From the fishing dock at Da Beau’s, you get a great view of wildlife on the canal
In early January of this year (2013) we returned to Holden Beach. However, because of some restraints/properties already being booked/price hikes/the need for internet access/etc., we decided to rent a house we’d never been to before: Da Beau’s, 936 Ocean Blvd West. It turned out to be a lovely house with a great view, especially considering it’s in the second row!
The Atlantic Ocean from the front porch
The house itself is lovely – one of the nicest I remember staying in outside of Caption’s Quarters (1205 Ocean Blvd W). It’s obviously used by the owner. The hall outside the master bedroom has pictures of the family, grandparents, extended family, etc. on it (very tastefully done). (Actually, we were mistaken for the owners several times, which tells me the neighbors are used to seeing the family). It also has a lived-in atmosphere, unlike some of the other houses that seem sterile at times.
Let’s start with the pros and cons of the house.
Kitchen fun! (Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Coffeecake or Peanut Butter Cookies, anyone?) (BTW, the breadmaker is ours)
Pros
Da Beau’s has a reversed floor plan, which allows you to have wonderful views of the ocean from the living room and dining room and of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Kitchen.
The house is located nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) down the island, so it’s pretty quiet (especially in the winter, when we visited!).
There is a public beach access nearby (less than 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from the house), so there’s easy beach access.
The beach here is still fairly close to the road – get much further down Ocean Blvd W and the beach becomes very, very far from the houses.
There is enough eating space. The picnic table on the ground level and the dining room table are both quite large.
The kitchen is well stocked. Bring your own slow-cooker, though, because the one in the kitchen doesn’t work. Also, bring your own bread pans (we ended up using round cake pans for our bread!)
The living room is spacious with plenty of seating. The large couch was especially nice.
The TV is inside a cabinet – it’s easy to shut it out of sight.
There are plenty of pillows for the beds (though you might want to bring more blankets if you’re used to sleeping under more than a sheet and a comforter).
The double-decker porches are great fun, and these also offer awesome views of the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.
There’s a fishing dock off of the back of the house that’s also great for watching wildlife.
The Internet access within the house is fast enough and very convenient.
Sunset on Holden Beach
Cons
The house is located nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) down the beach. That’s 8 miles (12.8 km) you’ll have to drive if you want to go someplace and return.
No storage space under the house. There are closets for kites, bikes, sand toys, etc., but they’re all locked. We ended up storing our stuff in the outside shower (no lock, but they were at least out of sight).
Small hot water heater. One night we all wanted showers, and most people had to suffice with cold water.
Low light in the living room (we actually found an extra lamp in the broom closet (under the stairs) and brought it up…at least that made it livable).
The main door. This was put on backwards, so when you go to open it, the door blocks the entire pathway into the house. Just try getting a group of people through a door that you have to close before the next person can walk in….!
Canal, marsh, and Intercoastal Waterway view from the house
All this said, it’s a great house and the pros far outweigh the cons. I’d go back in a heartbeat. The house met our needs as a large group, and offered us a relaxing, peaceful place to vacation.
A friend posted on her blog about the time they spent at this house; you can access her post at http://oneradianthome.com/winter-beach-fun/
Booking information: http://www.brunswicklandrealty.com/rentals/property_available.cfm?strPropID=936W
Getting to Da Beau’s:
Ocean Blvd W from the top porch
From the Brunswickland Realty, turn left (turn right if you’re coming off of the causeway). Drive 3.9 miles (6.2 km); the house will be on your right just after Tarpon Drive; if you get to Sailfish Drive, you’ve gone too far. At least when we visited, there was a tennis court on the corner of Ocean Blvd W and Tarpon Drive; Da Beau’s is next to this tennis court. It’s fairly easy to spot because of the double-decker, wrap-around porch. A map and pictures of the house can be found at http://www.brunswicklandrealty.com/rentals/property_available.cfm?strPropID=936W
Road Access 
Ease of Finding the House 
Scenery from the House
Quietness:
Well-stocked:
Beach Access:
Would I go 100 miles out of my way for this?
Overall Rating: 
This Week’s Featured Product!
This is my favorite guide ever to take to the North Carolina beach! I first saw it in a rental house on Holden Beach; my grandmother (who was visiting with us) loved it so much that she bought us a copy for Christmas. And it’s well worth bringing along. Most of the common shells are covered, as are many birds, crabs, plants, and other beach life. This has been a “must” ever since we received our copy over 15 years ago.
