about a hundred yards outside the front door. All the pictures on this page were taken within a block of the house.
The House
The Spotted Grouper is a classic 1,000 square foot concrete block Florida bungalow.
There are 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a fully equipped kitchen, and a comfortable living room that offers satellite TV and a view of the Gulf.
A screened porch on the front of the house provides a washer and dryer, a barbecue grill, a place to sit and enjoy the breezes, and an even better view of the water. It's an older home but everything that matters has been recently replaced. New heat and air, new paint, new roof etc. Great shower! Everything is very clean and well maintained.
The house sits under oak trees on an oversized lot, with plenty of elbow room from neighboring homes.
Directly behind the house is a wooden boardwalk that goes about a hundred yards down to the beach.
The house has a double bed, two single beds, and two double futons, so the Spotted Grouper could sleep eight if needed. (Owner's note: the futons are no longer)
The bottom line for us was that the Spotted Grouper offered us more room, and more privacy, than any hotel room or B & B suite, at about half the price of what we normally pay.
Personally, I'd rather not spend our nature vacations looking for a decent place to eat in towns we're unfamiliar with. For fussy eaters like us, that process is pretty much a recipe for introducing disappointment into an otherwise wonderful vacation. Having access to a full kitchen at the Spotted Grouper meant we saved even more money, and got to eat our own favorite chow throughout the weekend.
(Oops, the kitchen doesn't come with the iMac, that left with us.)
So, after a long day on area beaches we cooked up some piping hot tofu enchiladas with spanish rice, with a couple of ice cold Corona beers on the side. We tuned to a jazz channel on the TV, turned down the lights, and shared a healthy and romantic vegetarian dinner on the kitchen table shown below to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary.
Then it was time to kick back on the couch, and pop a tape we brought in the VCR and watch A Walk On The Moon, a charming film (starring Diane Lane, Viggo Mortensen and Liev Schreiber) about a 1960's couple who rediscover their marriage in the midst of the hippy era.
After the movie we stepped outside to check out the night sky. The area is a peninsula that sticks out into the Gulf, away from any significant city lights. There sure were many more stars than we can ever see from our home in Gainesville.
I guess the point of this story is that staying at the Spotted Grouper feels more like staying at a friend's beach house than spending the night in someone's business. There are books all around the house, somebody's beach hat on the hat stand, and little notes here and there designed to make sure you find what you need and have a good time. There's a folder with all kinds of helpful info, like the manuals to all the appliances, maps, local restaurant menus and so on.
The house is owned and managed by the Whitworth family, who live in Atlanta. We really appreciated the friendly and helpful way they assisted us, and the fact that they are obviously interested that their renters enjoy their stay. It was clear to us that the Spotted Grouper is a special project for the Whitworths, not just a business investment.
The Price
The Whitworths rented the house to us for $50 a night, with a $50 cleaning fee, and a 3 day minimum. That works out to $67 a night, about half what we normally pay for a single hotel room.
We travel around Florida a lot, and the Spotted Grouper is the best bargain we found all winter. And that's saying something because Kathy is a relentless travel researcher.
The Pond
Finally, here's a little nature treat we discovered near the end of our visit. It's only a block from the house, but I'll leave you to find it for yourself, because that's part of the fun. When you're ready for a change from the beach environment, walk over to this little pond and catch the sunset.
