Vegas by the Sea
It's Atlantic City baby! Roll the dice, hit the Boardwalk, say hi to Lucy the Elephant. And you know what the sad part is? I'm probably the only visitor in the history of Atlantic City vacations who came here just for the beaches. Pathetic, but that's what happens when you take a Busman's holiday. I'm here to 'survey' and rate the beach, so you gotta do what you gotta do.
The city rates the beach so low down on its list of attractions that its free, unlike the Ocean City beach which was spotless clean and charged $5. Cleanliness did not seem to be worrying any of the beach revellers. The Boardwalk and its multitude of attractions, shops, hotels and casinos with the famed beach bars, on the other hand, are a focal point and provide a big reason to at least see the beach, if not actually enjoy it.
Even if you do hit the beach and take a swim, its probably only to clear the alcohol induced cobwebs and bring the surging adrenalin under control. Or to drink even more beer with the fresh ocean wind in your face. Twisted, yes, but that's how Atlantic City works...
The beach is nothing to write home about, and besides, with all the other attractions, it was never going to make a cut, even if you compare it with other beaches along the Jersey shore, let alone a nationwide comparison. So I tooled around the Boardwalk for a bit, then made my way to the steel pier, which is less pier and more amusement park, with everything from a ferris wheel to a helicoptor ride. Just looking and listening to all the yelling and screaming made me want to puke, and I hightailed it outta there and made my way to the Beach Bar at the Trump Plaza.
Which is not a place you want to go to if you're looking for some peace and quiet. It was already late in the evening, and the sun was about to go down. There was this almost physical feeling of expectation, with the place filling up, the noise level rising, and it was like when you light the fuse on a firecracker and wait for it to go boom. Tell you the truth, the ocean, and the beach, is totally wasted in Atlantic City, because noone gives two hoots about it.
