Atlantic City, End of Season

Lenny Kravitz at the Borgata Casino.

Atlantic City, end of season. Walked miles on the shore with the gulls, watched the still-out-there surfers, munched salt-water taffy, then wandered back along the Boardwalk. Believe it or not, AC’s a great place to commune with nature and get some exercise.

I’ve always found this old resort town very atmospheric and never more so than this trip, which I attended on the invitation of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). I loved exploring old Absecon Lighthouse, streets after which the original Monopoly game properties were named, seeing the Atlantic thundering ashore at Margate where I visited Lucy, America’s First Roadside Attraction, dating from 1881.

You can climb inside Lucy the Elephant.

Not everything here’s old, though.  Lots of young people on my packed flight were headed for a weekend at Harrah’s and the Borgata casino resort.  I went to the Borgata, too, later and was glad to see that the huge hotspot had spent money on real art, decking their lobby and hallways with giant pieces by glass wizard Dale Chihuly, pieces that, to me, evoked seashore elements like coral.

I stayed at the Sheraton, a non-casino hotel of manageable size, its lobby decorated with fascinating vintage Miss America Pageant memorabilia. From my huge suite on a designated “quiet” floor, I had a wonderful view of the city lights and the ocean in the distance.

That night I caught Lenny Kravitz’s show at the Borgata’s event center. Its relatively intimate size meant we could groove quite close to the stage. Roger Daltrey was scheduled to appear a few weeks later, and Lady Gaga in January.  I’ll definitely check concert listings before my next visit to this historic yet very happening Boardwalk empire.

And I’ll be back as soon as I can.  I’ve got a real soft spot for the off season in this oceanside city, when the casino lights glisten on dark, rainy streets.

For travel inspiration and information, see DOAC, official website of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.