Excerpt from INeedAHoliday Atlantic City Travel Narrative:

We are on the New Jersey turnpike, or is it parkway?  I never get it right and it always looks the same to me.  There are five of us in a rented mini-van and we are headed to Atlantic City to celebrate the date of 11-11-11. 

Just a couple hours later we are sitting at B-bar, inside the Borgata Hotel and Casino.  We are surrounded by a bottle of Prosecco and drinks.  Everyone is laughing and we’re having a good time.  Wait, a good time in Atlantic City?  I thought I swore off this city!  How did we get here?  Let’s back up.

My first trip ever to Atlantic City was in November of 2003.  We took a bus from Port Authority, leaving at 9pm at night.  No hotel room, we just planned to stay up all night and take a bus in the morning.  Initial impressions: A cold Vegas.  This was a positive for a person who is very PRO Vegas. Energy filled the air that night.  The casinos, the odds, and of course, the Kahlua and Coffee drinks.  There were stops at the IRISH pub and an interesting roulette session that ended with the girl I was with going ALL IN.  Later I would find out that this was one month’s rent, and later we would be married, twice and in Vegas.  This adventure opened up a whole new world that was only a short bus trip away from the city.  This was followed up by trips in 2004 and 2005.  Bright lights, the bars, and always, The Irish Pub; A.C. was the place to be for a quick getaway!  This would all change in 2007.

Read the full travel narrative at INeedAHoliday.com

David S. Grant is the author of BLOOD: The New Red.  Follow David on Twitter: .david_s_grant