Jersey Shore

Bryan had a work conference in Atlantic City last week. When he told me that he would be gone for the first week of summer break, I asked if we could tag along. So while Bryan attended classes and meetings, the kids and I had fun sight-seeing.

The hotel we stayed in was really fancy. It even had a giant pink chandelier in the lobby. Of course, that lobby opened directly to a casino, which was a new experience for my kids. Phoebe was incensed that she had to be twenty-one years old to cross onto the carpet. Cooper really wanted to "play those video games" that were masquerading as slot machines. I told him those video games would steal his soul. He stopped asking after that.

Our first full day in south Jersey was spent at the Cape May Zoo. It was free, but a good size and well-maintained. The high temperature for the day was 94 degrees, so we made sure to drink lots and lots and lots of water. And to pour water on our heads and necks and arms. And the kids each ate an ice cream bar to stay cool. Peter was so grateful that as he ate he said, "Thanks Mom! This is the first time you've given us a treat without us having to beg!"

Sophie loved pointing out each animal she saw.

There were peacocks wandering through the zoo. We got close to this one.

How thoughtful of the zoo to have a face cutout at just the right height for each of my children.

The next day in Atlantic City I didn't take any pictures at all. We got into swimsuits and sunscreen and loaded up our sand toys. Then we walked up and down the famous Atlantic City boardwalk looking for lunch that didn't require dipping into our 401K. We finally found some hot dogs and headed for the beach.

Actually, we headed for the shore, because that's what the natives call the beach here.

Sadly, a huge storm the night before churned up lots of riptides, so all of the beaches were closed to swimming. Instead, we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool. We played for about an hour, then headed out to get ready for a fancy dinner with Bryan's coworkers. But just as we were about to leave the pool Cooper called out, "Dad!" And there was Bryan, out early from his meetings and ready to swim. So we all went back in for another half hour. It was a fun surprise.

The dinner that night was fancy. And Bryan's coworkers all commented on how well behaved our kids were. Of course, Bryan and I were the only adults at the table not drinking alcohol, so that may have colored their perception a little.

The next day we drove around a real-life Monopoly board and saw Atlantic City from our car. We even drove to see Lucy the Elephant.

After more time in the pool and too much Disney Channel, we were almost ready to head to Baltimore. Of course, we did take one more trip to the boardwalk, but this time with our whole family. We even walked to the shore and dipped our toes in the Atlantic.