Atlantic City: Entertainment Capital of the Shore
Jersey Shore cruising into Atlantic City? Absecon Inlet guides boaters into the heart of Atlantic City with the Golden Nugget Casino and Farley State Park Marina beckoning to port. With the famous rebuilt Ferris wheel, known as “The Wheel,” visible five miles offshore, Atlantic City doesn’t sneak up on you. Inlet entry is easy with favorable conditions, but the current might make you feel like you and your vessel are a pinball shot into a noisy, lit-up arcade game. Yes, there are casinos—currently, nine of them. Featured entertainers this summer include Keith Urban, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Kool and the Gang, and Santana. Fine dining is available. Check out the Anthony Bourdain Food Trail.
A major draw for more than 150 years, the Boardwalk is the backbone of the city. Built in 1870, it is the oldest in the U.S. Measuring five miles, the Boardwalk is the longest in the world. At 60 feet wide, it accommodates throngs of visitors who come to “walk the boards.” Most casinos tower over it, and the Steel Pier amusement park secures the northern end. The Jitney, a free bus, runs loops between the casinos providing an easy way to move around.
Additional draws include the Historic Gardner’s Basin Aquarium, Absecon Lighthouse, and the annual Air Show featuring the Air Force Thunderbirds, scheduled for August 16th. Astounding acrobatics and 100 years of different planes perform along the beachfront. There’s not a bad seat in the house. Pilots rehearse the day before, which is a great preview.
In addition to the large Farley State Park Marina, Historic Gardner’s Basin at times offers inexpensive docking, and Kammerman’s Marina, while smaller, provides full service. Boats drawing less than five feet can shimmy their way into a protected anchorage at Brigantine Bay. Mid-tide rising or high tide is recommended for those gutsy enough to shoot the narrow entrance channel. Charts note two other anchorages within Absecon Inlet, but both are prone to unsettling conditions.
