Our Spontaneous Trip to Atlantic City

You know the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Well, we definitely experienced some lemon days recently. My husband has been planning our trip to the Dominican Republic for months. He has been there a couple of times with his work but I have never been there. He wanted to show me how incredible it is. He also wanted to check out a new area he has never visited in La Romana. This would be new for both of us to experience together! He planned a 7-night trip the week of our 26th Anniversary at the Hilton La Romana Adults Only Resort. We were so excited!

Now, here came the lemons…

My husband was feeling tired and just not right for months so he finally went to the doctor for a physical. Through all the prodding, probing and tests we found out he has a serious heart condition that needed to be addressed. His doctor would not allow him to travel out of the country. Soooo, we have to put our vacation on hold for a while. It was a real blow to both of us. We were really down in the dumps and had so many decisions to make it was overwhelming. It’s still overwhelming.

So, we decided we needed to get away even if it wasn’t as we originally planned. We live close to the Jersey Shore so it was a great alternative. The local weather was going to be unseasonably warm for September. In fact, it was going to be perfect weather for the shore! I went online and started looking for places to stay for a couple of days. I found a great Fall Special at the Hardrock Hotel and Casino. I booked it, we jumped in the car and off to Atlantic City we went!

We had a wonderful time just being together. We ate breakfast at the local diner each morning. It’s a little hidden gem right on the boardwalk attached to the Showboat Hotel called Bricker’s Burgers. They have a breakfast special for $6. How can you beat that!

The Showboat was the casino we always liked to go to when we visited AC many, many years ago. We liked to play the slot machines for fun and we always seemed to be lucky there. Unfortunately, in 2014 numerous casinos closed after other nearby states like Pennsylvania legalized gambling and opened their own casinos. For me, it’s not quite the same going to a casino in PA as it is in AC. There is something to say about the experience. You have the boardwalk, Steel Pier Amusements, numerous casinos within walking distance to choose from and best of all the Atlantic Ocean!

This was exactly what we needed to decompress. We just sat in the chairs along the boardwalk and people watched or talked about nothing in particular. We sat on the beach and just watched and listened to the waves. It always brings me back to my childhood of going to my grandparent’s house in Cape May every summer. The smell and feel of the salt air. The sound of the waves crashing. It helps feed my soul.

What did we learn from this trip? It doesn’t matter where you are as long as you are together!

Check back soon to hear about what we learned about the “scary” happenings at Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City!

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