Day 43 - Under the boardwalk!

As we drove the 10 miles back into Atlantic City from the campsite, we noticed getting nearer that the huge hotels we'd  seen yesterday dominating the skyline today appeared to be shrouded in fog so we couldn't see the top of them!  On the ground it's really warm and as you walk past the buildings you can actually see the fog/mist rolling off them.

It took us quite a while to find a parking space for the monster as we need at least two car spaces to fit Harvey in. We parked around one of the side streets near to a restaurant called "The Atlantic City Bar and Grill", a local's favourite.

Inside there was a low mirrored ceiling, and the walls were covered with old black and white photographs of Atlantic City in it's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s (Miss America was held here every year until about 5 years ago).  A nice touch to this restaurant is that flat scene TV shows the daily specials being prepared so you can see just how good they are!  Oli tried their burger with crab meat and me their famous ribs...think the ones I had in Texas were better!

After lunch we made our way to the boardwalk, it's over 4 miles long in total.  The weather had started off very foggy but the sun did manage to shine through later in the afternoon.  

We spent a good few hours on the boardwalk, going on the pier, in the casinos and in the souvenir shops (really once you had been in one they all sold the same stuff).  A few of the shops were selling live iguanas and hermit crabs with individually painted shells - slightly bizarre and possibly cruel!

There are loads of pushchair type trolleys called "rolling chairs" that you can sit in while you get pushed along the boardwalk, not just old biddies but it seemed a popular tourist attraction - well when in Rome.....  The ride along the sea front was cute, you go at a snails pace but no one is in any rush and nor were we.  We decided to stop and get out towards one end of the boardwalk but still a couple of miles from the end and started to slowly walk back. 

We saw the Boardwalk Hall, this is where the Miss America beauty pageant was held, now the likes of the American Idol tour stops there to perform.  We weren't allowed in but the security guard was v friendly, he told us he used to work in Caesar's Casino for 25 years and in his first year there saw someone win a million dollars on the slot machine - if that wasn't a big enough incentive to go in one then I don't know what is!

A sweet shop with a replica Lucy the elephant!

Along the boardwalk and the street behind it there are the hotel's entrances and shopping malls, all very plush, but then just a street or two after the area does seem to be slightly run down.  There is a lot of rubbish on the streets, abandoned car lots, sleazy shops and bars - not the place to be at night!

It was a relaxing day just plodding along the boardwalk, but around 7pm we thought we should start heading onwards.  Once back in the monster we felt it was a bit late to start heading to our next destination and we were tired so decided to head back to the campsite we stayed at last night.  

New Jersey's Korean War memorial

Picked up some shopping on the way back.  The American family in the RV parked next to ours are really friendly, they have two dogs with them, a little yappy Yorkshire Terrier, Daisy, and a placid Shih Tzu called Mango who just loves to be stroked and paid attention and I just love to stroke and pay attention to him:-)

Think we're heading North through New Jersey tomorrow and will see Oli's birthplace and first home.  His dad mentioned a few other places to have a look at for memory's sake so hopefully we will be able to see all the "sights" but only have a couple of hours there.  How strange to finally see where my Oli was born (in Summit NJ) - we live in Bermondsey, a place I grew up in, and Oli has seen practically everywhere I've ever been so tomorrow will be really special:-)

J&O