Ocean City, NJ (USA)

My customer needed to travel to the Tech Center in Atlantic City today, so I got authorization to accompany him. We've been doing teleconferences for several weeks with the folks up there - my FAA client, Jim S., thought I should meet them and get a better idea of operations there. When I say "Atlantic City," I'm sure you immediately think about the Boardwalk and casinos. But I really mean the airport and Tech Center facility (a part of town called Egg Harbor). I had to wake up at 0430 to drive there - made it out of Alexandria by 0515 - very little traffic (a little rain, though) all the way through Baltimore (used I-95). I stopped to pay tolls at the Fort McHenry Tunnel (0610), JFK Memorial Highway (0640) and Delaware Turnpike (0700) - I was able to make it to I-295 and cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge about two hours after I left the house (not bad). Jim was waiting just over the Bridge - at a Cracker Barrel - and had just arrived about 10 minutes before me (from his home in north-central Maryland). We had a "working breakfast" before driving the rest of the way to the Tech Center (via Wiley Road and US-40). We had our first meeting at the NJ National Guard Base on the west side of the Atlantic City airport (0845). Sharon was coordinating the teleconference, and it went all day long (with a break for lunch from Wawa) and, when 1700 rolled around, it was time to go to our hotel. When Jim (who was leading the way) started to pull onto the Atlantic City Expressway, I realized I didn't have change. The toll booth (unmanned) required exact change - but we worked that out (fortunately, Jim had some). We then turned onto the Garden State Parkway (southbound) and drove to our hotel in Somers Point. Had a similar problem with a toll booth there (1730), but it was manned (found out later it is only manned during the day time - otherwise, exact change!). It was a pretty little town - right on the marsh along Great Egg Harbor Bay. After I'd checked into my room at the Residence Inn, I found out I had several urgent emails and phone messages. Spent the next hour trying to solve problems back at the office (funny - they couldn't get this done when I'm in town for 45 straight days...). Met up with Jim (late) and we drove back towards the city to have dinner with Sharon at Carabbas. Spent a few hours there and then went back to the hotel. Jim drove me over the bay to Ocean City (New Jersey) - it was a nice place (no alcohol, I'm told) with a boardwalk and beaches. The images from there were probably similar to Atlantic City in the early 1900s (could be a nice family vacation spot). Back in my room at 2200. More work for the office back in DC (grrrr....). Bed very late.