Vroom. Lurch. Stop. Go. Stop, go.
You got it. Driving in the USA's east coast can be an adventure with google maps and gridlock. After a few hours of not getting very far, we opted to swing onto the local side roads and away from the incessant tolls. (Note to those renting a car, get the EZ pass. We didn't and wished we had it on more than one occasion as we scrambled for cash, exact change, and the worst $14 for a bridge toll.)
We arrived early evening to the newly named Atlantic Palace, formerly Blue Green Palace. Our room was gorgeous and had wicked sea views. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout our stay. The room had a small kitchen and my favorite place to perch was on the wide window ledge that gave me a perfect beach view of the piers.
I think in my head I had pictured Las Vegas on the beach. It isn't really all that, but it was great for us. There aren't the shows and theatre, but it does have the board walk with the souvenir shops, food aplenty and all the casinos. Renovations are in progress along the boardwalks and the outlet malls are nearby. You can walk from almost everywhere to where you want to go.
Our first night of the bachelorette weekend, we checked into our wonderful hotel. It was right on the strip and very easy to navigate to. It has since changed names so naming it now is irrelevant. The girls and I strolled the boardwalk until we reached Chickie and Petes. I wasn't impressed by the menu or food but I was hungry. I would recommend going into the casinos to find good food. The music played up and down the boardwalk, while cabbies walked their push-cabs up and down seeking fares. We stopped to see the lights show and visited the Miss America statue.
The overall impression of Atlantic City is that of an old world playground that is being forgotten in favor of other locales. There is a sense of a yesteryear that is trying to be recaptured through bringing in concerts and events. Nothing was playing while we were there. We were very surprised by how quiet it was.
The following morning, we opted for pool and beach. Our hotel had a lovely pool that we could sit and watch the waves, the people and the activity. We had comfy deck chairs, a sun umbrella, access to the water and towels. Perfect. Later, we walked the boardwalk, did some shopping and gambled a bit before heading out for supper.
The bride and pal wanted hard shell crabs and the nearest place was Mays Landing. This was fine until we started driving for a long time...and google maps talked us to a side road in the middle of nowhere. Now 9:00 pm, our restaurant of choice was closed so back to mays landing we ventured. There it was...a sign that said crabs. We pulled in to The Watering Hole.
The Watering Hole had a pool tourney on the go and we were about to breeze through and leave when a local stopped us and offered to clear a spot. So, we stayed. We stayed in our nice dressy clothes and stood out like a sore thumb. That lasted 5 minutes, then we moved to the bar. The bartender was warm and friendly, and made us laugh. Even better, the food was tasty and exceeded our expectations. I don't think we could have done better. It was local, earthy and great people that all called this place home away from home. It was awesome and unexpected.
For a bachelorette party, it was unique...a toast to the road less travelled.
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