“AC” as many easterners call it, has always been a showplace of "firsts". The first boardwalk, lifeguards, rolling chairs, salt-water taffy, picture postcards, bathing beauty contests, ocean piers, seashore hotels, and even the word "airport" began here. The first attempt at trans-Atlantic flight was from Atlantic City. It is also a place that knows how to reinvent itself when tourism slowed down.

    Its latest reinvention is to balance being a family vacation and casino destination that attracts 33 million visitors each year to remain one of the world's most popular destinations. It has long sandy beaches, a 4 ½-mile long family amusement-filled boardwalk, over a dozen major casino resorts with world-class entertainers, gift shops, championship –level golf courses, charter boat fishing and sailing, historic sites, and shorefront recreation areas.

    It has been said that AC cheese steak sandwiches rival those in Philadelphia. Taste tests are enjoyably recommended. By the way, if you stop in Philly, pick up a newspaper, since they are filled with discount coupons for Atlantic City casinos.

    In the morning, bicyclists and joggers dominate activity on the Boardwalk. By noon on warm days, activity along the Boardwalk is thick with people strolling in and out of shops and headed to the beach. On any given night big-name performing artists of all genres perform at the casino resorts. The Boardwalk Visitor Center in the shops in front of Caesars has the most current show information.

    Atlantic City always finds a way to debut pop culture, major events and reinvent itself. Even though it recently lost the Miss America Pageant, one wonders if the pageant will miss AC, more than AC misses the pageant. By the look of new hotel and shops construction in AC, I'd say it appears to be doing just fine.