We usually stay in the south beaches (Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo) and we've been wanting to stay in the 4x4 area for years. This was a great family reunion and first 4x4 trip! The house was easy to find, clean, description was accurate, and everything was great! We had family from three states converge to stay the week, with kids from 1-13 and everyone was happy and had plenty to do/play! Owner communication was excellent, especially considering we had an issue (our end) receiving the digital entry codes for check-in, but the owner responded quickly and reissued the codes. The only other problem was the water system needed to be flushed and the owners had the service tech out immediately and we were good to go! The location to the beach was fantastic for it not being ocean front. You could see the ocean and it was just a quick jaunt to get to the water. The only wish is that the trees in front of the house (actually in between the two houses in the oceanfront row) were trimmed a couple of feet to make the ocean view that much more spectacular! Of all the houses we've rented in OBX, we loved this one just as much (or more) and will definitely keep it in mind for our next trip!

Our stay was great. The house is in a great location...the view to the ocean is good. The top deck is perfect to sit and chill...very quiet and relaxing. The horses came by the house a couple mornings. We saw them everyday of our stay either on the beach or in the area. The house was clean. The kitchen has everything you need to make meals. The house is very dog friendly. Carpet in the living area and on the stairs was a huge plus for our dog. He does not like coming down bare indoor stairs... So having the carpet was SO nice! The beach was great... plenty of parking room. A little busier with traffic compared to farther up the beach but nothing to deter a stay in that area. It is a huge plus being only a few miles from access road. You definitely need a 4x4 vehicle! And don't forget to deflate to 20 psi. Tom was very nice to talk with and quick to resolve an issue we had with entry (our bad). Overall it was a nice time spent at OnceUponATime and I would recommend staying there.

Experience was great from the moment I booked this property. We had a truly enjoyable week and I felt reassured that if I had any issues the property owners would be there for me and my family.

The property was way more than expected. Kitchen was well equipped to cook, rooms were spotless and cleaned beyond expectations, spectacular view of the ocean. The owners were more than responsive to any questions and they are top notch to say the least. I hope we can book for next year. If you love the ocean, nature and horses, pool, hot tub with an amazing house and awesome owners, this is your place to rent.

House was perfect, location was perfect and the owners were very quick to reply to any questions we had. Would highly recommend!

We had a great vacation staying at this property. The house was nice, especially the pool and hot tub. We were able to see horses from our hot tub and porches regularly. I was able to easily access the property and beaches with my VW Atlas (but you must have 4 wheel drive). The beach was amazing and not crowded. It was nice to be able to drive up to the beach and unload without walking forever. I would highly recommend this property for a family or group of friends looking for a chill place to relax and reconnect.

Let me just start by saying this house was perfectly located a short drive to the beach or steps from the the house. The private pool was great to have after a day at the beach along with the hot tub. The views were amazing for seeing the wild horses come right up to the property. Sunsets and sun rises were also beautiful. Accomodations were for 12 which we had and had plenty of room .I would recommend this house to anyone who has a 4x4 and wants to stay on the wild horse beach. If for any reason you need to contact the owners sending a short text to them was easy and received a response back right away. I felt like these were owners who like to keep in touch with there guest if needed without hesitation.

This was our first time staying in the 4x4 area and it was a breeze! Even before the trip, Tom updated us on driving conditions and gave us pointers on getting to the house. Tom was very easy to communicate with and helpful. Plan on packing everything in, staying around the house, and enjoying the laid back atmosphere. Although it is pretty convenient to drive out if you need to. The public air down/ air up facilities can have a wait, but people were friendly and it moved quickly. The house was clean and cozy with plenty to do. There are lots of steps, which could be a concern for some. The beds were comfortable and there was plenty of space for our extended family of 9. We didn't watch much TV, but there were enough that kids and grownups could have their own space and do their own thing. The wet bar on the lower level and refrigerator were handy to have by the pool, hot tub and pool table. The pool, hot tub, and sand to play in everywhere kept us close to home with young kids but we felt like we were "at the beach" the whole time. The kitchen was the best equipped of any other rental house we've stayed at. One of the best features is the tall Adirondack chairs on the top deck. Great ocean views!! The beach is easy to walk or drive to and the parking permits are provided. Being closer to the paved road, everyone heading in or out does drive by, so there is a bit more traffic. At high tide the beach can be pretty narrow, but it wasn't crowded. We found some cool shells and sea glass beach combing. There is a lot of wildlife aside from the horses that we saw every day! Hummingbirds, osprey, egrets, and the good boy next door... Moose! Moose is a big, loveable doggo who stopped by all the houses to say hi. We enjoyed his visits. We would definitely recommend staying at Once Upon a Tide and hope to come back another time!

Everything about this house was absolutely perfect. Definitely make sure you have 4WD to navigate to this house. The view, house, location, host communication will not disappoint.

I feel horrible it’s been almost a year for me to write this review. We loved the home. Clean. Spacious. Had everything we needed and then some. Great views. And we loved being able to have our pup there. Tom, Greg is still ready to come and build you your tiki bar!!!!!!

Great location and beautiful home! We really enjoyed our stay, the house had plenty of room and was properly updated, felt right at home...would return again!

This beach home was very relaxing & in a good location. The top deck had wonderful views. We loved the top deck & the colorful chairs. The pool & hot tub were very nice. Highly recommend.

The home was very spacious for a family vacation. Very comfortable beds, plenty of bathrooms that had hot water for all showers after a beach day! Big and spacious screened in porch was a big plus! The pool was great for the kids. I’ve stayed on the 4x4 multiple times and this was one of my favorite rentals. One of the best views we had yet. Tom was very nice and a pleasure to talk to. Highly recommend!

We stayed in this home for a week in August. It was a beautiful experience. The entire family enjoyed it and we plan on coming back. Thank you to the ODonnells for being great hosts!

Overall, property was nice and a good location. Owners are making updates to the house. The pool and hot tub are nice. Kitchen was fully stocked, which is rare to find. We would stay here again.

We stayed in this house a few years ago before the current owners bought the house and we were pleased to see that the current new owners had given this home so much love with the updates and renovations. The colorful chairs on the top deck were a hit with the kids. The house had everything we needed and more. We'll definitely be back again! Thank you!

We had a wonderful vacation in this property. Plenty of room for everyone. The hosts were readily available if needed and very friendly. You won't be disappointed.

We enjoyed this house. It has all that we needed and more. The owners have done an outstanding job of including special touches. They were very easy to work with and super quick to respond to email or text messages. I would say that the pictures do not do the house justice. It was way better then we expected. The water pressure and temperature is the best we have had in any house we have rented in the OBX. We NEVER ran out of hot water. We would rent this house again without question. Thank you Tom and Dianne for sharing your home with us.

What a fabulous house for our family vacation! Incredibly clean and SO comfortable! The house sits down a little bit so be prepared to have to make it up a sandy slope to get out. We never got stuck but we watched 4 vehicles get stuck on that hill. The hot tub and pool were great. And the owners very responsive to any texts. Cant wait to be back!