June 16, 17, 18 2019. Three Big Cities, Three different States in Three Days! This IS a whirlwind trip!
It is “Coach Trip” sponsored by Diamond Tours, working in conjunction with a local Senior Center, cost $279 (included two nights hotel, one dinner in NYC, two breakfasts, two “Step on Guide” tours, and the Coach transportation.
For those that read my Savannah, Georgia blog, No, I am NOT a glutton for punishment. I am an “Adventurer”! Never say never … different tour company, different group of travelers … same mode of transportation, same age group of travelers. A totally different experience.
Our “Tour Director”, Stu, is a volunteer. His relaxed, easy going, positive attitude was contagious. He was a great “Leader of the Pack”! Especially when my travel companions and I were wandering in circles in Bally’s Hotel and Casino looking for the bus terminal exit. Stu spotted us and quickly led us in the right direction. Thank You Stu, you did an awesome job!
Day 1 … The Big Apple! New York City! We leave CT at 7:30 a.m. Bill, our driver gets us safely into the city, where we pick up our “Step On Guide”, Selma. Our whirlwind tour of Manhattan begins … Selma is amazing! Multitasking is her middle name. While giving Bill a “maze” ing directions, she mesmerizes all of us with her knowledge of up to date happenings, as well as, the fabulous history of Manhattan. In four fun filled hours of facts, jokes and puns the time flies by. There are three “get off” stops.
Rockefeller’s Center
World Trade Center / 911 Memorial
Grand Central Station Terminal was a very cleverly planned “rest stop”. It is not a mere train station, it is an “iconic” space to walk through, grab a meal, take a docent led tour, purchase the audio tour ($12) or just guide yourself. Public Rest Rooms are a bonus.
Our time with Selma ends at 4:30 p.m.. We have an early dinner reservation at
The Heartland Brewery and Chop House
127 W. 43rd St at Broadway
Times Square / Theatre District
646-366-0235
A delicious, lemon chicken or meatloaf dinner, cookies and brownies for dessert and soft drinks were included in our package. Cocktails were pricey $16.11 (tax and 20% tip included) for a glass of Cabernet. Happy Hour price at the bar would have been $8 plus tax and tip.
After dinner we had “Time On Our Own” in Times Square to enjoy the “pizzazz”!
8:00 p.m. we travel out of the City for our first night stay at the
Hampton Inn and Suites
290 Route 17 South and Corporate Drive
Mahway, NJ,
Day 2
After a complementary hotel breakfast, we head out to our next “Big City”! Atlantic City, N. J.
This is a totally “on our own day”. At 11:00 a.m. We are dropped off at
Bally’s Casino Resort
Broadway and Park Place
Atlantic,City, N.J.
800-772-7777
Our check in time isn’t until 3:30 p.m. so we head off to the boardwalk and the Convention Center Tourist Information Center. We are very disappointed to find out that the nightly Boardwalk Laser Light Shows have been discontinued. Bummer! It’s also a Monday and our choices of nighttime entertainment are limited, so we decide to make it a full day and a relaxed evening. The beach and boardwalk are beautiful. We opted to walk the boardwalk, but a tram is available ($8 for an all day pass/$4.00 for one ride)
My new fascination with lighthouses, sends us walking down the boardwalk in the direction of the Absecon Lighthouse, 31 S Rhode Island Ave. Our directions tell us its about a mile from Bally’s, two blocks off the boardwalk. At 171 feet it is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey. The on line description was very attractive. The “up close and personal” was scary. The neighborhood is so run down and neglected that we almost turned around half way there. We could see the Lighthouse in the distance, but the closer we got, the creepier the neighborhood. We ventured close enough to snap a few quick photos. I’m sure the view from the top would have been breathtaking, but we decided to use our energy to hustle quickly back to the safety of the boardwalk.
Gambling aside, the casinos have a wide variety of offerings. The Tropicana was my favorite … three floors of awesome Cuban inspired decor, cool shops, wide variety of restaurants and an IMAX Theatre. We had dinner there at AC Burger Company. This is not just a burger “joint”. One of my travel companions is still talking about “the best tasting quesadilla” she’s ever eaten!
A must not miss, is a free ride up the escalators at The Ocean Casino / Resort rooftop viewing areas.
After dinner we walked the beach and stopped for a nightcap at Bally’s Beach Bar. It was a fun and relaxing day. We all did cash in our $15 free slot play vouchers. Big gamblers that we are, between three of us we won about $10.
Day 3 …
After enjoying the breakfast buffet at Bally’s we are on our way to Philadelphia, PA.
the “City of Brotherly Love”
Bill, stops at the Independence Visitor Center (another cleverly planned rest stop) to pick up our “Step on Tour Guide”, Lesley. In a short “whirlwind” two hours, we cruised the historic district, finding a lot of “Love”
We had “get off stops” at The Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul and The Philadelphia Museum of Art … aka “The Rocky Steps”. Time enough for photo opportunities and to walk or run up the 72 stone steps, not visit the Museum. Our tour ended at noon at the Independence National Historical Park. Time “on your own” to have lunch and visit the Liberty Bell Center was allowed. Then homeward bound.
Honorable mention here goes to Bill our fabulous bus driver. He maneuvered a full size coach, up and down, these not very wide cobblestone streets, with such finesse that several times the passengers cheered. Thank you Bill!
After praising the trip to many, one of the questions I was asked frequently was how much walking was required. Remembering this was a “whirlwind” 3 Big Cities in only 3 Days tour, one of the nice things was the variety of things seen and done. There was limited time on your own in NYC and Philly, but you had a whole day in Atlantic City. How much or how little you walked was up to you. Not a lot was required.