Beach Blog
We want to keep you posted and publish occasional newsletters which include information, opinions and data. Read everything we know.
Manifest Photos for Lodging Properties
By Joseph Romain
Published: 12/16/12
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Everyone shoots advertising photos for their properties, but smart owners and managers also shoot manifest photos to document anything and everything about their properties for insurance and customer service use. Read more
Setting Property Refund Policies
By William May
Published: 11/08/12
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There are good reasons why Guests may be due a full or partial refund on their stay. And other reasons which can severally and unfairly affect the property owners bottom line. Setting reasonable and logical cancellation and refund rules is just good business. Read more
Vacation Rental Huts on Wheels
By William May
Published: 10/15/12
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How about a vacation rental on wheels, and no its not a mobile home Not exactly. Tom Kundig is an architect who had an interesting problem and more interesting solution. They're called Rolling Huts. You'll want to know more. Read more
Bed Bugs Are a Matter of When
By William May
Published: 09/11/12
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Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness. Sorry to gross you out but all they need to survive and thrive is warm fresh blood - maybe yours. But lodging operators can take steps to limit and eliminate those buggers when they arrive. (Notice we did not say if!) Read more
Vacation Rentals Enhance the Neighborhood
By William May
Published: 08/15/12
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Going to a grand hotel for grand service will never go away. Stopping for a quick night at a convenient motel makes long trips easier. And now Vacation Rentals allow property owners to share their homes with responsible guests. It lights up the neighborhood, keeps home in good condition and shows the communities hospitality. Read more
Netiquette - How to Write an Email
By William May
Published: 07/18/12
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RSVP: Not everyone remembers what this means, but if you need a response include it and/or remind the user to respond such as "Please let me know your thoughts one way or the other." Read more
Stealing Music for Your Video is Expensive
By William May
Published: 06/23/12
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Creating a swell video for your vacation rental home is easier and cheaper than ever. You'll be tempted to use your favorite song to set the mood and reel in more renters. But be careful with which tune you pick or it will cost you dearly. Read more
Government Officials Driving Tourism Economy Away
By Ron Lee
Published: 06/01/12
Topics: Government
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Tourism is a clean, responsible industry that brings in visitors anxious to shop, attend events, tour attractions, rent lodging, and pay the taxes that go with them. So why do local government officials want to drive away vacation rentals and turn away the easy spending guests who want them? Read more
Sponsor: VRAI – As a fast growing industry we need your help and support. Join today to learn, share and promote your properties. – VRIA.org
Glorious Days on Washington State Beaches
By William May
Published: 05/15/12
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With winter still ebbing, the arrival of spring and even summer like conditions reminds us that the long days of sun and fun are upon us. A quick trip to the Coast of Washington State reveals that 80 degree temperatures are not here yet but the bright beating sun surely is.
So it is time to plan your summer at the beach. Vacation Rental managers are not yet sold out but will be soon. To get your choice place get off the couch and make that call today. Or checkout the wide range of properties on any of the websites offered by the Vacation Rental association such as WashingtonCoastVacationRentals.com.
The need for sun protection wasn't on the packing list and what a mistake. Thursday at Ocean Shores dawn brought calm, little wind and a great many visitors out on the streets, in the shops and restaurants and driving, walking and riding bikes on the beach.
"This is the earliest crowds we've seen and it’s a happy site for shopkeepers, "Said Jennifer Sturm who along with her husband Michael operate a unique Gift shop "Flying Cats" located on the Point Brown Boulevard, one of the main drags leading into town.
"The town is lucky to receive visitors year round and business is always good, but summer is when the crowds swell and our shop is often so packed the customers jostle each other around the merchandise," said Michael.
Washington coastal waters often feature big frothy waves but this week the water was calm and fishing boats from Westport Harbor trolled up and down not far off the beach.
Just weeks before, razor clam digging had been in high season and that too brought a steady stream of cars down the roads leading to the South Beaches including Westport Washington as well as to the North Beaches, how to Ocean Shores, Copalis Beach, Moclips and other small enclaves.
Lu Ann Kolten, owner of Beachy Day Vacation Rentals in Westport reports, "The winter was good this year other than a week in January which brought us our first deep snow fall in many years.".
Patrick Kolten, Lu Ann's husband and a native of France said, "I get every morning and find myself beaming along with the bright sunshine. We have many cabins, homes and condos ready for visitors if they call early."
To make reservations for late spring, memorial day, summer and later you can see beach rentals from the WashingtonCoastVacationRentals.com.
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The Vacation Rental Association (www.Vrai.org) is a not-for-profit association of vacation rental owners, managers, suppliers and others who support the industry. VRA sponsors numerous local websites. In Washington State those include WashingtonCoastVacationRentals.com, OceanShoresVacationRentals.com and WestportVacationRentals.com.
Author: William May – Manager, Goldener Resorts
Blog #: 0207 – 05/15/12
Glorious Days on Washington State Beaches
By William May
Published: 05/15/12
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It is time to plan your summer at the beach? Vacation Rental managers are not yet sold out but will be soon. To get your choice place get off the couch and make that call today. Read more
Glorious Sunny Days at Washington State Beaches
By William May
Published: 05/15/12
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It is time to plan your summer at the beach? Vacation Rental managers are not yet sold out but will be soon. To get your choice place get off the couch and make that call today. Read more
Fighting Over Vacation Rental Scraps
By William May
Published: 05/01/12
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Washington State's open-membership, open-forum, not-for-profit trade association for managers, suppliers and supporters of the vacation rental industry. Read more
Professor John Edwards: Insects & Music
By William May
Published: 04/01/12
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Professor John Edwards
Did you know that insects live in very cold places? John Edwards knew.
In fact, Professor John S. Edwards was known around the world as one of the pioneers of insect developmental neurobiology. And I was fortunate to be able to call him a friend. He died this week and I find his passing more unfortunate than any public leader or celebrity.
Some years ago, a friend invited me to help out with an organization called Gallery Concerts; a group dedicated to having period music instruments perform chamber music in the small spaces there were designed for. The concerts are sheer delight.
At one of the first meetings I sat next to a gentle white haired man with a goatee who glowed with his enthusiasm for the music. Later I was to learn he glowed about just about everything. If the term "twinkle in his eye" was created for anyone it was John.
He was a leading scholar in the ecology of high-altitude insects, cold tolerance of Antarctic insects, the role of insects in ecosystem regeneration following volcanic eruptions, and the evolution of insect flight. A New Zealander, John earned his Ph.D. at Cambridge. At the University of Washington John taught entomology, human ecology, served as the Director of the Undergraduate Biology Program, Director of the UW Honors Program, and was appointed Emeritus Professor of Zoology in 2000.
Although a humble man, others noticed his exploits. He earned a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Senior Humboldt Research Award, and a Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award. He was a University Liberal Arts Professor, named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Entomological Society of London. He served as Program Director for Developmental Neuroscience at the National Science Foundation.
Art Davidson says, in his account of the first winter ascent of Denali (Minus 148°), "My first meeting with John reaffirmed the legend. I had traced the sounds of a concert through several corridors at the Institute to a short figure hopping about from leg to leg while vocalizing the entire woodwind section of an orchestra. "
Other than the fact he was a professor in biology, I knew none of this even after years of attending meetings and concerts with him.
I made a particular mistake once - by mentioning to John that my son had applied to attend the University of Washington. He prodded relentlessly and learned that Taylor was interested in Biology, specifically astrobiology. I could see John's temperature rising. He wasn't "Hoping from leg to leg" but almost.
He asked in that pleasant way that borders on professorial curiosity, that Taylor simply must telephone him for a tour of the department.
After reading about the Professor on line, it took Taylor several weeks to summon enough courage to call. But when he did - John needed no prompting to remember his name or why he was calling. A whirlwind tour took place a few days later where Taylor was introduced to everyone with such lavish praise that my 6'6" son stood even taller than usual when retelling the tale.

Some years before John had patiently suffered through my telling of how our family had driven to all the way to Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley) that summer and Taylor, then age 12, had found and photographed a rare Pika; which sent the visitor center biologists into a tizzy.
Who could know an important professor would remember such a small thing from years earlier; but during the UW tour John quizzed Taylor relentlessly about the Pika, where it was found, what time of day, what type of terrain.
Taylor was impressed at John's curiosity. He was proud to be considered important but then somewhat astonished when John casually mentioned, "You may find it hard to believe but I was on the expedition that did the first winter ascent of Denali."
When Tay recited this story at home hours later I saw in his eyes the look of admiration that a young boy can have someone suddenly explodes his idea of what is possible in life. You can be a scientist, you can climb mountains, you can write eloquently, you can win awards, you can be a gracious considerate person, you can be an impressive senior citizen who still cares about what a 12 year old boy cares about. Astonishing.
Today when we learned that John has passed away, things stopped for a few hours for Taylor and I. We went about our work but cared about this man we spent little time with. We admired his work. We admired his attitude. We admired him.
Although I did not have the chance to see John much in the last few years, Taylor and I did think of him occasionally. When watching a science TV show, when the subject is insects, biology or science in general, when daring people climb tall mountains, when university life is depicted - the Pika story is retold and then someone inevitably says, "you might find it hard to believe. . . ". And we smile.
Author: William May, MayPartners Advertising
Blog #: 0204 – 04/01/12
Housekeepers Discover Black Lights
By Deresa Norman
Published: 03/01/12
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In a cruel twist of science, housekeepers have discovered a thrown-back from the 60's that helps them clean properties faster and better. Read more
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