Atlantic City must be seen to be believed

I know it’s been a while since I rapped at ya, but with a friend of mine currently thinking about a trip to Atlantic City, I just had to say something. I’ve been to Atlantic City many times and I do think it’s misunderstood, and figuring out how to get there is one of the bigger mysteries.

There is an international airport in Atlantic City, but it’s only served by 3 small airlines, and it only has incoming flights from a handful of cities, mostly in Florida and in that region. There are no flights from New York, since it’s faster and cheaper to drive or take a bus or even hire a taxi for the journey from that city.

What you want to do is look for flights to Newark, and from there it’s only about 60 miles and an easy drive. There are pretty good bargains on rental cars in Newark, at least compared to the airports in New York City itself, so you can be in Atlantic City about 2 hours after your plane lands, without spending a fortune.

The other tricky part is where to stay. By now I think everyone has heard the story that hotels in Atlantic City are almost all either attached to fancy casinos, or they are complete dumps. There are actually some places in between these days, and some of them are located only a block or two from the casinos, so those are good places to look if you are on a budget.

You also have to consider that pretty much all hotels are really hurting for business these days, so all of them are offering great promotional deals, and many of them will give you an even lower price, or a nicer room, if you pick up the phone and call them to ask. Hotels in this area that used to charge over $200 per night are often going for about half that this summer, even though it’s supposed to be peak season.

The boardwalk in Atlantic City is nice, and worth a stroll, but once you get two or more blocks away from it things change for the worse, often in a big way. I wish this was no longer true, but really the city is kind of a mess except for the big casinos and the boardwalk, and even some of the fancy hotels are having tough times too. Still, all of this means that it’s a great time for a visit, so the odds are in your favor.

How Leonardo Dicaprio made me want to go to Thailand

I have long wanted to travel to Thailand. One of my mother’s best friends has lived in Bangkok for years and every time she returns to the states for a visit, she is full of exotic stories of Thailand, the food and the people. I became immediately curious about this far away and enchanting place of spices, beautiful beaches and a rich culture. However, I have to be honest that it was more than just Marsha’s tales from Bangkok that inspired my desire to travel to Thailand. It also had something to do with a movie. And a bad one at that.

In 2000, when I was the tender age of 15 (and still carrying around a pretty big crush on Leonardo DiCaprio), the movie The Beach came out. The scenery was stunning and when I found out the movie had filmed on the beaches in Thailand I knew I had to go there. It’s 9 years later, and while I have developed a serious affection for Thai food during those years, I have not yet visited Thailand or the beaches that enthralled me from the cheesy DiCaprio love flick.

As it turns out, this year may finally be the time for me to pack up my favorite swimsuits and head to Thailand. With airfare to Bangkok, Thailand cheaper than it has been in years and plenty of great offers and deals to be found at cheap hotels in Bangkok, there is little reason not to book my ticket and head out on a Thai vacation of my dreams. In fact, with the economy down and almost everything in the travel industry discounted, now is a great time to also save money while traveling. Not only will you find your plane tickets are cheaper, but you’ll also find plenty of hotels offering cut-rate rooms and specials on tours and other tourism related activities.

Plus, while Thailand certainly has it’s fair share of nice resorts and fancy hotels, it has also been a major backpacking destination for hot spots, meaning you’ll have no problem finding hostels in Bangkok or in the many beach towns popular among travelers. With the dollar usually quite strong against the Thai currency, you’ll also find yourself spending a lit less money once you are over there than you may have anticipated, making Thailand a very budget-savvy choice right now.

Since work and other adult obligations have me grounded for the time being with no Thai adventure on the near horizon, I’ll probably have to satiate my desire to travel to Thailand by visiting my favorite Thai restaurant in Portland called Pok Pok-- woofing up their delicious dishes seasoned with lemon grass, cilantro, limes, chilies and coconut milk until I can make a trip to Thailand myself and eat the real deal.