Harrah's Atlantic City

Spent Friday night with the guys at the Harrah's Resort - Atlantic City.

As with most hotels in Atlantic City, it's been rated a 3-star hotel. However the recently opened up a new Waterfront Tower. This has lead to an expanded selection of rooms, new shopping areas, a new buffet and restaurants, and finally a new pool.

The pool is the real star of this expansion. It is an indoor oasis housed under a 90-foot glass dome with a constant temperature of 82 degrees. You can wander among palm trees in a lush tropical paradise, while finding over 80,000 gallons of sparkling blue water.

The Pool features:

* Four cozy wading areas
* Six relaxing hot tubs available for private rental
* Private cabanas, featuring plasma TVs, iPod docking stations and relaxing couches

I was also able to enjoy sun deck, which was very impressive. More than enough space for guests to work on their tan along with full bar and food service.

After dark, the pool area is converted into a bar/lounge. It reminded me of a place that you find in Miami or LA, with a party going on around a pool. Definitely the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night.

The gaming at Harrah's is pretty good. I am a blackjack player and although it wasn't the easiest to find a seat, that typically is the case with most casinos. The one problem I did have was that it seemed as though the dealers were all new and the pit bosses were constantly checking in on their play, which got to be annoying. Overall, I prefer to play here as oppose to the boardwalk hotels because of the nicer atmosphere and classier crowd.

Our room was in the older part of the hotel, however the rooms were large with plenty of room along with a spacious bathroom. Enough for a gambler, who will be spending most of their time in the casino or bar.

I did have the chance to try the brunch buffet on Saturday morning. There was no comparison to the lavish spreads that you see in Vegas or a cruise, but still nice. The options were plentiful with your typical selection of eggs, pancakes, waffles, french toast, fruit, along with some nice desserts. Worth the price of admission.

Overall, I prefer to stay off of the Boardwalk as the hotels are nicer and the crowd is much more friendly. Harrah's definitly rises above the other Atlantic City hotels, coming close to the Borgata, however still needs some flashier design, ambiance and service to surpass the newer hotel.

Wildwood, New Jersey

I'm back from the July 4th weekend in Wildwood NJ with my extended family.

Wildwood is an small beach town on the Jersey shore. The boardwalk is wide and beautiful. Rides, amusements, and trolley cars are all available right on the boards. Also there is the Convention Center right on the boardwalk where many concerts are held. On the bay side of the island you can find a beautiful sunset every night.

Its famous doo wop-style motels and hotels have been designated as endangered historical places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was ranked the best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.

The 1.8-mile boardwalk is home to the Morey's Piers amusement complex and Raging Waters, a 2-location waterpark complex owned by Morey's Piers. The boardwalk features a trolley called the "Tramcar", which runs from end to end. It is also home to Splash Zone Water Park.

I rode 2 rollercoasters while I was there. The first was The Great Nor'Easter, a suspended looping coaster. This intimidating maze of over 2,100 twisted feet of steel takes you high over Raging Waters waterpark, through a rollover, sidewinder, and double spin, at speeds of up to 50 MPH!

The second rollercoaster was the Great White. This classic out and back wooden coaster utilizes two train cars and begins with an exhilarating 25-foot drop into a dark tunnel before achieving speeds in excess of 50 MPH after its 105-foot second drop.

I also tried the 4-D experience on the Boardwalk, which is a complete waste of time.

Overall, Wildwood is a great destination for families and children.