Winter Weekend Guide: Atlantic City
STOP GAMBLING
Here’s the part where we talk about all the stuff to do that isn’t casino-related, and really, there’s a lot (especially if outlet shopping happens to be your preferred mode of blowing money). As far as winter-specific pleasures, the obvious choice would be to spend hours on end zoning out at these indoor beach chairs at the Pier Shops at Caesars, which are just what they look like: a climate-controlled place to put your feet in sand and stare out at the ocean, regardless of the weather. They’re as strange as they are pleasurable. The Atlantic City Aquarium has a similarly soothing, indoors-feeling-like-outdoors effect (sort of the whole goal with winter travel).
Mostly, it’s worth keeping an eye on listings for any given week you want to visit; apparently, the average person visiting Atlantic City shows up once a month (!!), so Vegas-style long-running shows don’t work as well. They keep things rotating. This weekend, for example? There’s a massive antiques show at the Taj Mahal, an Elvis Costello show, a Fabio Mazzieri show at the art museum, and if you really want to go full-on theme here, a Joan Rivers live show. And if you don’t? Just wait til the next time long-running drag show Divas Do A.C. happens to be on. It’s hosted by a drag Joan Rivers. As if there could have been any doubt.
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.