New York was a little too expensive to stay for long, so we headed south to one of the best value places in the USA: Atlantic City.  Atlantic City is only a couple of hours from New York.  It is right on the Atlantic Ocean and is in the state of New Jersey.  New Joizy, as the locals say it.

Bally's Casino on the famous boardwalk

The New York Port Authority bus terminal, only a short cab ride from Mary our Australian friend’s place, has regular bus trips to Atlantic City.  New Yorkers used to flood down to Atlantic City for the sun, the beach, the boardwalk and the casinos!  Now that casinos are opening up everywhere else in America, the flood has become more of a trickle, and the casinos are struggling a little, except on weekends.

They still turn over some serious money through gambling in Atlantic City but the drop in numbers has become a concern.  There is a string of casinos all around the city and they all have to compete for the gambling dollar.  This is what attracted us to the city in the first place.  The hotel/casino/resorts were offering ridiculously cheap deals in order to attract us, especially from Sunday – Thursday.  Hotel rooms that once went for up for $300 a night were available for as little as $40!  One of our suites even featured two bathrooms.

Caesar's Casino

During our time in Atlantic City we took advantage of all the bargains on offer.  We rotated through several of the main casinos and also stayed two weekends with Martin and Shawn, our friends from the South America cruise.  We were given free slot dollars as part of our bus fares.  Jenny, a non-gambler,  managed to turn hers into a profit!

Meanwhile I accumulated ‘reward dollars’ just by playing poker in the casinos, which enabled us to dine for free on several occasions.  I also managed to relieve some of the poker players of some of their hard-earned  cash during the course of our stay.

Trump Plaza's heated pool & hot tub.

One of the piers - Atlantic City

There are lots of dining options in the city.  Bands, comedy acts, singers and other entertainment acts are featured around town.  There is a nice beach and an amazing lengthy boardwalk which is fun to stroll along during daylight hours.  And the pier shops and restaurants, with their stunning views, are also a highlight.  Jenny and I had a favourite spot out on the multi-million dollar enclosed pier.  We could sit there, a hundred metres out to sea, having a meal or a coffee, admiring the views.  There was even an indoor board walk overlooking the ocean, with beach chairs surrounded by sand. The views are amazing!

All in all a relaxing stay.