Atlantic City, New Jersey

I cannot even begin to calculate the number of hours I spent as a kid playing Monopoly, hanging out in what seemed to me to be fictional places, such as Marvin Gardens and Park Place, Baltic Avenue and Reading Railroad.  Living so far away on the West Coast, the thought that those colorful squares on the game board might represent real places could never have been more than a vague concept. So, it was quite a delight when we visited the Real Atlantic City in New Jersey, and drove up and down actual streets called Oriental, Baltic, and Ventnor Avenues, and of course, strolled up and down the actual Boardwalk. This internationally renowned resort city caters to gamblers, the tourist crowd, and beach-goers, replete with the boardwalk amusement park, and innumerable retail outlets hawking souvenirs.  Although we just spent one afternoon here, we had a good time walking up and down the beach and finally setting foot and eyes upon this infamous little corner of the East Coast.