When it rains on a summer’s day at the Jersey Shore, many families on vacation either hunker down with books and board games or head out to the mall or the movies. The last time it rained when we were in Wildwood we found virtually everyone at the Shore decided to go to the local theater and it was packed! Instead of waiting in line to see a movie we were not even interested in watching, we jumped in the car and headed up the coast to Atlantic City – it turned out to be a great way to beat the rain.
Atlantic City beach stroll in the mist, courtesy www.atlanticcitynj.com
Known mostly as an adult destination due to its concentration of casinos and adult entertainment venues, Atlantic City also offers a lot to families with teens and tweens. For the shoppers in the crowd the Atlantic City Outlets – The Walk includes teen and tween favorites such as Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Claire’s, Old Navy and many others. We counted at least 60 stores and a number of restaurants, all located right at the end of the Atlantic City Expressway as you head into town.
Atlantic City in the rain
Our crowd was looking for some entertainment beyond just the stores so we headed over to the Tropicana Casino’s The Quarter retail, entertainment and restaurant complex. Coming in from the rain you enter a breathtaking 3-story high indoor courtyard that makes you feel like you have been transported back in time to sunny old Havana, Cuba. The original Tropicana Casino was known as the Queen of Havana and The Quarter channels the tropics, even when a full fledged Nor’easter is blowing outside. We spent a couple of hours browsing the designer stores and having a great dinner at one of the many gourmet and casual options available. We also enjoyed a totally family friendly Magic Show at the Trickzone Theatre and bought some magic tricks at the store. We considered checking out the IMAX theater as well but it was getting late so we decided to head back to our rental house.
The Quarter at the Tropicana, courtesy the Tropicana
Our visit to Atlantic City was a totally unplanned, last minute rainy day adventure but it was a lot of fun — we might even go back when the sun is shining! This is one in a series on Top 10 activities for family vacations with teens and tweens on the Jersey Shore. Click the above link to see the full list or visit our Travel with Teens and Tweens Jersey Shore archives to see the posts in chronological order.
