almost every time.We then continued next door

A Winning Day
When you live on The Jersey Shore, there are many drivable destinations, and Atlantic City is most definitely one of them. So, for our 10th anniversary, we decided it was a good time to venture to the East Coast City Of Glitz.I had been there just once in my life, at age 10 - I think. My mother took me to the amusement park there. I remember thinking, there's no place like this where I live {Boston}. Of course, that was miles in time before any casinos were born there. My wife has only been there twice herself, so we were both anticipating our sunny day on the Boardwalk.Upon exiting the Garden State Parkway, we drive along '38' into Atlantic City. It was a bit difficult knowing exactly which signs we should follow. There were choices to make and more signs directing you; like Midtown, Downtown, Beach. I thought all of it was 'Beach'! One just doesn't think of "Downtown Atlantic City", you know? It doesn't have the same flow as, say, "Downtown Boston". As of this writing, I'm not even sure which sign we did follow first!Our first glimpse of Where It All Happens included large hotels, parking lots and miscellaneous buildings. We thought we could simply park somewhere and cover the entire territory. How wrong we were! Already we're learning there's a lot more to see in Atlantic City than one afternoon will allow! We now know it will take about 3-4 day trips there to really see everything we want to. Once we're more familiar, we'll then return to the places we enjoyed the most.Thus we began our virgin journey at Bally's, where disco fever blared and lights brightened even the darkest corner. This was a very busy casino, even though it was a Monday afternoon. We were amazed by the number varieties of slot machines, and walked through the aisles, nighly in a daze. There's Lucky Ladies and Texas Tea and Wheel of Fortune and too many others to name. You can push a button or pull the lever. You can move from machine to machine, or stay seated for hours at one. And you can almost win, almost every time.We then continued next door, into The Old West. We were going to lunch at the buffet there. However, there is a confusing entrance and waiting system in place,Brandon Jackson Jersey, so we decided to eat elsewhere. I'm so glad we did.Planet Hollywood was right on the Boardwalk, and to us, that's a fun place to eat. A lovely lady, Stacy, greeted and seated us. During our conversation, she learned it was our anniversary. She wished us well with a big smile as we thanked her. Our waiter, Shawn, offered great service and bright smile. Lunch was delicious, and we requested the check. Shawn returned in just a few moments with an anniversary dessert, complete with candles and best wishes! We enjoyed a round of applause from the room, and were absolutely thrilled by this surprise! Shawn and Stacy truly helped shape our special day into a memorable one. Rest assured, "we'll be back"!After lunch, we strolled along the Boardwalk and inhaled the life there. I do mean that literally and figuratively. What struck me most was the contrast between worlds. Simultaneous realities. Parallel lives. Directly next to a beautiful hotel/casino lies waste. The glitz exists despite the desolation around it. There should be beach neighborhoods and bike riders. Rather, I saw shells of homes that used to be. Windows without panes. Quiet streets without laughing children. And an uneasy feeling in some places.We sat on a bench and just watched the parade of peoples pass by. I am witness to all walks of life, right here. People who are lost; people who are with their family; people who can't dress themselves; people who are most definitely overdressed; people who are too cocky and people who cannot make eye contact; people who smell and people who don't; people who abuse; people who cry too much; people who may have won a little money or lost everything, and lots of people without any other people. Right here before my very eyes.OK-it's time to move on again... Trump's East Tower is a smoke-free casino, and that sounded really good to us. I must say, that is one of the drawbacks for me as I cannot stay near anyone smoking. This factors into my decision of where I play. Strolling through the aisles of this casino is a joy compared to all of the others. We spend quite a bit of our time here, and keep getting enough quarters nickels back to keep playing.Caesar's Palace is tastefully designed, but we didn't spend too much time there. We do want to play there on another day trip, though. But it's after 6 and time to start thinking of heading home. Even though we didn't "win big", we won in many ways.We won because we got to keep playing. We won because we found the best place to eat. We won because we know better than to gamble too much. And we won because we have each other. We appreciate us and do count our blessings. I think that's how everyone should be -- thankful for what you do have, and just know there are so many others who don't have.Along the ride home, I reflect upon all I've seen today. The beauty and the beastliness; the city's pride and shame; and the ironic existence of multiple worlds. I so enjoy being comfortable in our own car after a long day of walking and activity. Road trips are nice because you can almost pretend that you're on vacation somewhere - somewhere far from home. Get lost in the day and be swept away...Where we shall go next? Cape May? Asbury Park? New York City? You're invited to come back trek with me next month... You never know where The Write Traveller will take you next!