Wilmington to Atlantic City

This morning I drove East to Atlantic City New Jersey. The Mid-Atlantic states are so intertwined that it is practically impossible to drive from one to the other without passing through yet another state. I this case, I had to go through Pennsylvania to get from Delaware to New Jersey. I also - as in Virginia and Delaware - had to pay tolls by dropping change into little baskets. Fortunately I still keep change in the car, even though most meters can be paid by app these days. I also learned that New Jersey is only one of two states - the other being Oregon - where you are not allowed to pump your own gas.

I had been warned that Atlantic City was not the best choice of a place to stay. That warning turns out to be correct. Mostly it is just sad. There are some old decrepit casinos and a boardwalk, just all a bit run down. This is another state - like West Virginia - that I really did not know at all. And I did insufficient research, relying mostly on name recognition. Fortunately, it turns out that several natural areas are within striking distance of Atlantic City, so it is just a hotel to act as a base for a few days.

This afternoon I drove the 20 minutes to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge . I had no idea this was even in the area until a local mentioned it to me. It it a superb NWR with an eight mile wildlife drive and many walking trails. I was only able to give it a couple of hours this afternoon, but I plan to return before I leave the area.

Tomorrow I plan to drive down to Cape May.