I didn't see the whole thing; for more pictures and information please check out the Press of Atlantic City coverage.
I arrived on the boardwalk in front of the Atlantic Club at the start of the Geico Skytypers show.
The Skytypers, all civilian pilots with years of experience use SNJ2s, WWII era training planes. Only 12 remain in the world, and the Skytypers fly six of them. Rare birds indeed! Some of their amazing work:
No that is not a mountain but one of our ridiculously high dunes! Courtesy the Corp of Engineers-thanks but no thanks. But I'll leave that discussion for another day.
From the beach
The Geico speedboat "racing" with the plane
Next to perform were the Raiders Demonstration Team, flying two Yak 52s, a Soviet training plane first flown in 1976, and one Nanchang CJ6, a Chinese trainer first built in 1960.
The Black Diamond Jet Team is a seven ship civilian team flying five L-39s and two MIG-17s. Some of their incredible work, including a LOW pass at over the water:
The USAF Thunderbirds capped off the show. Unfortunately they were forced to cut their performance short after one of the planes hit a bird, but they closed out the show with grace and thunder, as always. More links from their website-their History, Team, and drop-dead amazing stuff on their Media Gallery.
One of their more famous feats of derring-do
Poetry in motion
Thanks for joining me at this year's Airshow. Please click on the links above for more information about the planes pictured, and/or the Press website at the top for more general info about the show. For my pictures of 2010's show, please click here.
I hope you can make the Airshow part of your summer sometime soon. It never disappoints!
]]>So in the the spirit of the advertising campaign, I bring you my Atlantic City. I may not be a native, but consider myself a local after 12 years in Lower Chelsea. Join me on a trip to some of my favorite spots.
The first spot is here-our house. Yes, we live in Atlantic City; yes, lots of people live in Atlantic City.
A particularly beautiful sunset from our back porch
And another-
Kayaking on the Intracoastal Waterway, otherwise and lovingly known as the ditch
Under the Albany Ave bridge
Then there's the Boardwalk. Our end is a little sleepy, but that's the way we like it.
Biking on the Boardwalk is a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning, or anytime during biking hours for that matter, and in any season. It's a bit nerve-wracking in the middle of the summer, though. Everyone wants to get out on the boardwalk for a stroll with the baby carriage, a bike ride, or a run. Summertime traffic requires keeping your wits about you!
And of course the beach-there's nothing like a lazy day on our free beach. My favorite time of day? Late afternoon. Everyone is packing up to go, and after a while it's just me and the lifeguards. Heaven!
Some of my favorite spots along the Boardwalk include but certainly are not limited to:
The Tropicana and the Quarter, with the Blue Mercury store and spa. There's also a comedy club and an Imax theater, along with more shops and restaurants.
The best and coolest non-casino hotel is clearly the Chelsea!
They pamper you on the beach
At their beautiful steakhouse Chelsea Prime
At their Sea Spa and salt water pool. The salt water jacuzzi is indoors on the other side of the pool. Just the thing for a cold winter's day.
I love their funky little 24 hour spot Teplitzky's, which will appear here again. I love their mid-century modern vibe. And they serve La Colombe coffee everywhere on the property-but shh-that's our little secret.
Sunrise from an ocean view tower room
Right in the middle of the Boardwalk is the Pier at Caesar's. Although many of the stores have closed during the ongoing recession, you can still window shop to your heart's content at the upscale stores, watch the fountain and light show near the end of the Pier, stroll outside for a view out on the ocean, or relax inside with a view of the city.
Across the Boardwalk on the skybridge from Caesar's
Check out the third floor beach chairs in the sand outside the restaurant row. Stephen Starr fans will find Continental and Buddakan here, along with Phillips Seafood, sushi, and an Irish pub.
View from the Starbucks
Down at the other end of the Boardwalk is the cool new Revel. The indoor spaces there didn't do too much for me, but the outside-well it's spectacular! (I hear the In/Out pool is worth a visit, and there is also a brand new nightclub and an Exhale Spa.)
Room "outside" in the lobby
And the incredible spaces overlooking the ocean at the Sky Garden!
From the Boardwalk
Before we head over to the marina district, let's stop at the lighthouse. Don't look for Atlantic City Lighthouse, it's called Absecon Lighthouse. Isn't that a town out on the mainland, you ask? Yes, but it's also the name of our island! You can feel the history here, and of course the views are beautiful, from the inlet and Brigantine, to downbeach and the mainland.
Moving along to the inlet, there's a lot to do at the Borgata, the first casino to focus on high end dining and entertainment as a draw instead of gambling. Thank goodness, because everyone stepped up their game as a result, and the city has so much more to offer. My favorite spots at the Borgata? The Chihuly glass sculptures! Plenty of chandeliers, of course
but don't forget to mosey around to the lobby and the glass "garden" back by the simulcast horse racing room. Beautiful!
Aacross the highway on the other side of the marina is the new Golden Nugget. You may remember this property as the tired and old Trump Marina, well you won't recognize her now. The Revel is the cool new place in town, but the Nugget is HOT!
The indoor spaces are beautifully done, but the focus remains on the marina, and yes it is a real marina. Oogle the yachts from the marina deck bar and restaurant outside
or the Chart House inside. The renovations here are a labor of love-I promise you won't regret stopping by.
Back to my house, but first a look at our 9-11 Memorial, located on the Boardwalk at the border between Atlantic City and Ventnor. Did you know that two Atlantic City natives, Victor Saracini and John O'Neill, were heroes that day? Now you do. (We have many monuments and memorials to our heroes here in AC. Stay tuned for more about them, or check out my "What about the Monument?" post.)
Now that I've shared some of my favorite places and things to do, come back to my house for a drink on the porch
That's all for now. Thanks for Doing AC with me. I promise there is more to come. Next time someone says. "Let's do AC!", you'll know there is no gambling required! Enjoy!
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But the monument I bring to your attention tonight is the World War I Monument, a Greek temple built in 1922-23 to honor WWI fallen heroes from Atlantic City. Around here we call it the monument, and many people go by in their cars every day without giving it a second glance. The only way to get proper pictures is to get out of the car and walk up to it, and yes it is worth the trip. The round temple with is its clean lines is a fitting memorial to fallen soldiers, and the decoration and carvings add weight and gravity to the the grace of the architecture.
The statue, "Liberty in Distress by Frederick MacMonnies, was installed inside the temple in 1929.
These pictures showcase the beauty of the temple and statue, but they can not conceal the wear and neglect. According to the Atlantic City Library website (http://www.atlanticcityexperience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25:world-war-i-memorial&catid=7&Itemid=11 ) in 1962, the City Council voted to demolish the temple and move the statue across the street. They balked at the $60,000 price tag, though, and thank goodness they did!
I remember how hard I worked to make the monument and statue look as good as possible while taking and editing these pictures. Maybe I have to go back and document the wear and tear. It's time to do something about it!
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