Hiya, Alex and friends.

Check-in is 4:00 PM — the door has a keypad and your code is texted the morning you arrive. Checkout is 11:00 AM: start the dishwasher, bag the trash into the cans on the side yard, and leave the keys on the entry hook. That's it.

The driveway fits two cars bumper-to-bumper. There's no overnight street parking on the block (the town tows after 2 AM). A third car can use the free public lot two blocks north on Cape Fear Blvd.

The network is SeaglassCottage and the password is shorebreak26. The router lives in the hall closet — if the connection ever drags, unplug it for ten seconds and it sorts itself out.

The rolling cans live on the north side of the house. Trash pickup is Tuesday and recycling is every other Friday — roll the cans to the curb the night before and bring them back by evening.

The thermostat is in the upstairs hall — set it where you like, just keep the doors closed while it's running. Every bedroom has a ceiling fan; the remotes are on the nightstands.

The drip coffee maker, filters, and grinder are just left of the sink, and there's a kettle and French press in the cabinet above. The gas grill on the deck is yours to use — tools are in the drawer under the burners and a spare propane tank is in the garage.

The breaker panel is in the laundry room and the water shutoff is behind the washer. For anything urgent during your stay, reach your host through the contact on this page — messages get seen quickly.

Everything for the beach is in the garage in the bins marked BEACH on the left wall: four chairs, two umbrellas, sand toys, and the beach wagon. Boogie boards hang on the hooks above the bins. Beach towels are in the wicker basket by the sliding door. Please rinse sand off gear (and feet) with the outdoor shower behind the deck before bringing things back in.

For dinner with the crew, The Salt Line is the pick — casual, right on the water, kid-friendly, about eight minutes by car; before 6 you won't need a reservation. Driftwood Coffee is a five-minute walk and opens at 6:30. Two Scoops on the boardwalk is the ice cream stop — cash only.

Where should we get coffee?

• Majik Beanz Espresso: Quirky but good

Best breakfast in town?

• Kate's Pancake House: Get there early on summer weekends for great chocolate chip pancakes!

Your go-to dinner spot?

• Salt Fish Restaurant and: Excellent fish dishes

What do you do when it rains?

• iEscape Rooms: Not all themes are great for young kids, but it's fun

Where do kids love to go?

• Carolina Beach Boardwalk: Mondays after 5 is unlimited rides for 25

Anything else guests shouldn't miss?

• Carolina Beach State Par: Go find some venus flytraps!

Spare blankets and pillows are on the top shelf of the upstairs hall closet. Extra sheets for each bed are in the bottom drawer of that bedroom's dresser. The sofa in the den pulls out — its bedding is in the ottoman.

Welcome to Seaglass Cottage — we're so glad you're here!