Day Five - Happy Father's Day

Since it was vacation (and Father's Day) we treated ourselves to a breakfast buffet at one of the casinos. All you can eat omelets, pancakes, bacon, pastries...what's a dad not to love!

Strolling on the AC boardwalk made me appreciate OC a little more. It was really getting run down. I used to bring kids and staff to AC on Saturdays in the summer and the amusements were in a little better shape back then. The casinos are really the only decent thing to do, so we just walked a bit of the strip. We actually came upon the New Jersey Korean War Memorial which was on the boardwalk between a few casinos. It had three beautiful statues and some amazing stories of some of the individuals who gave their lives in that war. Very moving.

The concierge at our hotel had recommended the water show at Caesar's Palace, so we decided to give it a shot. From the first loud shot of water in the air to the last splash, Camden was enthralled. All the lights and sounds were right up her alley.

It was another misty day, so we spent the afternoon back at the hotel in the pool. This was our little Miss America's first time wearing a bathing suit. I would give her the crown! Actually there were several crowns and gowns displayed in our hotel lobby since it was located next to the Convention Center where the pageant is held every year.

This was the first time Camden actually enjoyed a pool. The water tempature was perfect - just like a warm bath. And I also got in with her. We played for a good half-hour before it was time for her nap.

That evening we headed down the shore about 30 minutes to Wildwood. This was always more of the "teenage" boardwalk with a lot bigger rollercoasters, etc. It was a little more carnival like with more games and fair-type food, but it, also, seemed a bit run down. Too bad. Kevin and Austin raced each other in go-karts before we headed down to the ocean before it got too dark.

The water was actually quite a bit further away from the boardwalk than at OC. This was a bit of a pain to walk (partly because of wet sand from all the rain), but it made for a good experience because you didn't hear the crowd noises.

Camden LOVED the sand and the water. I wish it had been a bit warmer because she would have walked and played for hours.

While Kevin was taking a few pictures of Camden and me, he suddenly started pointing behind us toward the ocean and yelled, "Shark!" I turned around in time to see the dorsel fin of a dolphin. Turned out to be about 4 playing about 20 yards of shore. Neither Camden nor Austin saw them, but Kevin and I watched them surface 8-10 times. Cool!

After being disappointed by the seafood the night before, we decided to try it one more time. We passed a few small shops on our way into town, so headed toward one of them. We selected one that advertised 50 steamed shrimp for $7.50. The cases up front looked amazing and fresh, but that special ended up being for take-out only. They did have a "family bucket" of 20 shrimp, 10 scallops, 4 flounder, fries & cole slaw. The best I've ever had! The shrimp & scallops were huge, but so tender. The flounder fell apart as you picked it up. The coleslaw was a perfect balance of crunch and sweet and vinegar. And the fries...were simply good fries. It was just the seafood experience we had hoped for. Plus it was a HUGE amount of food. We took a take-home box back to the hotel and the guys ate more as a midnight snack.

Can I say again how wonderful this vacation has been?!? Happy Father's Day, Kevin...too bad you got drenched by the big wave coming in behind you!