Called Uber after the cartoon ended. It was much later than I planned on leaving, near quarter after 9. They arrived in 10 minutes and seemed to hit every red light on the way to the Lindenwald train station, but I did get there in time to buy tickets for the train. There were far fewer problems going home. The driver arrived in 5 minutes, and there was no traffic by quarter after 7.
Thank heavens there was no trouble with the trains, either. The one going to Atlantic City was right on time, less than 10 minutes after I bought my tickets. They were quiet for 10 AM in the morning and not even remotely full. I must have missed the morning commuters. I watched the suburbs and scrub pine go by and listened to music on my cell phone.
When I arrived in Atlantic City, I saved time and spared my heel with a ride on the Jitney. These small green shuttle busses take tourists and locals from the hotels and casinos to points all over Atlantic City. The shuttle that goes from the train station to the casinos is free. Hopped right on the one going to Bally's, Caesar's, and the Claridge...and I'm glad I got there early, because it filled up pretty fast. There weren't many seats left when the driver headed off down Michigan Avenue.
The Jitney let me off at Brighton Park in front of the Claridge. Not only is the Claridge Hotel one of the few historic hotels left on the boardwalk, but the small park and vintage fountain give the Claridge the look of something out of an old romantic comedy. The park was a little messy, with some trash and old picnic tables, but it still looked like Clark Gable and Carole Lombard should have been staying there.
It was a gorgeous day for a stroll on the boardwalk. Blue sky, soft clouds, a wonderful breeze carrying that tangy sea air. It wasn't too busy around Brighton Park at 11 in the morning. Most people were working, on the beach, or sleeping off last night's debauchery. I even stood on a ramp looking over the beach at one point, watching families set up their blankets and blue umbrellas and take their children out to the bottle-green waves, remembering how my family spent almost every day at the Cape May beaches in the 80's. Homeless people sang sad songs (badly) on the benches behind the beach.
I finally just decided to have an early lunch at Landshark Bar and Grill first. It was the perfect day for eating outside. It was 11:30, so neither the beach nor the restaurant were too busy yet. I enjoyed my simple burger, pickle, and home-made chips while enjoying watching the families on the beach and listening to the few people around me chatter and enjoy each other's company.
My next stop was originally going to be Steel Pier, but I looked it up on my phone and discovered that it doesn't open until 2 PM on weekdays. Backtracked to the Central Pier Arcade instead. I had absolutely no luck whatsoever with their long rows of cranes, no matter how much I tried to win a stuffed pink female seagull with a bow on its head and a wavy French fry in its mouth. I did better with the Monopoly spin-the-dice game, skee ball, filling Icee cups as fast as I could, collect-the-ball games, and Doodle Bug (make a little green guy hop up through a sketchy themed world).
I earned 745 tickets all together, thanks to hitting Park Place on Monopoly. Coupled with the tickets I had leftover from when Lauren visited in July and my solo trip last August, I had enough for another paper fan (green this time, with a pretty rose and bluebird print) and a small ladybug Squishmallow named Ladee with heart-print wings. Considering how much the kids at Thomas Sharp love to look for ladybugs in the mulch, it's rather appropriate that her tag says she's a first grade teacher who appreciates the value of nap time.
Since it was only about 1 PM at that point, I returned to Steel Pier, but ducked into the arcade next-door. This one is much tinier than either Central Pier or Dave and Buster's. It consisted of a Yahtzee game, four cranes, two skee ball machines, two fishing-themed wheels, a Crusin' Blast machine (one half wasn't working), an Alien game, a Pac-Man/Galaga console, and several toss-the-ball-into-the-cup games. I tossed a lot of balls and made third on the working half of Crusin' Blast in a cherry-red Lamborghini running through the Death Valley course. I made 500 points and got a peculiar rubber fuzzy worm-thing that had a cheerful little face and lights up when you squeeze him.
Several families were waiting outside the gates to Steel Pier when I walked over. There were so many, they opened the gates a few minutes early. I wanted to ride the Observation Wheel, but it wasn't ready yet. I played a balloon toss game instead. I popped one balloon, enough to win a tiny pale aqua shark. She was such a little darling, with her big eyes and wide sweet smile, I couldn't bring myself to trade her up for something bigger. I named her Taffy (as in salt-water taffy) and returned to the Wheel instead.
The Wheel had opened by the time I got back there. I love the Observation Wheel. It's my favorite ride in Atlantic City. It's wonderful to glide in a wide, air-conditioned gondola over the city and see it the way a bird does! Atlantic City looks like Little People buildings from way up there. By that point, the beach was much busier too, a sea of dark-blue umbrellas that almost matched the Atlantic. There were a lot of people surfing or ducking the waves, cooling off on a warm, humid day.
After I got back on the ground, I tried my luck at a crane with Pokemon in it near the entrance to Steel Pier. When I came away with nothing, I decided it was time to start heading back. By this point, it was past 2 PM. The boardwalk was now teeming with people just out of lunch or the casinos and looking for excitement. Not to mention, even the breeze couldn't hide how humid it was. I was sweating bullets when I ducked into the smaller Fralinger's. They did have my favorite fruit slices this time. I bought two bags and a bottle of water.
I got off at Brighton Park and walked back to Michigan Avenue...but this time, I turned down Atlantic Avenue, passing Express and Ruth Chris Steakhouse to Dave & Buster's. The Atlantic City branch is smaller than the one at Blackwood and the pirate wheel was down, but it still has plenty of Pac Man skee ball, ring toss games, carnival-themed wheels, and ball toss games. I played Mario Kart here and came in second with Princess Peach on a Japanese-themed round that went underwater. Made just enough to get a Champ Bear with a little leftover for when I visit Lauren in late September-early October.
There was one last thing I wanted to do in Atlantic City before I headed to the train station. I stepped into Famous Footwear to see if they had Easy Spirits or something similar to run errands in. Nope. Not only were they busy with parents and college students looking for back to school shoes, but all they had were Reebox, Converses, and Nikes. I'm not a fan of any of them. Hit Starbucks for a quick Iced Orange Matcha Latte instead. At least they weren't busy this time. I walked in, got my drink, and walked out. Sat down on a bench, sipped my drink and watched a mother enjoy her own drinks with her two sons.
Considering all the trouble Lauren and I had getting home last month, I had no problems with the 4:59, either. It arrived on time and left about two minutes late, nothing to panic over. It did stop to let a train pass around Atco, but the delay wasn't much of a problem. This time, the train was busy with noisy, drunk college students who mentioned they were on their way to a concert. (I looked it up later and discovered they were likely going to a Foo Fighters show at Lincoln Financial Center.) I was originally going to take the PATCO to Collingswood or Westmont and pick up Uber from there, but there were so many drunk and loud college kids around the ticket kiosks when the train arrived, I thought I'd be safer elsewhere.
Ended up having breakfast for dinner at the Stratford Diner instead. I wanted to go here when Lauren came last month, but we got in so late, we went to Tim Horton's instead. I was able to enjoy my waffle with strawberries and scrambled eggs in peace, other than a fussy baby with his parents at the booth across from me.
Finished the night after I finally got home and took a shower with Let's Go Native on YouTube. I go further into this wacky 1930 comedy featuring Jeanette MacDonald and Jack Oakie as a broke costume designer and a cab driver stranded on a remote tropical island at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
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