My family and I had a great time at Chad's. The apartment itself was great--the futon was a great bed for the kids and the bedroom was more than adequate for the adults. We didn't use the kitchen much, but it's there if you want to. I appreciate the full-size fridge and microwave. Chad even provided a few bottles of water.

If you ask my kids, the best part of the rental was the boogie boards and shovels/buckets that Chad lent us. If you ask me, the best part was the short (5 minute) walk from Chad's to the beach. One thing you won't see on a map is that a block or so behind Chad's place there's a pretty big hill, which is probably not much fun hiking up with beach stuff. So even though another place might only be a block or two further from the beach, it will feel like a much longer walk back.

There was great access to Newport Ave, which has more shops and restaurants than you can patronize in a month. There were things, it seemed, at lots of price points. We enjoyed burgers at Hodad's, which turned out to be worth the wait.

Besides the beach, the big attraction was the tidepools. They were simple to get to: just walk down to the beach and make a left. Just past the pier, you can go down on the rocks. I'd suggest seeing them at high and low tide.

All in all, we had a lot of fun. Chad was very personable and helpful in suggesting things to do. I would definitely stay again.