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24 hours in Atlantic City 6/09

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Trip Reports' started by hammie, Jun 11, 2017.

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  1. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    My wife had a half day on Friday so I checked my Total Rewards calendar, lol and behold, I had an offer for a Friday Night premium room comp at Harrah's. Game on! We got on the road a little after noon and made it through Philly just when the weekend shore traffic was picking up.

    We arrived too early to check in, so we decided to park at Caesars and play a little. The casino was not very crowded and we could get onto our favorite machines, Wicked Winnings II for my bride, and nickel STP VP for me. I was able to hit several 4OAK's and played for about an hour and a half. Drink service was good, I really like the on screen ordering system, had a few Manhattans on the rocks. Having exhausted her buy in, the Wicked Winnings were more of the former and less of the latter, we decided to head to Bally's Beach Bar. IMG_20170609_151806.jpg IMG_20170609_152107.jpg IMG_20170609_152304.jpg IMG_20170609_154043.jpg

    Walked out onto the Boardwalk and there was a good crowd, perfect weather, high 70's and full sunshine. Made our way to the Beach Bar and although it was crowded, we were able to get a couple seats at the bar which are under the canopy. There are several high top tables but they were in the full sun and a band was just finishing up its set. A couple cornhole games were set up with no one playing. The service here is always great and there are always a couple drink specials.
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    After a couple of beers, we decided to make our way over to Phillips Seafood on the pier in front of Caesars and check out their happy hour. Found out that they have "all day" happy hour Sunday-Friday in the bar and lounge area with $4 beers and appetizer specials. http://www.phillipsseafood.com/locations-and-menus/atlantic-city/menus/happy-hour

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    Six oysters for $6, heck ya! They were plump and tasty served with a bit of red wine vinegar, ketchup and horseradish. They even sparked envy from the couple to my right, the wife said "wow, yours are bigger than my husband's. I so much wanted to quote lyrics from the 1980's group The Busboys: "it ain't the meat, it's the motion" but my cooler head prevailed and replied in my best Elvis voice "thank you, thank you very much". Also had a cup of the New England clam chowder, it was excellent. My wife had fried shrimp and they were also good. A perfect light meal and we were off to fetch the car from Caesars garage and check into Harrah's.

    One of my favorite Philly area cover bands "Don't Call Me Francis" was playing on The Deck at Golden Nugget, so I decided to just grab the room keys at Harrah's. It was around 7:00 pm and I wanted to make sure we were getting a Waterfront Tower room. Harrah's has these kiosks that let you pull up your reservation, but for some reason we had to get our keys from an agent. Nevertheless, it was quick and painless. Plus on the way back to the car, we slipped a twenty into a quick hits machine near the escalator and cashed out for $85. Made our way over to the Golden Nugget, they are currently running a free parking promotion.

    The Deck is a large waterfront bar below the Chart House and Don't Call Me Francis was just getting warmed up for their first set. There are even three BJ tables outside. This is a high energy 10 piece group with three horns and they play hits from the 60's to today. Seating and tables are at a premium, but I managed to find a single barstool with a good view of the band. We ordered drinks and listened to the band for a bit. My wife wanted to hit the slots, so I stayed back. It was a beautiful evening and I was on the water with a nice breeze and a beer in my hand listening to live music. My happy spot.

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    Alas, the GN slots are tight and in no time I got the text "ready to go"? So it was back to Harrah's and time to hit the sack. We ended up in the Waterfront tower on the 27th floor with a great view of the back bay. Our room had an enormous shower with a seat and a toilet behind a privacy door. Probably one of the nicest rooms we've ever had at any CET property down here.

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    I like that there is a coffee machine so we can have our morning fix right away. We decided to have breakfast at Guys Sammich Joint. It's a casual place, place your order and they call your number. Ordered Pork Roll and two eggs on a roll with cheese for my wife, it was awesome. I had the toasted bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese and the trimmings, just perfect. My only complaint was lousy coffee, but there is a Starbucks next door.

    Breakfast out of the way, we were off to run some money through the machines to justify our comp. My wife found a Wicked Winnings machine and I hit the poker bar. As if I didn't have enough to drink on Friday, I did what comes natural, ordered a Bloody Mary for my eye opener.
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    I slipped a Twenty into the bar top and commenced playing JOB. Max coin is 10, a little too rich for me, so I just played 5 coin. It was choppy for awhile, then in about 15 minutes I hit this.

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    Sweet! So instead of cashing out a winner, I continued to play and of course, have a second bloody. Very tasty and I highly recommend this way to get vitamin C. Ended up playing this down to zero after about an hour. Plenty of Three of a kinds, but that one was my only 4 oak. Time to find my wife and head back to the room and get ready to check out. Let's just say she didn't get many Winnings from the Wicked. We never got to the Pool area, and we should have tried to visit in the morning, will have to give it a go sometime. However on Friday night it was rocking with the young 'uns, all prettied up. There was a separate line just for Bottle Service.

    We checked out and decided to head over to Bally's and park. It was chamber of commerce weather on Saturday, a high of 80, unlimited visibility, a light wind from the north, the perfect day to walk off some of the beers from yesterday. Decided to walk down the boardwalk to Tropicana as it was a while since we were there. The place was packed. I seem to recall their VP bar as being all dollar denominations, but this time there were many Game King machines with $.25 minimums. I didn't order a beer but for some reason, I wasn't even asked, the bartenders here are terrible. I spotted one of those horse racing games and made a coupe of bets with no luck.
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    We left Tropicana and walked north towards Bally's, but made a detour at another beach bar. After all, it was sunny and 80 degrees, don't want to dehydrate! Bungalow Beach Bar has free admission for ladies, but $10 for men. No thanks. Hey Breeze, if you're reading this, you asked for Palm trees and no kids? This is your place.

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    We continued north, it was one of those days you just didn't want to go home, just georgeous weather and we were having a good time. So we returned to Bally's Beach Bar for one last road coke. But this time it was a Heineken special of the day and a Coors Light for my bride. Yes, she likes it cold and over ice, Mom always told me there's no accounting for taste. I could have spent the day there, but we had to get back home, so it was time to bid adieu to Atlantic City. But not before we stopped at the White House and split a White House Special for lunch.
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    Final notes.....the Bartenders at Bally's Beach Bar are just so awesome, never had to flag one down, they are all pros. Passed through the Wild West Casino on Saturday. They had one $5 craps table open and several $5 BJ tables, they were packed. They also have a bar that is completely open to the boardwalk, a great place for a drink and watch the crowd go by. Many of the bars and restaurants in AC offer happy hour, many from 4-7 on weekdays. Some even on Sunday, some late night. So if you're looking to save a little cash and pad the bankroll, this is a good option.

    AC is no Vegas, but for me it's still a special place and it feels like a vacation when we're down here, even though it's only two hours away.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2017
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  2. Golfer

    Golfer Well-Known Member

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    I like AC. Unfortunately the AC airport has made it difficult to get there from Chicago. For some odd reason it's less expensive to fly MSP to Philly, rather than Chicago to Philly.
     
  3. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    Agreed, Philly is 65 miles away, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half by car. Spirit is the only airline with scheduled service out of ACY and they seem to be focused on the leisure market to Florida and Myrtle Beach. But they just initiated service to Boston and Atlanta.

    The best RT flight from Chicago to Philly I'm seeing is $207. Frontier has service from Chicago to Trenton and they have some sales, but the Mercer County Airport is like an oversized bus terminal.
     
  4. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    Nice report. Seems you both had a wonderful leisurely weekend getaway!

    I often wonder how it would be like to have a local gambling destination here in Hawaii. We are so far from everything and a trip to Vegas takes some planning not to mention a considerable amount of cash just for the airfare.

    I think it would be nice if I could look at my wife and say: "Let's get away for this weekend and gamble a bit". A locals gambling joint would be welcomed by many here, but unfortunately those we elected and the powers to be do not feel the same as their constituents.

    Glad you had a great time!
     
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  5. SH0CK

    SH0CK Stylin' and Profilin' Quasi Tech Admin

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    Being from the South, taking the train from Philly to Atlantic City was kinda neat. Though I'm sure that would get old and commonplace the more it's done.

    Nice TR. Sounds like a nice get away :thumbsup:
     
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  6. Golfer

    Golfer Well-Known Member

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    Where did you see this at if I might ask?
     
  7. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    Hey Scott, I always forget about the train, one of these days I have to check it out. We could catch a SEPTA Regional Rail or even Amtrak into 30th street Station and then the NJ Transit train to AC.

    I guess one of the reasons I like it down here is because I just love the beach and I've been coming to the Jersey Shore all my life. Most of motels in the shore communities operate seasonally and you pay top dollar for dump. So when I can get a comp room (even the Dennis Tower at Bally's) right on the beach, have access to plenty of bars and restaurants, and gamble a little, it's like the perfect getaway.
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2017
  8. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    My bad, turns out the $207 was with Spirit and had one stop. The non stop fares are around $255 to Philly.

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  9. vegasdev

    vegasdev VIP Whale

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    beer over ice is better than a not cold enough beer. I don't mind it at all. I used to drink it that way a lot in the summer heat.
     
  10. bshowell

    bshowell VIP Whale

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    Nah it never gets old lol. That's how I get to Atlantic City - Amtrak to 30th St then NJ Transit from 30th St to AC. I never tire of seeing the creepy wind turbines and Borgata come into view w/Caesars almost directly ahead.
     
  11. smerrian

    smerrian View from Bally's

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    Loved the trip report. Really put AC in summer into perspective. I live at the other end of the AC Expwy so I'm 50 minutes to AC and 15 minutes to Philly...really a perfect spot. I end up in AC too much. :)
     
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  12. Echo27

    Echo27 VIP Whale

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    Thank you for posting this! I'm a Jersey girl living on the west coast now and I miss AC so much. Just reading about your pork roll sandwich (although I'd say Taylor Ham!), made me salivate!
     
  13. TOWNSVILLE

    TOWNSVILLE Low-Roller

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    Nice read hammie, good report.
     
  14. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    So what exit ya from, hon? :wave: But true Jersey guys don't use emojis!!

    For me, I grew up closest to Exit 4 of the Turnpike. There was a NJ.com article that showed the approximate dividing line where folks referred to it as Pork Roll and those who call it Taylor Ham. I wish I had a photo, but it was thin slices perfectly fried in a pan topped with two eggs and cheese on a brioche roll. A little pricey at $9, but my wife enjoyed it. I make it once in awhile, I pick up Kaiser rolls or club rolls from a bakery in Haddon Heights, NJ and get the Pork Roll from Shop Rite.

    Thanks! When I had my first Manhattan on the rocks I thought to myself: "I wonder if TOWNSVILLE would like it better this way" :drunk: Cheers, mate!
     
  15. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    Good report Hammie. We were at Harrahs friday night also,they had the Soul Cruisers playing at the Eden. Mrs. did good me no. Had that same sandwich at Fierris,Mrs. had oatmeal was terrible,runny ugg.
    Gave us a harbor room, was decent. I grew up off 136,now at 69. GSP
     
  16. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    How do they make any money from selling Miller Lites for only $5?
     
  17. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    Maybe the wife orders a couple $11 Tanqueray and Tonics? Not that there's anything wrong with that. :whistle:At $5 each that's $120 a case of 24, about a 500% markup.

    Jerseyguy, gotta find a good "Newark" style hot dog down in AC, I'm surprised I haven't seen one yet.
     
  18. jamesxnj

    jamesxnj VIP Whale

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    loved the report ( Exit 98 GSP native) and we called it Pork Roll on the Shore.I think I can still get it from a local Jersey Mike's but what I miss the most are just the 'hard' rolls with butter you can get at any 7-11 or Wawa...No such thing here and hard to duplicate the pizza (Jersey Mikes does get the subs right on btw)
    I always get a couple slices in Harrah's food court every trip.
    Hammie- What is a Newark Hot dog? Really never heard of it..
     
  19. spdandpwr

    spdandpwr VIP Whale

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    This trip report really showcases why I love AC so much. you can't beat the beachfront aspect of AC. I really wish the boardwalk casinos would step up their game. And, now that Vegas is becoming a bit too out of touch in terms of expenses, I think AC is a great alternative. So much cheaper to get drunk / have fun in AC and I prefer AC to downtown Vegas to be honest
     
  20. ShelbyCharger

    ShelbyCharger MIA

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    I always ask for a glass of ice with my Blue Moon. That is how I roll.
     
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