Point Pleasant Beach Vacation Rental house

This was the first time we'd been to the Jersey Shore. This house was perfect - brand new and fully stocked with everything you need. My only complaint was the downstairs bathroom was a bit small, but certainly doable. Everything was very clean and very comfortable. We were very impressed.

The walk to the beach takes about 10-15 minutes. Since we had 8 people at the house, 4 of whom are kids, we would load up the car with all our beach stuff and 1/2 of us would drive and the other half would walk. It worked out fine and during the week you can park all day for $10. The beach was really nice, but not as nice as the Cape Cod beaches we're used to. The surf is really rough so you can't really swim. The kids had fun jumping in the waves, but even then you have to be really careful. And be prepared for bathing suits full of sand! (An outside shower at the house would be ideal!) I did find the beaches to be dirty - lots of litter. They do have kids who work there and go around and pick up trash, but it's still pretty dissapointing.

The boardwalk was a big attraction for the kids (ages 6,8,9 &10) but a drag for the parents! Lots of arcades, rides and basic trashy stuff that kids want to do. Plan on spending lots of cash!! There are a few mini-golf places and a fun house that are cute, but the rest is a racket!

The restaurants in the area are all pretty much the same although the Wharfside was one we really liked...try to get a table outside. There's a little outdoor place called Stewart's (yes, like the rootbeer) that has good food and is fun for after the beach. On Thursday nights they have hermit crab races - believe it or not! Kids bring their own hermit crabs, or buy them there (another way to suck your money!) and they have actual races, with the winner getting a trophy. We were pretty amazed at what a big deal this actually was! The kids enjoyed it...

Overall, a nice vacation and I'm glad we experienced the Jersey Shore, but Cape Cod is still our favorite!