Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty

Well thats an interesting place I shan't be going back to in a hurry. We have just spent two nights in Atlantic City, NJ as we were the visiting le famille Cairney-Wells who were holidaying in Brigantine. This is a lovely little seaside town about 5 miles from AC (as it seems to be known by everyone in America). And a wonderful couple of days we had with them too - I don't think I have ever had so much fun on a beach. The waves come in at some lick and it is tremendous fun playing "lets see if we can stand up in the oncoming waves" - the answer generally being no, as the wounds on my arms will testify. I have promised a strict no pictures policy of the events (especially of Gary) on the beach as he has photos of me and I don't think the world is ready for either sight. But AC, well where to start.....

I have never been to Vegas but it seems that AC is Vegas's tackier, seedier cousin. It is dominated by big casino/hotel complexes and I mean big. When we were looking for a hotel, we looked at one of the casinos that had 117 floors of rooms, which as far as I can see is 100 floors too many. And they are everywhere, the whole city seems to be one skyscraper after another and everyone a casino. Not being a gambling man, not a lot there for me. One of the "benefits" of the gambling industry is that bars are allowed, no made, to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I am all for being able to get a drink but do I really need to get one at 430 on a Tuesday morning? The answer would appear to be yes.

But all is not lost in Sodom & Gomorrah  - AC was once a thriving seaside town where the whole of New Jersey and Pennsylvania went for their summer holidays (done for by the advent of mass car ownership after WW2). There are still bits of old AC left including the hotel we stayed in. If you ever find yourself in AC do stay there, its amazing. Lovely old building, amazing bathroom and a superb (proper European style) continental breakfast, definitely recommended. Not that I have ever seen one (or been to one) but the building had the feeling of a Wild West bordello....  The other thing worth seeing is the Boardwalk, apparenty the same one as sung about by the Drifters in "Under the Boardwalk". Sadly it is now mostly lined by new casinos and shopping malls but there are still one or two old buildings left on it. Including one with an amusement arcade where five bucks was well spent on Guitar Hero - the arcade game - what a genius idea for an arcade game. On the hi-score board for Motorhead by Motorhead in 3rd place and I never even had it on any of the versions I had for the PS2 (not that I am proud of this fact, ahem). 

As far as I can see, AC whole raison d'etre seems to be the inspiration for two pretty good songs and thats it. Happy to have seen it but don't think we will be rushing back.