RX: A Small Getaway

Sometimes you need a break from the everyday to reconnect and work somethings out. Well The Kid and I did just that, we got away. JUST US. It was needed and well-deserved. It was only for a few weekdays, a small getaway and just to Atlantic City but we were alone and happy to be there. We left for AC on Labor Day in a Greyhound bus which had no ac haha. This was going to be our second time there so Groupon and us decided to stay at the hotel we had originally stayed at, the Showboat. The trip, while small, was beneficial and we packed quite a few things into the including walking more than 6 miles a day. I had (still have some) the blisters to prove it.

So The Kid and I have been needing time alone for a while, away from all around us because we don’t have much room or privacy living his parents. Aside from that, it had been a while since we did something out of the usual “routine” but we are on a limited budget soooo we decided wherever we could take a bus to and where we could find a great deal on Groupon. Groupon is good for deals of trips. If you don’t use it, start. We thought for a bit and came to the conclusion that Atlantic City would be a great idea as we have already been there and liked it plus it is cheap and easy to get to. Then while searching through Groupon, The Kid finds a deal for the Showboat hotel. That was the hotel we stayed in the first time we went to Atlantic City with my mom and they have had a change of owners since then. So it was booked. All that was left was to wait til Labor day and pray that there would be awesome weather as it had been getting cooler.

While we wait, A BAGEL MASH UP!!

I was getting antsy after we booked it(more so than usual) and we had started to try to figure out where we would like to eat during our stay and what we would be doing. We were relishing in the fact that we would be alone there. No one around to disturb any special moments, funny conversations or be confined to our living quarters. we would be free and we were coming upon the time to start packing….the night before haha.

WE EATS

So we got up pretty early….for us, well early for me 🙂 We got bagels (YES) which we had not had in a long time. We all know that when you don’t eat something that you like/love it tends to taste a whole lot better. I chose a go-to bagel combo which was (still is) an onion bagel with scallion cream cheese and bacon, not toasted. SOOOO GGGGOOOOOOOOODDDD Anyway, back to business, back to The Kid’s bagel haha. He ordered a with cream cheese and jelly, not toasted, and of course we traded half of each. Of course I, as a food connoisseur with a very refined palate, took a huge bite from each to see how they would pair together. From my travels of the whole world for the best bagels, with all that authority, I concluded that it in fact was delicious together. I, mean, everyone should try this unless, you a vegan or vegetarian or allergic to good things or are weird and don’t like bacon for some reason (side eyes). Awesome breakfast to kick off the trip.

Are we there yet??

Sometimes the journey to your destination is less than stellar. This trip was interesting to say the least. Even though we were early for our trip, we actually ended up on a earlier bus so we needed up not sitting together. While we were incredibly early for our bus, we were not as early for the earlier bus to get seats next to each other. The kid sat down and pointed to an empty seat in front of him, next to an older lady that acted like the bus was her home and she was everyone’s grandma. She seemed harmless enough when I sat down after she moved her purse when I asked to sit down. As soon as I sat down the lady spread out like she filled out in a matter of seconds. She did so not like because she required the space but because she wanted the space….my space. I am thinking”it is okay, you can deal with this” because we will have a good trip. The driver asked us if the temperature was good in the bus and it was then she said not to have music playing out loud and to keep phone calls to either none or low and short. As soon as she was done with the rest speech, we we off. YESSSS.

As soon as I got comfortable I realized that my seat companion took half of where my feet go, WHY?????? So now my feet had a one foot amount of space but I adjusted my footing because POSITIVITY, right?? Okay, whatever, then my seatmate starts her phone call extravaganza that never ended and she was loud…. Once, I just laughed on a bus and was told by the bus driver to quiet down…. just laughing. Laughter is joyous and the best darn medicine there is. This lady did not even have an interesting conversation and kept moving around then A.C just turned off for no reason!! UGHHHH Not only has the air turned hot but my seatmate smells like she has not breathed her teeth and her breath is HOT!! I realized quickly that my ipod would be my best friend on this trip. As soon as she moved foot away from my spot I placed my foot there so fast. I tried to sleep as much as possible which was not much in that uncomfortable inferno. ARE WE THERE YET??

Showboat, Johnny Rockets and the Atlantic City boardwalk

We got to our hotel after a long, hot walk from the bus stop. WE MADE IT!! To the Showboat hotel and our room was pretty nice, We even had views of the beach. The bathroom had a lovely tub 😉 I like that have decided to take out their casino but most of the hotel was out of commission and they no longer had Johnny Rockets there.We decided to explore the boardwalk while walking towards Johnny Rocket which is a mile away from the hotel. To us that meant some much needed exercise. It makes having a yummy Johnny Rockets. They are not our absolute favorite place for burgers but they are reliable in good quality and the atmosphere is so pleasant. I love the look of the restaurant, it brings happy memories and fake memories of times that have not happened but that is what this place inspires. Images of me in a hoop skirt and high, ribboned ponytail with lots of polka dots on a cute cardigan. What is funny is that I have a few retro dresses that look like it would go great with the aesthetic of Johnny Rockets.

The Long Walk

Since we have already been to the boardwalk prior, we checked out some stores we have been to plus some new ones. We also had to find a Starbucks (I need reliable coffee) on the boardwalk because there used to be one in the now closed Taj Mahal. The new location is almost 2 miles from the Showboat and we walked more than six miles a day there. We were there for three days and two nights. So that is a minimum of 18 miles that we walked on our trip. 18 MILES AT LEAST!! I love walking but for some reason my feet betrayed me and got the biggest and worst blisters ever. SO MANY BLISTERS. I took my boots that I walk in all the time and some flip flops but it did not matter. I did not care, though they hurt, I walked and walked. I was not going to let that put a damper on my mini vacation. HA when I got I could barely walk for three days. I did not get out of bed unless I needed to use the bathroom. So worth it, though.

We strolled the boardwalk, bought some yummy fudge with walnuts. We had a mango icee and lots of water. We sunbathed (well I burned no thanks to Banana Boat) and got in the water. The water temperature was great. The waves were a bit crazy but that made it all the more enjoyable. I collected some beach rocks and shells for my mom. We walked as far as we could along the beach and then back. We went on a fruitless journey to find the elusive fried snickers. We walked two miles (seriously) to get these fried snickers but couldn’t find the store we saw that made them. We also raced some go-karts and I WON!! So much fun was had.

Breaking Diets and Getting Disappointed

So I should say that The Kid and I have been trying to eating to less meat and dairy products….less animal products. We have been trying to ease into our two week vegan diet for health reasons. Let me tell you, I love bacon, chorizo, coffee (with whole milk) and cheese. When I say love, I mean LOVE. I think I used to eat bacon everyday and if I didn’t, it would feel like I was missing something. I like to have about two to three cups a of coffee a day. I love cheese so much that I put it on almost everything. Chorizo is a big part of breakfast for me.I love Mexican chorizo in tacos and tortas. As for bacon, well, bacon needs no explanation or reason. BACON IS AWESOME!!

So when the trip came, we broke our diet to enjoy our trip and decided to have bbq food because of the delicious looking video from the Worth it series on Buzzfeed ( one of the few good series on Buzzfeed). We were looking forward to Guy Fieri’s Bar-B-Que Joint. Our thought was since it was Guy’s place that it would be so delicious. We were sorely mistaken and highly disappointed. Their food is expensive not worth it at all. Their bbq sauces are not impressive and they serve sides in a condiment cup. A CONDIMENT CUP!! I make food way tastier than anything we had. We choose their ribs (that were special for Labor Day “weekend”), pitted smoked wings, “Mac Daddy” mac n’cheese, “creamy” coleslaw and their smoke house beans. The beans were the best that we had from there and they still needed some help with it. The ribs were overcooked and the sauce was cold. The mac n cheese was so sad because the sauce didn’t taste like any cheese I know. The coleslaw was not too bad, had some seasoning that was pretty nice but it was not at all creamy. I wonder if the name of the dish is ironic because it was very dry. The only thing i can say about the wings is that the meat was tender and not dry. The real upset is the price. So expensive and for the quantity and quality, it is insulting. I will not recommend that place to anyone. Thank goodness for good ole Johnny Rockets

on a small Getaway, Relaxation is KEY and a TREAT

I loved being in that environment and when you are on vacation, you want to try to clear your mind so that you can appreciate it all. Leave your baggage on your mode of transport and try to have fun without all the crazy thoughts and pressures that stress you out. Now, if you are like me, relaxing your mind is not so easy because my mind had a million thoughts all at once. Sometimes just getting yourself to actually not think about certain subjects is very helpful. Then the other important step to relax your body. Wear comfortable clothing that is not restrictive. Let yourself  Once you try to do that you can let the vaca-relaxation to take place and you deserve it. For some people, it is needed, a mental preparation for a trip to be able get into vacation mode. Figure out where and what relaxes you then do it.