With gas prices up and the economy so-so, what’s everyone doing for vacation this summer?

After a couple of years in a row flying here and there for “big” (for me) vacations I’m thinking more along the lines of a short drive kinda thing this year. But not sure where to go. Ocean City for me is just kinda blah – seems over-priced and over-populated, especially after being spoiled in Cancun twice.

Anyone have any experience with Atlantic City? Can you get a decent hotel on the beach at a cheaper price because of the casinos? It might be nice to drop by the beach for a day or two after visiting some relatives to the north if it wasn’t $250 a night for a decent hotel.

Any other ideas?

I'm going to AC this weekend. From my recent room shopping, if you stay Sun-Thu, even the best places are $150 or less. Friday and Saturday nights bump into the $400 and up range for the beachfront casinos I checked (Taj, Tropicana, Borgata). Add at least another $100 for that if you want oceanfront.

Been there before? Is the beach nice? Any recommendations?

My first time, but I'm going with some Atlantic City veterans. The three I previously named were recommended by some friends, but they may have different tastes and priorites than you when it comes to vacationing there. I'll likely be gambling, drinking, and eating most of the time, but if there's something you want me to check out, like beach quality, let me know and I'll report back.

Also, the prices I quoted were for the May - early June window. I don't know if it goes up as the summer goes on.

My husband and I are doing a teeny weeny vacation this year -- this coming weekend, actually -- by renting a cabin on the Shenandoah River, in Luray. It's near one we rented last year, so we already know the area is secluded and very peaceful. It'll be pretty cheap as far as vacations go: 1-1/2 hrs away by car, we can bring and prepare our own food, and we can bring the dog so therefore don't have to pay a dogsitter. We'll just buy a pass into Shenandoah Park for some day hikes.

well this is the first year I will have the kids all summer.

Starting out when they get here june 8 with a week at the williamsport KOA

Maybe some weekend camping trips with them and the grand finale is a week in orlando going to Disney etc.

I already booked our airfare and my sister has booked her time share so all I gota do is figure out how to afford park admissions for all of us

I'm going to Myrtle Beach, apocalypse or Obama.

Outer Banks for a few days, Ocean City a couple weekends, Richmond for IRL race, Yankee Stadium, and Watkins Glen for a week in late summer. I canNOT believe it's ALREADY June!!!

My money situation is looking better now so my buddy and I were considering Atlantic City in July. Does anyone know if AC has sportsbooks? The only thing I feel like I'd like gambling on would be sports games.

I'm pretty sure sports betting is only legally done in Nevada. I see the lines are already out for NFL week 1 a mere 3+ months out.

Short trip:
I am going to Lake Erie and some surrounding smaller lake communities up in those parts. We are staying in a cabin, and spending as much time outdoors, enjoying the Preque State Park. We may wonder into some nearby cities, not sure.
We have friends we enjoy the outdoors with, near Presque Park. Which explains how we found this place.

Travelguide:
Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre sandy peninsula that arches into Lake Erie. As Pennsylvania's only "seashore," Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline and many recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling and in-line skating. A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds. Because of the many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania.....The beach is beautiful.

Threatened and rare species as in human beings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO7-v10TG5Q

I'll PM you my mobi for when you get scared. We can scream together.

My husband just came back from a 3-day fishing trip to Presque Isle! He said it's really beautiful, and supposedly it's some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the US. Of course, with the 50-mph winds, rain, and temps in the 40s last week, it wasn't the best fishing trip this year. Last year at this time he went, and they had perfect, sunny, warm weather.

As far as vacations go, we're leaving for a week in the Outer Banks in less than 2 weeks. It will pain me to fill up the gas tank for our trip.

I went there a few times during my college years. The beaches are basically deserted. In fact, outside of the major casinos it's a dirty, rather deserted ghost town. It really showed what happens when you base your entire economy on vice.

These days I would never even consider gong there. Don't ever want to be so surrounded by so much moral depravity. It just turns my stomach, the harm the gambling industry does to so many innocent, deceived people and their families.

Probably heading to Texas & visit relatives if possible. My nephew was in a boating accident this past weekend and I want to make sure he is okay.

Other than that I am not sure. Will probably go visit the little league home in Pa also--its where Dad lives. He just came down with viral pneumonia.

I wanted to go to Colorado, but I think that idea is fading..

You guys will have a great time @ Disney! We went in November & had a great time. If you go online to the Disney site, you can prepay for tickets into the parks. I highly recommend the meal package if possible. It is worth the money - even if you don't eat every meal every day, you can "roll over" meals from one day to the next. Also, if there are any places that you really want to eat - you should call & make reservations in advance. Places get booked full fast! Good luck to you! Have fun!

I leave with my Church Mission Team for nine days in Gulfport, Mississippi on June 14th. It is our third and probably last trip into the area to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Next year we are planning on going to Greensburg, Kansas to help rebuild after a tornado pretty much destroyed the entire town last year.

So, what you're saying is you don't want me to put a sawbuck on red for you this weekend?

I also have a crappy Ocean City trip later in June. I really hate OC, but I'm going out of family duty.

We go to Atlantic City a couple times a year. The town is not the dump B talks about. The area behind the boardwalk is being renovated/rehabed. There are still some bad spots but it's coming together.

Borgata is great. We stayed there last time and loved it. We also like the Tropicana and Harrahs on the marina. There are shuttles that run you around or, if you prefer, cabs are reasonable and the fares are capped.

Get a players card when you're there and if you gamble, be sure to use it. They'll count it at the tables too. You earn comps. Trust me, we are not big gamblers but we like to play. We haven't paid for a room in AC for years. They all comp and they comp nicely.

Never been to AC or Vegas... Would love to go to either! I have friends who go all the time & have those plastic member cards - they get comp rooms everytime they go!

I'd consider gambling (losing) $100 bucks ($50 each for me and the wife) in a trip a lot of money, so I don't think they'll comp a room for that.

My AC idea came about cuz the wife has relatives nearby and I was wondering if I could get a day or 2 of beach time cheaper (and better) than OC.

Does the Tropicana or Borgata border the beach, like you walk out of the hotel onto the boardwalk and beach like at OC?

One place I saw charges $10 to use the hotel pool!

Skip the AC beaches, and go right over the Bridge by Harrahs Marina to Brigantine. Less Crowd, and MUCH nicer.

Tropicana is on the boardwalk and right off of that is the beach. Borgada and Harrahs are both on the marina side - no beach but nice pools.

Showboat is another nice place on the boardwalk if you want the beach. Bally's and Caesar are also on the boardwalk. Bally's has a really cool, very old hotel attached to it. It's called Claridge.

It's been remodeled, but the Claridge is a old, brick hotel. It has a garden area that separates it from the boardwalk, but its right there. Great, affordable restaurant in there. Really nice rooms. You can book Claridge through Bally's. It has a small casino, not as crowded as some other places can get.

With all the costs in repairing what the city (thinks) is wrong with my apartments and the price of gasoline. I`ll be staying home and drinking Beer on my back deck. NO golf either.can`t afford it.

Slum Lord

K M A, Ud

Glad to hear they're attempting to clean it up but I dare say it's a lost cause.

But I am sure it depends a lot on your attitude towards gambling. To me a casino is just one small step above your average strip club in terms of respectabilty, and likewise with those who patronise them. I don't choose to have anything to do with them. Cleaning up the back streets of AC is like putting lipstick on a pig, IMO.

But I guess it's better that there's someplace for the morally deficient to go so that they're not sullying my family's playground.

Do you have any moral deficiencies, BMIC?

Yeah, I'm just a gambling, strip-club hopping, morally corrupt, going to hades kind of woman.

...all because I like Atlantic City.

Well at least you admit it.

Well, when you've been outted by B there's not much point in hiding it.

They say admitting it is half the battle.

Now if we could just get B to give you a little counseling, maybe we could save you from yourself.

Speaking of vacations in Atlantic City and Vegas, how about growing up there?

Wow, my kids grew up in Vegas, we moved to these parts for high school. Is there hope?

They are now going off to their respective universities, spreading their Vegas ways to new unsuspecting kids on campus.

I'm working for a morally corrupt Administrator???

Dang....

If only I'd known sooner...



I could have had a lot more fun!

Indeed. All gambling and stripping is to be done at the church on bingo night. Not at a casino; especially one in Atlantic City, which might be too close to home!

We are going to OC. Were planning a week we are now down to 3 nights. Anyone know a great cheap hotel/motel there for 2 adults and 2 children? We currently have reservations at Breakers, which we really like. It is pretty expensive and with prices going up might be willing to change for a cheaper place thats not ocean front. Just needs a pool (outside prefered) comfortable beds, alittle bit of room in the rooms because of kids, and internet would be a plus ( either from that hotel or neighboring hotels.).

I think we're doing a road trip to South Dakota to see the in-laws this year.

We've taken this trip a couple times. We take our time and stop when we see something interesting. There are tons of antique stores and flea markets between here and there.

We'll take at least two days and maybe three each way so we'll probably only stay 3 or 4 days. Gas will be a killer but it will be cheaper or about the same as flying. You can't get to South Dakota on a plane cheaply.

We can never go on trips that far. Too many critters. We can only go for about 4 days. Then they have to have more food and water. And everybody is leary of the pups to feed them for us. One of these days we're going to go to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, etc.
SO, for right now, we go to the ocean for a few days. Better than nothing.

Wrangler, try this site
http://www.mdisfun.org/Ocean%20City%20Travelocity.html

http://www.ocean-city.com/

http://www.ococean.com/

Yay!!! Hubby finally got our vehicle that can take 8 of us at once fixed! Now we actually CAN go on vacation somewhere.......His kids have never seen an ocean. And his brother just moved to Virginia. Then again, we could always visit Houston, or Houma, La., where Hubby has family.

I enjoyed Atlantic City, but was left wondering what the heck all the families were doing there? Unless they were attending a show, and there are certainly some big names rolling through town, I didn't see a whole lot of family entertainment in and around the few casinos I was in on the boardwalk.

From what I saw in 24 hours, Snoop, I would not recommend it with the family. The beach didn't look that great. If it was just you and the wife, I'd say go for it, even if you don't gamble a bunch ($100 would go a long way on the slots). Somebody with more experience there jump in and correct me if I'm wrong.

I would take care of your farm

A neat place that worked for us several times is Chincoteague Va. Secluded beach area. Neat things to see and do. Short drive to boats that can take you to Tangier or Smith Islands. Crisfield softcrabs. Shell cruises. Very good memories from a place 4 hours away......

Could not agree more, we just got back. My first visit, wonderful.

Are you a millionaire now?



I've been to Atlantic City twice, stayed at different places and we went to gamble, I don't see the place as a family vacation destination.

Went to OC and got engaged here are a few pictures

OC 2008

Congrats Wrangler. Will the forum members be invited to the wedding?

Nice pics of you and your lady. Nice pics of O C also

you sneak! had it ALL planned out didn't you? Oh, we'll just go down to the oshen for a few days...no biggie.....then wham! Her hearts all pounding and she's going omg omg I look like crap and he's proposing!! and she's all shaky inside.......you sneak!
you're lucky she accepted!

oh and a nother thing......no down on one knee? WTF??

Wow! Nice looking family, there! Congratulations and Blessings!! ::happy dance::

How sweet and romantic! Nice pics, Wrangler. Nothing like a pretty location to make a big moment extra-special.

Congrats Wrangler.

Is she a nascar fan?

No she isn't. But thats ok I haven't watch much racing this year myself. I don't like the COT she does like Ryan "no neck" Newman though. LOL She does like football and is a Steeler fan though.