New Jersey, Parenting, Road Trips

New Jersey Road Trip Fail! (But with a Delicious Plot Twist)

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Our East Coast adventure from my side of the steering wheel.

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Not all family road trips turn out the way you hope they will. Sometimes they blow your expectations out of the water, and sometimes they turn into a flat-out test of survival. As for our recent New Jersey road trip down to Atlantic City? Let’s just say it was a massive disappointment—but we survived to tell the tale. #survivingadventures

With summer winding down, my wife and I wanted to get one last family getaway on the calendar. Her mom and brothers were coming up for Labor Day weekend, so I put in some leave to hang out with them and carve out a few days of dedicated family time for just the four of us.

We decided to head down to New Jersey to hit the beach, check out the local sights, and—the part I was most hyped for—charter a boat to go fishing on the bay. We started planning about three weeks out. The weather forecast looked perfect, promising a rain-free Sunday, which was the only day our chosen charter boat near the hotel had an opening.

Friday: The Road Trip Begins (And the Drone Takes Flight)

Today was finally the day! To make the drive more interesting, I skipped the usual route toward Philadelphia and took an alternate path past New York City. We took our time, exploring on our way to the hotel, checking out the local architecture, and just enjoying the drive.

But when we pulled up to the hotel, my excitement took a hit.

Even three weeks ago, beachside hotel prices were sky-high. My wife had managed to find a place right on the bay that looked clean and promising online. To make things sweeter, she had requested a bay-facing room. They normally charge extra for the view, but they gave it to us for free. Score, right?

Wrong. The online pictures were a masterclass in creative photography. The room we actually got was incredibly rundown. Sure, the beds were made, and there were two of them as promised, but the place had definitely seen better days.

Deciding not to let a dingy room ruin our mood, we headed outside to soak up whatever sunshine we could find—especially since the weather forecast was starting to look a lot less cooperative for the rest of the weekend. (When we booked the Sunday fishing charter, they warned us it was a “rain or shine” deal, cancelable only in the event of extreme winds or dangerous weather).

New Jersey Road Trip — David is in the zone 🙂

We had fun!

Despite the gloomy forecast, we had an absolute blast on the beach that afternoon.

Lillian was in her element, running around the bay finding “treasures.” I finally got to unbox and fly my new drone, which was awesome. My wife was enjoying the peace of helping Lily hunt for hermit crabs, and Gabe was happily splashing in the water. We even met a local family using a net to catch small baitfish for their own fishing trip the next day. The kids loved helping them collect the catch and drop them into their bucket.

Even though we were starving and hadn’t eaten lunch, none of us wanted to leave. But by 7:00 PM, our stomachs decided it was time to pack it in and find dinner.

David focused and in the zone during the New Jersey road trip

Dinner on the Boardwalk (Or: The Rainforest Cafe Trap)

We drove about four miles down the road to the boardwalk for dinner. I managed to find parking right by Caesars Palace and the Rain Café for $8 for a few hours. But the vibe felt a bit off—during the last mile of the drive, we saw at least half a dozen police cruisers patrolling. While I was parking, another one slowly rolled past us. It definitely put me on high alert.

Atlantic City hotel room on the New Jersey road trip September 2018 — Where we wound up eating dinner 🙁

Souza sushi bar

Our first stop was the Souza Sushi Bar because Gabe and Lily are absolute California roll fanatics. It was located on the third floor of a shopping center right by the beach. My wife wasn’t really craving sushi, so we made a deal: the kids and I would grab a quick snack there, and then we’d walk down the boardwalk to find a main dinner spot.

That plan backfired. By 8:00 PM on a Friday, almost everything on the boardwalk was closed! With options dwindling, we headed back toward the Rain Café we’d passed earlier.

The Rain Café. MEH

Atlantic City boardwalk at night during New Jersey family road trip

Parents with small children, consider this a warning.

The second you walk through the doors, you are bombarded by a massive souvenir and toy store. And if you aren’t a fan of loud noises and animatronics, steer clear. Right at the entrance, there’s a giant tree with a moving face and eyes that startled the kids (and, honestly, my wife too). The entire restaurant is filled with fake trees, robotic butterflies, elephants, and monkeys.

Night scene along the Atlantic City waterfront New Jersey

The worst part? The background noise and music were so incredibly loud that we had to shout just to hear each other across the table. Add in slow service, and we were losing patience fast.

Atlantic City at night during family road trip to New Jersey

Here is what we ordered:

Me: Nachos
Gabe: Kids’ pizza and mac n’ cheese
Lily: Chicken nuggets
My Wife: An “almost” jambalaya

The restaurant was less than half full, yet it took a staggering 50 minutes for our food to arrive. When it finally did, Lily needed ketchup. I tried to flag down a passing waiter, but he looked right at me and completely ignored us. Our actual waiter was nowhere to be found. Safe to say, this is a “one-and-done” spot for us. We are never going back.

Saturday: The Rainy Seafood Festival

Saturday morning brought dark, sweeping skies and howling winds. The Weather Channel confirmed my worst fears: rain for the rest of the weekend and straight into next week. Joy.

But kids will be kids. Gabe looked outside and immediately said, “Mom, come on, let’s go play in the sand!”

New Jersey

We managed to grab some breakfast and spend a quick 30 minutes on the beach before the weather forced us back inside. My wife flipped through a local events magazine and saw that an Atlantic City Seafood Festival was happening that weekend. Desperate for a rainy-day plan, we bought tickets online via Eventbrite for $10 each (plus fees), thinking the lines would be massive and we’d save time.

Before heading over, we made a crucial detour to Bass Pro Shops to buy some Frogg Toggs rain gear. Best decision of the trip.

When we got to the festival, parking was another $10, and we had to walk a solid distance in the freezing drizzle. The ironic part? The “advanced ticket” line was actually twice as long and moved much more slowly than the cash-only ticket booth at the gate. Plus, those buying at the gate didn’t have to pay the Eventbrite processing fees!

The festival itself was decent, but it would have been a million times better if the weather had cooperated. Right by the entrance, they had chainsaw carving competitors. It was seriously impressive watching these guys carve incredibly lifelike bears out of solid logs using chainsaws. I was slacking on my photographer duties and didn’t get any pictures because by that point, I was just cold and hungry.

We made a tactical error and turned right instead of left at the entrance. Most of the food vendors we wanted to try only took cash. I had brought some cash, but I was saving it for highway tolls because I assumed everyone took cards nowadays. Lesson learned: never assume.

The kids weren’t thrilled about the seafood options, but they did agree to share some seared shrimp kabobs with us, which were actually pretty good. My wife and I also sampled some seared tuna and lobster bisque.

We eventually stopped at a taco stand for some fish and chicken tacos. Just as we ordered, the sky completely opened up. We scrambled into a nearby tent to eat, but the tacos were a total disaster. They had drenched everything in a bizarre, sickly-sweet red sauce. I tilted my taco and watched a stream of red syrup pour out. It was honestly terrible.

By 2:00 PM, wet and thoroughly defeated, we called it a day. While Gabe and I retreated to the hotel room to dry off, my wife and Lily braved the low tide to see what treasures they could find on the beach.

Sunday: The Heartbreak, the NYC Trap, and the Savior Bacon

Sunday morning. I woke up early, holding onto a sliver of hope for our fishing trip. But one look out the window crushed it. The sky was black, the wind was whipping, and the rain was coming down sideways.

Sure enough, my phone rang. It was Captain Robert. He was incredibly nice but honest: the water was too rough, we wouldn’t have any fun, and we wouldn’t catch a single thing. He left the final call to us.

As badly as I wanted to get out on the water, I knew he was right. I reluctantly called it off. No fishing.

Stuck with a completely ruined Sunday, we made a wild, spur-of-the-moment decision: let’s drive to New York City. It was about an hour and forty-five minutes away, but we needed a change of scenery. Before leaving AC, we hit up a local Asian market so my wife could stock up on some hard-to-find ingredients and road-trip snacks.

The 5-Minute New York Disaster

Family enjoying the New Jersey road trip September 2018

Despite the snacks in the car, I had one goal in mind: I wanted real New York pizza.

I also wanted to stop by B&H Photo Video in the city to check out some gear, and I knew there was a pizzeria nearby. Because we were winging it, we didn’t realize our route would take us straight into the Lincoln Tunnel, which cost us $15 in cash! Thank God my wife had some cash left in her purse.

As soon as we popped out of the tunnel into the chaotic city streets, my wife called B&H just to double-check their hours. Despite their website claiming they were open on Sundays, a pre-recorded message informed us they were closed for the holiday.

I was incredibly frustrated. And then, to rub salt in the wound, as I was frantically navigating the crazy traffic trying to find a place to park and grab pizza, I took a wrong turn… and ended up right back in the Lincoln Tunnel heading straight back to New Jersey.

Another $15 down the drain. Five minutes in New York, $30 in tolls, and absolutely nothing to show for it.

Child looking disappointed representing the letdown of the Atlantic City hotel — Real picture of David

Finding The Turning Point

Tired, hungry, and stressed out, we tried to find a backup pizza place on the New Jersey side. We found one quickly, but parking was a nightmare. We ended up paying a flat $30 weekend fee to park in a garage by the docks overlooking the NYC skyline.

To make matters worse, it was freezing, raining, and Gabe desperately needed a bathroom. When we finally walked up to the pizzeria, we discovered they only had outdoor seating with minimal shelter, and—crucially—no public restroom.

We turned right back around. My wife ended up walking into a nearby apartment complex and pleading with the receptionist, who reluctantly let Gabe use their private restroom.

At this point, we were at rock bottom. The trip felt like an epic, unmitigated failure.

And then, we stumbled upon a restaurant called The Turning Point.

Looking back, the name couldn’t have been more perfect. The second we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm, cozy, and incredibly welcoming. The menu looked amazing, and for the first time all weekend, we felt relaxed.

Gabe immediately ordered the Volcano French Toast, Lily got a grilled cheese, my wife ordered the “Wilbur Skillet,” and I opted for a classic Eggs Benedict. But the star of the show was an appetizer we just had to try: the Bacon Lollipops.

Family photo from the New Jersey road trip Labor Day weekend 2018 — Their expressions say it all. 🙂

If you’ve never had a Bacon Lollipop, you are missing out. It’s a dehydrated apple wrapped in smoked bacon, dusted with cinnamon, skewered on sticks, and served out of a whole apple on a plate, drizzled with caramel and cinnamon. It sounds wild, but it was absolutely incredible.

The rest of the food was just as amazing, and the service was light-years ahead of the Rain Café. Our waitress was fast, friendly, and efficient—our entire order arrived in under 20 minutes, and the bill came out to a very reasonable $50. That single meal completely saved our spirits and gave us the silver lining we desperately needed.

What I Learned From Our NJ Fail

Every failed trip is a learning experience. Here is my checklist for the next time we hit the road:

Don’t cheap out on the hotel location: Booking a $150/night rundown place on the bay in AC wasn’t worth the savings compared to the safer, nicer $300 beachside spots. The heavy police presence made the area feel pretty sketchy.
Know when to walk out: We should have trusted our gut at the Rain Café. The moment the noise level and atmosphere became irritating, we should have turned around and left.
Always keep cash on hand: Never assume vendors at outdoor festivals or local toll booths take cards. Be prepared for anything.
Double-check the details: Before making a major detour (like driving to NYC), call the venue or double-check their holiday hours. Don’t rely solely on a quick Google search.
Have a navigation co-pilot in the city: Missing one turn in NYC can cost you $15 and a one-way ticket back through a tunnel. Plan your exits ahead of time!

At the end of the day, road trips are about the adventure itself. The destination is just the icing on the cake. Sometimes, even the best plans fall apart—you just have to be flexible, wing it, and look for your own “Turning Point.” Mistakes made and what we learned.