5 Places to Visit in Atlantic City, NJ

When I went to college in Washington, DC, one of my favorite road trips to take with my friends was the “scenic” drive to Atlantic City, NJ. Once there, we usually headed straight to the Tropicana and down to the blackjack table. Inevitably, I left the next morning with significantly lighter pockets.

During my seven years of living in DC, we probably made the Atlantic City excursion at least a half-dozen times. You would think in all that time, I would have set foot outside of a casino and enjoyed all the city has to offer. You would be wrong.

Now, instead of actually going there, I’m going to write a post about 5 great things to do in Atlantic City … other than gambling. If you want, you can read more about NJ Casinos here

Here we go.

1. The Atlantic City Boardwalk

The official website says: Sun, sand, towering resort hotels, the bustling Boardwalk, the awe-inspiring Atlantic — this is one beach party you don’t want to miss. The Atlantic City, New Jersey beaches are famous, and rightly so. Everything you could possibly want is right here within walking distance, from shops to five-star restaurants to casinos, attractions and great shows — all benefits of being one of the few American beaches with boardwalks.

I say, that all sounds nice … but I’ll take the Santa Cruz Boardwalk any day!

2. Tanger Outlets

In my 20s, a trip to the casino was the best way to drop $500. Now, in my late 30s, I would much rather go shopping and get something that lasts longer than one night. That’s why I would head over to the Tanger Outlets and see what Macy’s, H&M, Gap, and all those other trendy stores are selling. Then, I would probably not even buy anything – and use that $500 to buy a plane ticket to Thailand. But that’s just me 🙂

According to Wikipedia: Tanger Outlets The Walk is a 109-store open-air outlet mall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is the only outlet mall in Atlantic County. The mall opened in August 2003 and spans 3 city blocks, featuring a unique layout in outlet mall construction.

Steel Pier Amusement Park

Heck yeah! Now we’re talking about something I can get really really really excited about. I love amusement parks. When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of time at Six Flags Great Adventure (also located in New Jersey) with my dad. We loved going on all the rollercoasters, eating the yummy snacks, and talking for long hours as we waited on long lines for 3-minute thrill rides. Love you, dad!