Steinhatchee

My husband, Nate, our friends David and Amber, and I  left Sarasota for Steinhatchee on a Friday evening, after work. Because of the pouring rain that lasted most of the drive, it took us about four hours, after a stop in Tampa for dinner. Around midnight, when we finally pulled up to our "cottage" - a four-bedroom, four-bath, two-story house, all four of us (especially Nate, who drove the whole way) were thrilled to get out of the car.

We explored the house, and chose our bedrooms - David and Amber downstairs and Nate and I upstairs, in the room that opened onto the  second-floor porch. The house was pretty amazing. I couldn't believe how spacious and luxurious it was. All the lights and ceiling fans had been left on, so it felt warm and welcoming. In front of the house was a large, fenced-in (a white picket fence, of course) brick patio with wrought-iron chairs,  couches and tables, surrounded by greenery. The front porch had a swing to one side of the door, and two wooden rocking chairs to the other - painted hunter green to match the swing and front door (the rest of the house's exterior was deep brown wood with bright white trim). Inside, the master suite was off to the left - it contained a large bed (queen, I think), a sitting area with red velvet chairs and an ottoman, and a bathroom with a jacuzzi tub easily big enough for two- as well as two different types of bath oils.

To the right of the front door was a large living room with a couch, soft, overstuffed chairs and a big TV in an armoire. A dark wood mantle, elegant wainscotting, flowing drapes and antique furniture and decor filled the high-ceilinged room, which had dark wooden beams across the ceiling. A white-washed dining table and chairs with seating for eight was set with placemats near the back wall, under a charming chandelier. And the kitchen - with all new, stainless-steel appliances, stone countertops, wood cabinets and tile backsplashes was off the dining area. The screened-in back porch contained a glass-topped table with six seats - I thought it would be a perfect place to eat dinner the next night, as long as the weather wasn't too hot and muggy.

A staircase wound its way upstairs, into a second living area - complete with more chairs, a coffee table, a couch and an alcove housing a little bar, high table and bar stools. Nate's and my bedroom, at the top of the stairs, had a queen bed, spacious closet and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. A hallway led to the two other bedrooms (each with its own bathroom and TV) - one with a double bed and the other with two twin beds - all with decor from another time. Almost every room had a candy dish filled with hard candy, which Amber said reminded her of visiting a grandmother's house. There were also plants, books and magazines, in shelves or fanned out on the coffee tables, which contributed to the homey feel. Alongside the binder filled with information on the resort and the area, was a blue waterproof bag, which I assume is left for guests who plan to go fishing or boating while in town. 

After the drive (which was harrowing at times because of the sheets of rain combined with the dark country roads), we all beelined for the second-floor porch, bottles of beer or glasses of wine in-hand. I lit the two small citronella candles I had brought along from home, but I don't think we needed them. None of us noticed any bugs, maybe because it was still rainly softly. But the candles were nice since the place was so dark. One thing that's for sure - you can see the stars in Steinhatchee. The closest big city is miles and miles away. We relaxed on the comfy, stuffed couch and chairs, our feet up on the tables, sheilded from the raindrops that splattered all around us, looking out at the top of a spanish-moss draped old oak. Finally, exhausted from the work week, we all turned in for the night. David and Nate had only a few hours before they'd be waking to make their 7 a.m. fishing charter, which was leaving from the resort's dock.