Deb & Dave Vernon have been in the Belizean tourism business for over 20 years.   David was born in Placencia.  He eventually moved to Belize City then onwards to California as a teenager.  After completing his education, he decided to move back to his home of Placencia.  

Soon after David’s return to Placencia in the mid '80's, the road was cut to the village.  David, always the innovator, started the first bus service on the peninsula with a van he had.  Later he purchased a larger bus and decided to use the van for running tours.   This venture into tourism led him to take the first tour guide course ever offered in Belize.  Dave was introduced to the owner of International Expeditions and began leading natural history tours throughout the country. 

Deborah first came to Belize in 1989 on a natural history trip she talked her father into taking with her.  Of course this trip was led by one of Belize's best guides!  Deb and Dave found they shared a love of birding and this led to lots of time being spent together.    Deborah moved to Belize from California in 1991 after falling in love – with David and Belize!  Deb and David spent the early years backpacking around Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.  Married a year later, they began building (with their own hands!) their first venture together, Deb & Dave’s Last Resort – a small guesthouse in Placencia.   Deb ran the guesthouse while David cemented his reputation as one of Belize's premier natural history guides.    It was a number of years later, when expecting the birth of their daughter, that David decided he wanted to spend more time at home.  They agreed that with David’s knowledge of natural history and Debs business sense, they could open their own tour operation in Placencia.  Toadal Adventure Belize was born.  Toadal Adventure specialized in soft adventure and kayaking.   For a number of years, Toadal ran the majority of inland day trips on the peninsula.   It was in the early years of Toadal Adventure that David received the first ever Tour Guide of the Year award from the Belize Tourism Board.  Eventually the company moved into kayak touring and today offers first rate private day trips.   

Seeing that tourism in Placencia was moving in a new direction, Deb and Dave decided that a more upscale accommodation in a moderate price range was needed in Placencia.  After a family trip to San Pedro they were inspired by the apartment they stayed in.  They wanted to build something that catered to families, like themselves.  Someplace that made people feel at home.  They had a parcel of land and decided to build The North Beach.  The North Beach is a vacation rental that is basically two, 2 bedroom apartments whose configuration can be changed to be anything from a one bedroom apartment up to the entire, 4-bedroom house upstairs.  It suits everyone from a single individual who would like the convenience of a kitchen/living area to groups of family or friends traveling together.  

In each of these ventures Deb and Dave have used their own travel experiences to build businesses that focus on what travelers want.  A budget guest house that is comfortable, clean and has little extras to make a guest feel at home.  A tour operation that offers people a daily taste of adventure, pushing them just a little beyond their comfort zones to give them a feeling of accomplishment and pride.  A vacation home that really feels like home and allows guests experience the culture of Placencia Village.  

In between running The North Beach, 2 other businesses and being a mom, Deb volunteers time at the Placencia Children's Library at the primary school and is dispatcher for the Peninsula Volunteer Fire Department.  David is very involved in community organizations including the Placencia B.T.I.A., St. Johns Memorial School, Placencia Tour Guide Association and Placencia Village Council.  In addition, David, a BTB certified trainer, teaches tour guide training courses in Placencia and surrounding communities.  Their daughter, Ciara, is getting pretty good at showing rooms and helping check in guests!