Down the Jersey Shore

Magnet #163 - Cape May, NJ

Soooo, yesterday, if you'd said that I'd spend my sister's big birthday weekend down the Jersey Shore, I'd probably have laughed at you. Mostly, because ya'll know how I detest beaches. But also because for some reason beyond me, I didn't associate either Atlantic City or Cape May, NJ, part of the Jersey Shore.

Clearly, both are next to the water, but I just didn't think about it.

We spent much of today in Cape May - the only town in all of America designated as a historic landmark - looking at the supercute Victorians, visiting the lighthouse, running around the little shops, and yes, walking on the beach and even(!) dipping a toe or two or ten in the freezing cold Atlantic.

The best surprise of yesterday was a giant elephant (yep, I'll eventually get to that in a later magnetpost), but the coolest surprise of today was seeing a World War II bunker on the beach. I've been to Normandy, and seen the WWII bunkers there, so, seeing a bunker on a beach shouldn't have been so jarring. But, I honestly hadn't a clue that we had our own bunkers on U.S. soil. How cool is that. A little scary, but still cool.

Also a little scary? How much food one can consume in a weekend. Between the Philly cheesesteak taste tests between Pat's and Geno's in Philly (jury's still out), the Borgata buffet (pretty damn good, though the Bellagio's better), and seafood (seeing as how it was the beach) along the shore, I'm surprised I didn't just roll down the railroad tracks back up to NYC. Yikes.

Meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Magnet #125 - Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ

Today in 1870, they opened the first section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. That stretch of beach developed pretty rapidly, with luxurious hotels, retail shops and fine restaurants and other attractions, making AC the coolest thing on the eastern seaboard - a turn-of-the-century playground for the rich and famous.

Now, that same boardwalk is still there - the hotels, shops and restaurants have all come and gone and come again, and people still make their way to AC with the sole purpose of having fun.

Well, that, and to win their fortune at the slots, I suppose. Of course, AC is trying to make itself a little more family friendly, but to me, it just feels a little seedier now, and when compared to Vegas, it seems to give off an air of desperation.

What's funny is that the last time we went, I made my sister traipse up and down the boardwalk, following the trail that Danny Ocean followed inside the Trump casino, buying saltwater taffy, visiting the mall with the requisite (and a little sad) water fountain show. After that, I took her off the boardwalk, and over to the Borgata.

It was like watching a heavenly chorus of angels, the way she lit up at the happy place that IS the Borgata. Why? Well, for starters, it's the sister hotel to my beloved Vegas Bellagio. And, the majority, if not all, of the glasswork is done by my beloved Chihuly. And, honestly? It just feels nicer than anything on the boardwalk.

Well, at least until their slots eats all your money.