We had never been to Atlantic City and thought it might be a fun place to go for my birthday. My birthday was during the same week as Columbus Day so we took off Tuesday to Friday. We checked in to the Resorts Casino Hotel around 5 on Tuesday and just walked around planning our weekend. Then we ended our first evening at the hotel bar, which was nice and relaxing.
So the best way to start a birthday weekend is with brunch, especially a boozy one! We went to Margaritaville. My omelette was huge and I enjoyed my endless mimosas. Piero had eggs with sausage and toast. It was a fun atmosphere with friendly staff. After breakfast, we went out on the boardwalk and found a small arcade with lots of claw games. It just so happens that we love claw games! We ended up playing a few games and lost so we moved on to see what else the stroll had to offer. There were a couple of things open. Being that my birthday is in November our options were limited.
This is how we came upon the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Odditorium. It was an entertaining and very interesting to walk through. We took our time and pretty much saw everything! I’m glad we happened upon this place.
After a nice afternoon, we headed back to the room to rest and find a spot to eat dinner. Now that it was Wednesday, we were trying to make after dinner plans as well. They had different performances, shows and bars to go to for a night out. We just had to pick something! Since we were in Atlantic City, we could try gambling for the first time. That could be fun.
We ended up at the Irish Pub and Inn for dinner. The pub had lots of great reviews and an interesting menu. As an appetizer, we tried the fried raviolis. They weren’t bad! The teaser salad was fresh and the wedges that came with my sandwich were thick and delicious. Of course, we each had a tall glass of Guinness and enjoyed the decorative lights around the bar.
It got chilly at night in November right on the water, so we walked back to the hotel with plans to get ready and go have some fun. We wandered around the casino floor. Walked past the table games, because neither of us know enough to play anything but 21. Neither of us felt confident enough to play for money either! We walked around the slot games and sat down at a few. We didn’t get very far and gave up in favor of ice cream. The hotel had a Haggendas stand so we ended our night with a cold, sweet treat and took the opportunity to get some much needed sleep.
We woke up in a comfortable bed and ordered breakfast to the room today. Another way to spoil the birthday girl! I had some very tasty cinnamon french toast that I would eat everyday if I could. We didn’t leave the room till noon. We like to use Lyft everywhere we go, it is a great company with the right morals. I think it’s important to support companies that have the same beliefs that we do. Our driver was great and left us off at our tourist destination for the day, Absecon Lighthouse.
There is a gorgeous mural in the main area of the light house. The woman behind the desk is kind and has been there for more years than we have been alive! The guide is at the top so we started our climb. It was a decent distance all the way to the top with windows every so often so we could stop and take a look at the city from all different heights. They began building this lighthouse in 1855. It has been used in the past but is now just a fun discovery for travelers and light house enthusiasts alike. The staff was so amazing, then lovely man we met at the top had also been volunteering for many years and really loved doing it. I enjoyed listening to his stories and learning about the lighthouse. We were able to walk around outside and got some really nice pictures of the city from different angles.
After all that exercise, walking up 228 steps, we went back to the hotel. Our late breakfast was followed up by a late lunch. We recently learned the Hard Rock Hotel was connected to Resorts Casino and went to see what food they had to offer. We sat down at Youyo, a Taiwanese restaurant. I liked the food and the drink options were different. We both tried something new, Lucky Buddha Beer and Wine in a Can. We got dumplings, stir fry and lo mein, my favorite was the dumplings!
We walked around a bit more and went back to our room. After we were done resting, it was time for more food! We planned to go to the nice Italian spot our hotel had to offer, because they were full the night before. Capriccio was the best food of the whole trip! We started with a small burrata, which I love and Piero had never tried. He got a large plate of fried calamari rings topped with peppers and I got the bolognese. The only thing I would have done differently was getting there earlier, or make a reservation. Even the bar in the restaurant was full.
Since we walked around our casino the night before, we decided to see what the Hard Rock did differently. Maybe we’re not big gamblers, but I didn’t see a big difference in options as far as different games go. This was our first time trying to gamble. We capped the night off with drinks and watched a movie. I wanted to go to a strip club or a burlesque show for the first time and I tried to find a place, but they didn’t seem too promising based off reviews. We’ll save that experience for another day!
The next morning, we tried the Hard Rock Cafe. It was finally Friday and I got my Eggs Benedict. We were very happy with our orders, Piero got the avocado toast with chipotle sauce and hash browns. Happy with our meal and server, we started the rest of our day. We went over to another hotel, Ocean Casino Resort. Next time, this is where we will stay here… If we do end up going again. This hotel is beautiful, the ocean theme just gorgeous. We came here for the spa. Yes, another spa – you shouldn’t be surprised anymore! We like to try new things, but our activities always include a spa day. Their pool area was cozy, with a couple pools and a lounge area. The bar is in an alcove right next to the lounge area. We ordered drinks and food at the bar which is not served at the bar. I am not sure if that was because we were two out of about six or eight people, or that is how it is run all year round. The food and drinks came from the kitchen, which took about a half hour maybe a bit more. Except since we are next to a pool, they do not allow glass and we ended up with cans and cups to pour our own drinks. Along with a plate of hummus with bags of chips, so we weren’t sure why it took so long to get there.
The spa day was very nice and we went back to the room to get ready to eat and then go out! My birthday actually ended up on the weekend this year, so that was nice. We ended up eating at the food court, at different places. We got dressed and made our way out, walking around after the sun goes down in AC in November is a bad idea. Just get a cab/uber/lyft because we encountered creepy people.
Saturday was our last day and we got breakfast delivered to the room again. We packed up our stuff and got on the road. Our overall impression of Atlantic City wasn’t great. Maybe I picked the wrong time of year to go or we should have gone with a larger group. We could have toured any city and went to the spa. The one thing I learned on this trip is, you are not allowed to take photos near the machines. There is a fine, but security is kind about warning you first.
This trip might not have been one of our favorites, but it wasn’t a bad vacay. We were grateful for the relaxing time off. It was nice that we were able to drive there and I could see this as a fun spring or summer destination. Fall birthdays are good for wine tours! Haha
Thank you for reading! If you have recommendations of restaurants, clubs or tourist destinations for another trip to AC, please comment below!
Travel Treats 