Atlantic City offers many fun activities
Yes you can go to Atlantic City, have a good time, and not gamble a penny away! I can say this, because I recently did just that.
My husband and I were able to visit Atlantic City with the Penn Allied Nursery Trade Show, and we were pleasantly surprised with the many changes made to the area in recent years.
It had been several years since a previous visit, and I must say, it was not a very memorable trip. I remember the city as not being very clean and offered nothing but casinos.
The very accommodating convention center is located across the street from the Sheraton Hotel, where we stayed. Two things I liked about the hotel was that it didn?t have a casino in the lobby, but instead had Miss America memorabilia. How fun looking at photos of previous winners, analyzing their actual dresses and crowns and oohing over their shoes. Since the Miss America pageant is held in Atlantic City each year, reference is made to the pageant in several methods.
It was also a plus that an outlet shopping center started across the street from the Sheraton going toward the Boardwalk area. Of course, we did visit some of the casinos and many of them are quite lovely, and the Boardwalk area is experiencing major changes.
The area is full of entertainment possibilities. Many big name entertainers are scheduled throughout the year. I was quite amazed to see that Barbara Streisand is coming in November, as well as The Dixie Chicks and Barry Manilow.
One of the cons of traveling east, at least for me, is the fact that ?I talk funny!? Many people like to point that out to me as soon as I open my mouth. And if you know me very well, you know I love to talk. Being born and raised in the south, I know I have a southern drawl, but some of the people up there talk so fast I have a hard time keeping up. Most of them are nice enough concerning my accent, and inquire where I?m from. They are usually complimentary, and I have even had nursery friends to call my hotel room just so they can hear me talk!
A side trip down to Cape May, NJ is highly recommended. While trying to describe the tourist town, we came up with the idea of comparing it to Gatlinburg, except with a seashore and Victorian homes, instead of mountains and chalets.
The town is a peninsula, located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey between the Atlantic and the Delaware Bay. At the tip, Sunset Beach provides unusually beautiful sunsets, usually not visible on the east coast. We followed the crowd down to the beach and immediately got a look at the beginnings of a beautiful sunset. Local families and tourists of all ages gather on the beach each day to enjoy natures? spectacle.
A poignant flag ceremony is held daily on Sunset Beach, using American flags that draped servicemen?s coffins. The ceremony we experienced had Michael Kelly?s family there to receive his flag. He died April 3, 2003 while on assignment in Iraq, the first American reporter killed during the conflict. It was wonderful to see patriotism displayed in such a manner.
Fresh seafood is also a plus for Cape May, if you are a seafood lover like my husband. After choosing my chicken dish at The Lobster House on Fisherman?s Wharf, my husband ordered the pound and a half lobster for dinner. Needless to say, he enjoyed every buttery bite. I especially enjoyed the chocolate brownie desert with vanilla ice cream.