LINCOLN CITY, June 22, 2012 — I have been visiting the Sea Gypsy since 1978, the year I was born.

My parents purchased Unit 222 in 1971 when the Sea Gypsy opened. For four decades the Sea Gypsy was operated as a condominium motel, and when that operation ceased to exist in 2009, I was asked by my immediate family to do something with 222. After all, I’m a real estate portfolio manger by trade.

Let’s just say the last 2 1/2 years have been a labor of love. I never meant to get into the vacation rental business, but the vacation rental business got into me. I started renting 222 to vacationers in April 2010 and found it to be strangely satisfying. If you’re a repeat customer, you know how I am on the phone. I love talking about the Sea Gypsy, because this is my happy place — always has been, always will. And a lot of the folks who find this website call me and we swap stories from years past, memories from the beach with special someones — some who have moved on to that sunset over the horizon.

As a kid, I built sandcastles out front. As a teenager, I chased girls around the pool. As a college student, I caused the noise complaints.

After three decades of visiting the Sea Gypsy as a vacationer, the last thing I ever thought I’d be doing was helping manage the place. But here we are.

I’ve had the privilege of managing my family’s unit, No. 222, as well as the condos of longtime owners Sharon Cowley (112 and 120) and Lee and Eleanore Calhoon (207) of Portland, Oregon. I’d like this gig. So it dawned on me recently: Why not purchase and manage a condo of my own?

Ladies and gentlemen: I present to you Sea Gypsy No. 214, proudly owned by yours truly.

I am thrilled to own this condo. The previous owners did a lot of great things to 214, tiling the floor in both bathrooms and the hallway, and placing Murphy beds in both sleeping areas. I have a full kitchen and all the cookware you could ever need for the chef in your party.

I’ll swap my condo with you, too. Do my taxes next year and I’ll send you here for a week, free. Stay the weekend and give me five free massages. Got a condo near Wrigley Field in Chicago? I’ll swap you the month of April, straight up.

The possibilities are endless.

LINCOLN CITY, May 2, 2012 — Peter and Margaret G. of Kamloops, British Columbia, recently spent a week at the Sea Gypsy in Unit 120.

Since I was at the beach on business at the time, I had the rare opportunity to meet my guests in person. Turns out Peter and I use the same camera: a Sony NEX-5K. We had a great time shooting the breeze about cameras and technology — and the nature they capture.

After their weeklong stay, Peter and Margaret came back with some pretty spectacular photos they were happy to share. They captured a lot of photos on the beaches of Lincoln City, and hikes north of town. Their photos out in front of the Sea Gypsy were keepers, too.

I told Peter I would credit him for the photos, and he asked me to make sure I described him and Margaret as “satisfied customers.”

“We had a great time staying at the Sea Gypsy,” he said.

These four photos were all shot on the beach in front the Sea Gypsy. Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge.