Day Trip to Atlantic City, NJ

Beach, beer, and bets - Atlantic City is the perfect spot for a mini-vacation. Located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in southern New Jersey, the city is like a mini-Las Vegas, but with a beach. Whether it's a day trip or for the weekend, Atlantic City offers something for everyone.

Brief History

Atlantic City became a coastal tourist town in 1854, once the Camden-Atlantic City Railroad was completed. The city officially opened in 1880, and by the early 1900s, it became "the place to be." However, after World War II, the city went into decline, and it wasn't until 1976, with the passing of the Casino Gambling Referendum that legalized gambling, did the city become a tourist attraction again.

The city was the inspiration for the game, Monopoly - every place on the board game is named after a street in Atlantic City. But more recently, the tourist city has gained more popularity with the new HBO show, Boardwalk Empire. And there are advertisements all over the city so you won't ever forget where the show is set.

A Day in the Life

I recently went to Atlantic City with some friends for the day, and it was incredibly relaxing. Since we had Columbus Day off, we decided to take a mini-road trip, and Atlantic City is only about a two hour drive away from New York City.

It was a nice change of scenery: less people, clean air, and of course there was the ocean. We started the afternoon off with a leisurely, albeit gluttonous lunch at Cavo Crepe CafÃÆ'Ã'©. The prices were reasonable, about $6-7 dollars for a large crepe, and they also offered paninis.

After sitting at our table overlooking all the outlets, we decided we had to go shopping next. Atlantic City shops are open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to p.m. And they have stores ranging from clothes to shoes to jewelry to home dÃÆ'Ã'©cor. It is a shopping addict's dream, though I limited myself so I would have some money to try my hand at gambling.

We passed by many casinos'"Bally's, Trump Tower, and other casino hotels bearing the same name as the ones in Vegas'"but I insisted that we head into Caesar's. Mostly I wanted to compare the ceilings of Caesar's to the realistic sky ceiling in the Las Vegas Caesar's Palace, and I found that while Atlantic City's Caesar's did paint clouds on the ceiling, the dirt was also very visible. Still, the hotel had a couple elaborate Roman statues. Not quite as fancy as Las Vegas, but Atlantic City is a much more laid-back town.

After losing a few dollars, we decided to walk down the famous Boardwalk, and check out the beach. The sun was setting and the shoreline was gorgeous. We took a break on a bench outside the Convention Center and people-watched, and then had a quick drink at the Trump hotel before we left for home. All in all, it was a very pleasant day.

Resources

Atlantic City Online

Atlantic City Outlets

Boardwalk Empire

Cavo Crepe CafÃÆ'Ã'©