Your party will have two lovely private spaces, connected by a door, on the second floor of the Chesapeake Paradise House.
1) THE FLAT PLUS ["The Ascended Space"]: Light, modern, open studio loft, creek-view skylights. A private apartment, completely separate from our house downstairs. The Flat has its own separate entrance on the waterside of the house.
Luxurious marble bath with deep freestanding tub and large European shower. Leather couch, writing desk, well-appointed granite wet bar/kitchen with microwave and refrigerator/ freezer, bar-height table, electric "wood stove."
The Flat has a queen bed, wireless internet with varied workspaces, flat-screen TV/DVD player, HDML cable for Netflix, iPod dock.
The Flat is a completely separate space (private enough to often be used by honeymooners!) with its own entrance.
2) THE SOLARIUM (with optional bathroom): The Solarium is unique in that it has windows on all three sides for both sunrise/moonrise and sunset views. This very peaceful sun-drenched space that is attached to The Flat by a glass sound-dampening door. It has a wonderful, white leather couch and double bed, its own small balcony. You access the Solarium from The Flat by taking walking up two steps & going through the sound-dampening glass door.
Many guests take a break for a fun, restorative, or romantic retreat; others come to Light Landing to complete writing, art, or other projects. We've had countless happy guests come for their private anniversary, birthday, and even honeymoon, along with their wedding party, all of whom felt they had plenty of privacy and so many have become “regulars!”
NOTE: This lovely upstairs space has it's own entrance, but has adjoining walls/locked doors with other parts of a larger house, so you may occasionally hear the owner or other guests, and would want to also monitor your own noise level accordingly.
Even though you can read hundreds of thrilled reviews below, we have captured one that conveys the spirit of the Light Landing experience:
“My husband and I had the greatest experience at Shawn’s place. We were greeted by Shawn with a handful of daffodils that she freshly picked out of her garden and placed in a sweet vase. Those little, thoughtful details are all over this Flat! Some of our favorite things about this stay were the super deep bathtub, all of the natural light facing the beautiful bay (there are so many windows!!), the cleanliness, our privacy, the incredibly comfortable bed, and pretty much everything! The descriptions don’t do this place justice. Our expectations were exceeded in every way, and we are already planning our next visit. After exploring D.C. or Annapolis on a couple of the days, we found ourselves excited to get to escape back to this serene gem."
Wireless internet (or Ethernet cable for direct connection) with varied work spaces, SMART TV with 40” flat screen and free Netflix or HDMI cable, and for music, a wireless Bluetooth speaker or DVD player with access to owners extensive DVD collection.
White ash wood floors and whole house fire sprinkler system throughout.
Totally relax and play in Light Landing's shady lawn and bright open spaces; bbq, and fire pit outdoors; tree swings and double hammock; English “tree gardens,” kayaks, crabbing, and our relaxing pier afford a peaceful and inspirational setting any time of the year for your stay in the Washington Metro area.Includes use of pier, screened porch, fire pit, gas BBQ, kayaks, swings, entire country-like acreage.
We provide helpful amenities for all seasons like throw blankets for movie nights, extra towels, big floaty things for playing off the pier in summer, and other small touches that can make all the difference in creating your happy, memorable experience.
We consider including children, but would want to have a conversation to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
An option for bigger parties: Take a look at the whole house listing by searching "Chesapeake Paradise House-Stunning 7br4ba Wtrfront" on VRBO. This includes a description of the bedrooms/bathrooms configurations and the various combinations of rooms that you can rent.
NOTE: There is another romantic suite on your floor as well as other accommodations in the house, so while you have your own completely separate space, you may occasionally hear the owner or other guests. However, this has been the case for 14 years and we've always received stellar reviews.
So far, our guests have been thrilled with us, and we've been thrilled with them! What a cool thing. Hope to see you soon!
Welcome!!! Important Rule: Relax, Have FUN, and Let me Know if You need Anything!
STAINING, SUNSCREEN, and FABRIC:
I know it seems weird--and I'm really NOT super picky--but we have had to replace many white sheets and towels because they turn orange from people using them with sunscreen on! Please shower first, esp. if you have light sheets, and use regular pillows for your head, not the decorative ones with pillow shams. Thanks!
No red wine or stain-creating food around leather or upholstered furniture.
ABOUT SWIMMING AND BOATING
I love to swim off the pier and have done so with a passion for many years! Many guests enjoy swimming here or floating on the inflatable raft. We provide big, fun floaty things since the bottom is muddy. I swim off the pier many months of the year; however, there are some important caveats, and ALL WATER and BOATING ACTIVITIES are undertaken at your own risk. Please read the following if you are considering going in the water:
Please bring your own safety flotation devices (life jackets) for children of all ages or adults who are non-swimmers. We do provide life jackets in various sizes and thickness as the Coast Guard requires that they be with you while in watercrafts; however we cannot guarantee them, especially for children or people who cannot swim. We love that our guests seem to be very careful and use lots of common sense. YAY!
No children under 12 on the pier without life jacket or very close supervision of an adult. (Children in the yard at any time must also have adult supervision.)
The ladder can be slippery and barnacles can sometimes build up and be sharp, so you may need water shoes. You can expect the bottom to be deep "silky mud" (I like it!).
DO NOT GO IN THE WATER WITH A FRESH CUT OR SKIN LACERATION due to bacteria that is sometimes found in the Bay.
NO DIVING OFF PIER OR JUMPING OFF SIDES OF PIER!!!! Experienced swimmers may jump off the end with great care if you FIRST TEST WATER DEPTH as it can change with the tides and become very shallow (plus bottom is very muddy and could have glass in it so wear water shoes if you put your feet down).
Occasionally there are sea nettles here (mildly stinging jellyfish that show up for a few days or even a few weeks (RARE) in late summer, usually for a day or two in July or August; but they’re definitely gone by mid to late September.
I’d love to help you get set up for kayaking if I’m home, and to know that you're going out and for how long. Feel free to text me when you're planning to go out. Most folks like to go out toward the bay if it's not windy and turn right -- there's a little sand bar/island there and another creek to paddle down, or just take a left and go into the other half of our creek. These kayaks maneuver best if you put the paddle up near the front of the kayak when you want to turn. Don't go far out into the bay.
Please drop your kayaks at the end of the pier. Hold rope and go down the ladder which can be slippery or have sharp barnacles (if that's too difficult, you can launch off of the shoreline, but that causes erosion). Be careful and wear water shoes if possible.
FIRES
:-) It is critical not to leave the fire-pit burning unattended or without the screen cover. Please douse it with water when you retire. Also put caps on the Tikki torches (or ask me to).
*No candles except the ones provided in glass chimneys; NEVER leave them burning unsupervised.
*Please use only non-abrasives sponges or cleaners on granite countertop, sinks, tub.
*We are dog lovers, but don't allow dogs in the Flat We have had guests ask if their friends could bring quiet dogs for the day--but they must stay outside.
*We DO allow well-trained dogs to stay at our Cottage next door--ask about that if you wanted to bring yours!
*Check-in and out are sometimes negotiable if there are not guests before or after you, or if someone is leaving early/arriving late. :-) Default is 3 p.m. check-in and 10 a.m. check-out. Let me know if you want something different and I'll see if I can make it work.
**No smoking in or within 100 feet of the house, cottage, pier, or waterfront.
FYI… at this time I have not decided whether to get blinds for the really big windows because the view is spectacular, and they are high enough so that no one can see into the living areas from down below and no one goes into the field. You will open your eyes to beautiful reflections on the water at night and gorgeous light in the morning. Even though there is a bed in the Solarium, most guests are choosing to sleep in the Flat, which is darker and more private. If you have a second couple or are using both rooms for sleeping, just know that the Solarium will have early morning light.”
Since our big remodel and the addition of two balconies, It is important to understand that the small southwest-facing balcony