We were trying to find a place to stay at the last minute for a family gathering, and snagged Hickory House by the Bay as soon as it was listed. Theresa definitely put a lot of time into preparing the house, with fresh paint, a couple new floors, gorgeous live edge ceiling light fixtures, and cozy, coordinated cottage decor. The rooms are well lit, with plenty of natural light from the skylights and high windows.
When traveling with dogs and kids, there's minimal room for packing. Thankfully, Theresa provided all of the basics, and lots more - much like you'd find when staying with that one friend or family member who was born to host. There were things for the dogs, amusements for the kids, caffeine for the adults, a Netflix account, and even beach towels and chairs.
The second bedroom is perfect for kids. That room and the house overall would be very easy to childproof for toddlers or curious dogs without causing any damage, although we didn't need to do so. We did pull out the trundle as a crash spot for our oldest kid, who sleeps on the very edge of the bed. A pack n play fits perfectly next to the bed. If there are only 1-2 guests, the trundle has lots of pillows and would be a great spot to use as a sunroom in the winter, as it has a full wall of tall windows.
We weren't at the house a whole lot during the day since we were there for a family event, but got in a little R&R on the deck and checked out the little beach briefly, and spent a couple hours at the other beach. Our dogs loved hanging out on the gated deck, and I enjoyed being able to drink my coffee in the morning sun. The neighborhood is active and friendly, with a lot of people passing by on their morning walks or on the way to the beach. The beaches have loads of seashells, so dig through to look for fossils. Both beaches are about a 5 minute walk from the house. I'd guess there are some great bay views from the deck in the winter, when the trees are bare.
The cottage is only about 20 minutes from Huntingtown and Solomon's. We were easily able to go to both towns in the same day with a stop to take care of the dogs in between.
Theresa was very responsive before, during, and after our stay. We were very thankful that she allowed us both of our dogs, as they are older and the "young" one is bonded to the higher maintenance elder dog. Staying at a house that was so well appointed made it easier to spend time with family and have some relaxing moments.