10 GUESTS
Maximum occupancy
4 BATHROOMS
Including two spacious upstairs suite bathrooms
4-MIN WALK
A path through the dunes leads to the beach
Seagrass: A Long Beach, WA Vacation Home for Families
Seagrass was the first house I built, and in many ways it is still the house that best reflects how I like to spend time at the coast.
I bought the land in 2014 and worked with an architect on the design. I knew I liked warm wood, high ceilings, natural light, and rooms where people could comfortably spend a lot of time together. What I did not know yet was how many small things I would keep adding once my own family and friends began staying here.
That part has never really stopped.
Today, Seagrass is a five-bedroom Long Beach, WA vacation home for families and groups of up to ten. It has a large game room, a kitchen that is actually equipped for cooking, a private hot tub, two upstairs suites with outdoor jetted tubs, a huge amount of outdoor games, and a beach path through the dunes that takes about four minutes to walk.
Some guests spend most of their trip exploring the peninsula. Others barely leave the house except to walk to the beach. Seagrass works out pretty well for both.
A Family Vacation Home With Space to Be Together
Seagrass is about 3,000 square feet, but the part I appreciate most is how the house is divided.
There are two bedrooms downstairs, two suites upstairs, and a separate king suite above the garage. Everyone can disappear for a while when they feel like it, but the kitchen, great room, game room, and outdoor spaces naturally bring people back together.
That becomes especially useful with a full house.
One person can be making breakfast, someone else can be working on a puzzle, a few people can be playing pool, and someone who has had enough activity can find a quiet chair somewhere else.
I have always preferred houses where people can be together without having to do exactly the same thing.
Gather in the Great Room
High ceilings give the great room an open, airy feel.
Large windows fill the room with natural light and frame the surrounding greenery.
A stone fireplace creates a cozy focal point for the living area.
Spot the ukulele hanging beside the window
The great room is on the south side of the house, with high ceilings and large windows that bring in a lot of natural light.
There is cedar throughout the room, live plants, and a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace. It is probably the room that feels most like Seagrass to me.
We have a large television, Apple TV, DirecTV, and a Sonos soundbar and sub, but I never designed the room around the television. It is more often the place where breakfast stretches into the morning, somebody starts a puzzle, people read, talk, or eventually end up watching a movie together.
The cabinet near the entry is filled with board games and puzzles.
The custom tables are made from hand-milled juniper slabs and lodgepole pine, with Pendleton blankets and pillows adding color around the room. A table near the entry gives puzzles and board games their own spot, and the Yellow Leaf hammock chair beneath the stairs is an inviting place to curl up.
A Kitchen for People Who Actually Cook on Vacation
I like to cook, so this is one area where I have probably gone further than most vacation rentals.
The kitchen has a gas cooktop, two sinks, plenty of counter space, and a separate beverage refrigerator. The cabinets are stocked with cast-iron and stainless-steel cookware, baking pans, serving pieces, Fiestaware, and proper glassware for wine, beer, champagne, and cocktails.
There is also a KitchenAid mixer, Vitamix, Cuisinart food processor, waffle maker, rice cooker, and ice-cream maker to name a few of the many small appliances that I provide.
The log dining table seats eight, with four more seats at the kitchen bar on padded, handmade log stools. There is room to spread out over breakfast or keep the cook company while dinner comes together.
The Game Room Is Not Only for Rainy Days
Games and Activities
Board Games & Puzzles
The game room has become one of my favorite parts of the house, and it is usually one of the first places younger guests discover.
The two centerpieces are a custom log tournament-size pool table and an 18-foot custom log shuffleboard table. They are big, substantial tables, not scaled-down versions added to fill a vacation rental game room.
There is also table tennis, foosball, an arcade with a large collection of retro games, a 70-inch television, Apple TV, DirecTV, and Sonos.
The room has air conditioning as well, which is particularly nice during the warmer part of the summer.
Families tend to use this room differently. Sometimes the kids take it over. Sometimes the adults do. But typically, It gets used a lot!
And Then There Are the Games
Over the years, the collection has grown to more than 100 board games and puzzles.
There are also 3 gaming systems with 30-50 games each for all different ages.
I like having enough choices that nobody has to arrive with a plan. Open a cabinet, find something that looks interesting, and see where the evening goes.
Outside, There Is Even More to Do
There is a volleyball court at the house, along with cornhole, bocce, croquet, ladder golf, giant Jenga, Spikeball, and other yard games.
Everything stays at the property, so there is nothing to pack or organize before going outside.
The front porch has a large stainless steel gas grill, plus a Kamado-style “egg” grill for smoking or cooking with charcoal briquettes. Lounge chairs overlook the tall grasses and evergreens, giving you a place to relax while dinner cooks.
The Beach Is About Four Minutes Away
One of the reasons I like this location is that getting to the beach does not have to become an expedition.
A mowed path runs through the dune grass to a lightly used stretch of shoreline. From the house, the walk takes approximately four minutes.
Go down with coffee in the morning with the provided Yeti mug, take the family out for the afternoon, or walk back after dinner when the beach is quieter.
We keep beach chairs, towels, coolers, toys, headlamps, and a wagon to carry them all at the house. There are clam guns, shovels, and clam bags for use during the approved razor clam openings. A covered cleaning station behind the game room gives you a place to clean your catch before bringing it into the kitchen.
When you come back sandy, there is an outdoor shower before you head inside or get into the hot tub.
Those practical details matter to me almost as much as the larger amenities.
Five Bedrooms for Families and Groups
Seagrass sleeps up to ten guests across five bedrooms.
There are four queen beds and one king, but the rooms are spread through different parts of the house, which makes the arrangement work particularly well for families traveling together. Every bed has a Tempur-Pedic mattress, a down feather topper, high thread count cotton sheets, down pillows, and a down comforter with a linen duvet cover. If you prefer a firmer bed, the feather topper can be removed. There is also a blanket at the foot of the bed that can be used instead of the down comforter for anyone who tends to sleep warm.
Two Bedrooms on the Main Floor
The two downstairs bedrooms have queen Tempur-Pedic beds, televisions, Apple TV, and Sonos soundbars. The west bedroom also has a gaming system and a sliding door to a covered porch overlooking the volleyball court.
Both bedrooms are a few steps from the hall bathroom. The downstairs bathroom has heated tile floors, a large multi-head shower, and a separate toilet room.
Two Upstairs Suites With Ocean Views
The east and west upstairs suites each have a queen Tempur-Pedic bed and ocean views. They open onto a shared covered deck, with a separate jetted tub for each suite and a table with seating for four outside the west bedroom.
Both bathrooms have heated tile floors and large multi-head walk-in showers. They also have a double vanity, skylight, and cotton waffle bathrobes for lounging in your suite.
The Apartment Suite: A King Bed and a Space of Your Own
The apartment suite above the garage has its own entrance off the breezeway, a king-size Tempur-Pedic bed with down bedding, and three large windows beneath angled wood ceilings. The kitchenette includes a mini fridge, microwave drawer, blender, toaster, coffee maker, and full-size sink. A Stressless recliner sits beside a Xbox 360 (in case you like that sort of thing), while an OLED TV, Apple TV, and Sonos soundbar offer another way to unwind. The suite also has air conditioning and an open-concept bathroom with a walk-in shower.
After the Beach: Soak, Freshen Up, and Eat Outside
Back from the beach, rinse off, take care of sandy clothes, and settle into the rest of the day. A seven-person hot tub, a spacious laundry room, and outdoor dining furniture make it easy to spend an unhurried afternoon at the house. The wraparound porch has hammocks and swivel glider lounge chairs, giving everyone a place to read, talk, or stretch out between activities. A gas fire table offers another gathering spot, and propane is provided for both the fire table and the Blaze grill.
Seven-Person Hot Tub
The seven-person Hot Spring Grandee hot tub sits beside the house, with wide wooden steps leading up to it. An outdoor shower gives you a convenient place to rinse before and after a soak.
Laundry After a Beach Day
The spacious laundry room has a washer and dryer, tile floors, and a utility sink. There is room to sort clothes and freshen up beach towels before heading out again the next morning.
A Table Outside
The outdoor table and chairs offer a spot for breakfast or dinner beside the tall sea grass and evergreen trees. Pull up a chair for a meal or a drink after the beach.
Five Minutes From Town, But Not in Town
Seagrass is about five minutes north of downtown Long Beach.
That makes restaurants, shops, the boardwalk, and other parts of town easy to reach, while the house itself sits in a gated neighborhood near the dunes.
The Discovery Trail is nearby for walking and cycling, and the rest of the peninsula is easy to explore from here.
Cape Disappointment State Park, Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, and Oysterville are all worthwhile trips, but you also do not have to turn every day into a sightseeing day.
Seagrass Changes With the Season
Summer
Walk to the beach, start a volleyball game, or fire up the grill. Long evenings leave plenty of time for dinner and conversation outside.
Fall
Take a cool beach walk, cook something together, and open a puzzle. When approved clam digs coincide with your stay, grab the gear and head out.
Winter
Watch the coastal weather through the great room windows, settle beside the fireplace, or head to the game room for a few rounds of pool.
Spring
Longer days mean more time for beach walks and bike rides along Discovery Trail. Back at Seagrass, ease into the evening with a hot tub soak.
The First House I Built
Seagrass will always be personal to me because it was the first house I designed and built.
I spent every weekend driving up during construction. I was learning as I went, but I was always clear about how the house should feel: warm, open, comfortable, and made to be used.
Over the years, my family and friends have spent a lot of time here, and many of the details in the house came from those stays. Something worked well, we kept it. Something could be better, I changed it.
That is probably what I like most about Seagrass. It feels lived in, cared for, and ready for the kind of trip where everyone can settle in quickly and make the place their own for a few days.
If Seagrass sounds like the right fit for your next Long Beach trip, check availability and plan your stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Up to ten guests. There are five bedrooms with four queen beds, one king bed, and four bathrooms.
Approximately a four-minute walk. A path through the dune grass leads from the neighborhood to the shoreline.
Yes. The two upstairs suites have ocean views.
Yes. There is a seven-person Hot Spring Grandee hot tub outside. Both upstairs suites also have their own outdoor jetted tubs.
Yes, with prior approval and a pet fee. Please review the current pet guidelines before booking.
Air conditioning is available in the game room and in the king suite above the garage.