As we walked among the slot machines on our way to and from the car, the noise from the machines was nearly overwhelming. To an aging gambler who's hearing is failing, the din of the machines must be like pure music. Michelle and I could barely hear one another over the bells and dings of the slots. The elderly crowd, on the other hand, was transfixed.

They bus the gamblers into town from all up and down the east coast for day trips. Mostly they come from New York and Philadelphia, however. The focus on Philadelphia is evident with just a single trip down the Atlantic City Expressway. It's easily the nicest stretch of highway in New Jersey, three wide lanes and smooth as glass all the way into town.

We went to Atlantic City today not to gamble, but primarily to take a few photos for a project Michelle's been working on. Of course, whatever your excuse for actually going to the shore, you can't come home without enjoying a relaxing walk along the beach and a box of fudge. We got both.

To our surprise, the beaches in Atlantic City were actually quite clean. There were tons of shells washed up along the edge of the water, but no trash to speak of. You always read of the waste that washes up along the New Jersey beaches dumped into the ocean from New York City, but today the beaches and the water was as clean as any I've seen.

Not only was the water and the beach in fine condition, but the weather was absolutely perfect for a walk along the shore. Temperatures were in the mid-80s with low humidity and no wind to stir the sand about. With the sun beaming down from high overhead on the longest day of the year, my farmertan got a good workout.

Atlantic City is a nice diversion for a few hours on a beautiful day. Between the people watching, the beautiful weather, and the amusement provided on the casino floors, there's little to dislike about the place. Even still, after a few hours the attraction wears thin. It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.