After school wrapped up in June, my wife Sue and I began scouting locations for our summer vacation. We established three key criteria to follow in the choosing of our destination. It needed to offer quick access to a combination of fun as well as relaxing activities; be a top-ranked, well-established resort facility in a beautiful location; and be situated inside a 3-hour drive from our northern New Jersey abode.
Ocean Place in Long Branch, NJ looked like a good candidate. It's right on the beach, and it's a reasonable one hour drive from our home. Activity-wise, however, it doesn't offer much: while it looks to be a fine place to stay or to hold a company meeting, the various off-premises attractions listed on the Ocean Place web site require lots of driving to get to, and we were looking for more on-premises alternatives and less long trek-dependent options. Ocean Place also does not offer much in the way of local scenery: there's the beach and boardwalk behind the resort, and, well, that's about it.
Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ also seemed interesting. It's in a beautiful country setting and the facilities looked great, with lots of activities to choose from. The main problem was that most of the offerings - particularly the ones outdoors - were similar to what we had already experienced the summer before at Smugglers Notch in Vermont. We were trying to find something unique and new, and Crystal Springs didn't have enough of either to keep us or our youngsters engaged. Plus, we were looking for a destination close to the beach.
I then found information about Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, NJ. The property had great reviews, and it seemed to be a preferred destination for vacationers and golfers. Seaview was founded in 1914 by Philadelphia industrialist Clarence H. Geist as a lush country escape for the upper crust. Its facilities, which include 297 guest rooms and 39,500 sq. feet of modern conference center and special event space, sit on 670 wooded acres, and are only 8 miles from Atlantic City attractions. Along with being home to 2 of New Jersey's oldest and most celebrated 18-hole golf courses, Seaview also offers a 22-acre driving range, a fitness center, a game room, tennis and volleyball courts, basketball courts, a running trail, two pools (indoor and outdoor), and a satellite of a historic local art gallery, Noyes Museum, which features exhibits by area artists.
The more we learned about Seaview, the more appealing it was - so we created a plan. We would use Seaview as a strategic base of operations from which we would make daily (and possibly several daily) jaunts to things to do in Atlantic City. This would give us the best of 2 worlds: the thrill of A.C.'s dynamic entertainment options and the chill of Seaview's relaxing locale. (As much as possible, we intended to use the many physical activities available at Seaview as a way for Sue and I to grab some exercise and also to keep the kids moving.)
After a very direct sub-two and a half hour car ride, we pulled into a graceful, curved driveway that led on to the entrance of Seaview's main building. The structure was originally built in 1915, and its stately exterior and original early 20 th century ambiance are still intact. Beautifully manicured lawns, a stylish dining terrace, and colorful foliage surround the building - along with a sleek 9-hole practice green and a mini-golf area for children. Inside, the lobby is wide and immaculate with classic decor and plush furniture, and it's a great place to sip, talk, or unwind.
We had two adjoining rooms in the main building, and they were just right. Each had a comfortable living room-type area, desk, and mammoth flat-screen TV. A chic dressing alcove with a sink, magnifying mirror, hair dryer, and enormous closet/storage space led straight to a magnificent, marble-floored bathroom with a separate tub and stand-alone multi-head shower stall. The beds looked cosy and turned out to be outstanding: they gave every one of us the deepest, most relaxing vacation sleeps that we ever had.
The service at Seaview was superb, specifically from the engineering department and housekeeping. When we had a question about the way to operate our air conditioning system and also to report a stuck door, a technician was up at our room and solving the problem within a few short minutes. Requests to housekeeping for additional pillows, plastic laundry bags, and other items were also delivered fast. The team at the reception desk was also really organized, pleasant, and eager to resolve any issue/question/quandary that we had.
An especially noteworthy aspect of the Seaview experience was the food: it wasn't just appetizing, it was truly remarkable. Seaview's chefs grow many of the herbs that they use in their delectable creations, and much of the kitchen's produce, meat, and fish are gotten from local growers/producers. The wholesome freshness shined through at all of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, with everything that we ordered looking and tasting delicious.
The many activities available to us at Seaview didn't disappoint: my 15 year-old son Eddie and 11 year-old daughter Lee spent many hours playing billiards in the game room and burning up energy in the two pristine swimming pools; Eddie and I both got some runs in on a gorgeous and serene nature trail, which gracefully weaved through and around the Pines Golf Course; I worked up a sweat in the clean and well equipped fitness room; and Eddie and I divvied up a couple of ball buckets on the driving range (we're both sub-novices, so while our swinging prowess was really pitiful, we had a blast).
Speaking of the links, Seaview happens to be a popular and highly regarded golf resort: its courses were faves of Presidents Warren G. Harding and Dwight Eisenhower, and have been graced by such greats as Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, who earned his first major there at the 1942 PGA Championship. We saw golfers aplenty during our stay, including guys who were taking breaks from company confabs at Seaview's conference center as well as families from around the country whose youngsters were competing in the 2013 U.S. Kids Golf Open (hosted by Seaview). Along with their legacy course choices, Seaview also offers complete golfing lessons and family golf packages.
We had an eclectic slew of activities slated in Atlantic City, and given how close and convenient it was to get there, we ended up heading over each day during our trip. The drive to A.C. was around 12 minutes from Seaview, and parking near the boardwalk cost $5 for the entire day at any of the casino lots. Access to the wide, clean beaches was FREE, and there were shower facilities along the boardwalk to wash off salty skin and sandy feet.
Our itinerary through our week at Seaview included stops at a variety of family-oriented Atlantic City attractions, including:
The Steel Pier, America's oldest boardwalk amusement center (SteelPier.com) - First opened to the public in 1898, the historic Steel Pier should be the 1st stop on any visit to Atlantic City. Packed with arcade games, indulgent samplings of classic boardwalk delicacies, and rides with appeal to visitors ranging from toddlers to adults (including helicopter tours and the insane Slingshot thrill ride), Steel Pier offers families an ideal taste of the classic A.C. boardwalk experience.
James Candy Company factory tour, a mouth-watering look at the production process behind one of America's premier family-owned candy manufacturers (JamesCandy.com) - For 5 generations, the brands of James Candy Company - which include Bayard's Chocolate, Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy and James Candy - have been pleasing sweets lovers of all ages across the U.S. and around the world. James Candy's offerings are crafted by experienced artisans, a number of whom have been with James Candy for many years (the factory employs over 200 workers from the Atlantic City area). Many of the company's original (and yummy) chocolate, taffy, fudge, and macaroon recipes that were invented at the start of the 20th century continue to be used, as are a number of the machines that are part of the production processes. Levi Fox, an adjunct professor at Stockton College and Rutgers University, leads the James Candy factory tours in the summer, and manages to combine bonbons of history (American and regional), science, cooking, geography, business, and industry into his enjoyable and engaging presentation. The tour delights the brain and thrills the senses: the scents on all four floors of the factory are mesmerizing, and the tastes are amazing (there are samples aplenty during and following the tour). Eddie, Lee, and I were blown away by this unforgettable experience, and the sugar rush afterwards was way cool.
Ripley's Atlantic City Odditorium, a museum featuring amazing relics from the journeys of world explorer Robert Ripley, along with a wide collection of strange, shocking, and amusing "oddities" (Ripleys.com/AtlanticCity) - The Ripley's Odditorium is pure, straight-up fun. It includes weird artifacts that Ripley collected in his early 20th century adventures, multimedia presentations of unusual phenomena, brain teasers/quizzes, optical illusions, eerie exhibits, and a whole lot of surprises. The displays offer lots of history and interesting facts for both adults and children, and all of us had a great time taking it all in. Expect plenty of conversations and questions to spring from this entertaining and unpredictable tour.
Atlantic City Aquarium, a small yet glorious collection of marine life displays and noteworthy interactive exhibits (ACAquarium.com) - Located in the historic Gardner's Basin district - a maritime park that offers concerts, artisan crafts and antiques, a farmer's market, fishing charter boats and themed cruises, and rustic eateries - the modern and colorful A.C. Aquarium lets families get a close-up look at exotic aquatic creatures and local nautical history. The little ones will be wowed when a diver gets in a 25,000 gallon "Fish of the Mid-Atlantic" tank to feed black drums, sea bass, cownose rays, smooth dogfish sharks, a loggerhead sea turtle, and more - and everybody will like the 900 gallon touch tank of baby stingrays, which enjoy getting petted and actually pop their heads out of the water to say hello!
Blue Man Group, a multi-media stage show featuring music, comedy, and and dazzling technology (BlueMan.com) at Caesars Hotel & Casino - Sue and I had seen Blue Man Group's original show in New York in the early 90s, and it was fantastic. The most recent version of their performance mixes slapstick, crazy gross outs, boisterous percussion, rock n' roll energy, social commentary, and cutting edge technical effects - all rolled into a celebratory party vibe. The other wordly Blue Men take the crowd on a joyous trip that's ideal for both adults and kids. Unsuspecting audience members are selected by the Blue Men throughout the show to be part of their onstage shenanigans, and if you're lucky enough to become a victim - I mean, participant - you should definitely leap at the opportunity to join the fun.
So what were the takeaways from our week long jaunt to Seaview and Atlantic City?
1. Atlantic City offers a varied choice of fun, unique, and reasonable family-friendly activities and attractions. We could have stayed in the area for another whole week and still not gotten to many additional A.C. experiences that we'd have enjoyed.
2. Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club is an outstanding escape for families (or couples) looking for a fall getaway, spring break, or summer vacation, with plenty of activities to please those seeking activity or relaxation.
3. Seaview is an ideal home base for area visitors who want to enjoy all of the pizzazz that A.C. has to offer, but also need a break from the city's high energy vibe.
To express our collective satisfaction with our Seaview/Atlantic City spree using gratuitous casino lingo, the trip wasn't exactly a blind bet - thanks to the wild card of many positive online reviews, we knew that our roll of the dice would yield some mega payouts. What we did not realize was how much of a winning streak we would be on: our top shelf Seaview experience made us feel just like true high rollers, and our daily visits to the action of "America's Favorite Playground" delivered a royal flush of memories, excitement, and fun.
Ocean Place in Long Branch, NJ looked like a good candidate. It's right on the beach, and it's a reasonable one hour drive from our home. Activity-wise, however, it doesn't offer much: while it looks to be a fine place to stay or to hold a company meeting, the various off-premises attractions listed on the Ocean Place web site require lots of driving to get to, and we were looking for more on-premises alternatives and less long trek-dependent options. Ocean Place also does not offer much in the way of local scenery: there's the beach and boardwalk behind the resort, and, well, that's about it.
Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ also seemed interesting. It's in a beautiful country setting and the facilities looked great, with lots of activities to choose from. The main problem was that most of the offerings - particularly the ones outdoors - were similar to what we had already experienced the summer before at Smugglers Notch in Vermont. We were trying to find something unique and new, and Crystal Springs didn't have enough of either to keep us or our youngsters engaged. Plus, we were looking for a destination close to the beach.
I then found information about Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, NJ. The property had great reviews, and it seemed to be a preferred destination for vacationers and golfers. Seaview was founded in 1914 by Philadelphia industrialist Clarence H. Geist as a lush country escape for the upper crust. Its facilities, which include 297 guest rooms and 39,500 sq. feet of modern conference center and special event space, sit on 670 wooded acres, and are only 8 miles from Atlantic City attractions. Along with being home to 2 of New Jersey's oldest and most celebrated 18-hole golf courses, Seaview also offers a 22-acre driving range, a fitness center, a game room, tennis and volleyball courts, basketball courts, a running trail, two pools (indoor and outdoor), and a satellite of a historic local art gallery, Noyes Museum, which features exhibits by area artists.
The more we learned about Seaview, the more appealing it was - so we created a plan. We would use Seaview as a strategic base of operations from which we would make daily (and possibly several daily) jaunts to things to do in Atlantic City. This would give us the best of 2 worlds: the thrill of A.C.'s dynamic entertainment options and the chill of Seaview's relaxing locale. (As much as possible, we intended to use the many physical activities available at Seaview as a way for Sue and I to grab some exercise and also to keep the kids moving.)
After a very direct sub-two and a half hour car ride, we pulled into a graceful, curved driveway that led on to the entrance of Seaview's main building. The structure was originally built in 1915, and its stately exterior and original early 20 th century ambiance are still intact. Beautifully manicured lawns, a stylish dining terrace, and colorful foliage surround the building - along with a sleek 9-hole practice green and a mini-golf area for children. Inside, the lobby is wide and immaculate with classic decor and plush furniture, and it's a great place to sip, talk, or unwind.
We had two adjoining rooms in the main building, and they were just right. Each had a comfortable living room-type area, desk, and mammoth flat-screen TV. A chic dressing alcove with a sink, magnifying mirror, hair dryer, and enormous closet/storage space led straight to a magnificent, marble-floored bathroom with a separate tub and stand-alone multi-head shower stall. The beds looked cosy and turned out to be outstanding: they gave every one of us the deepest, most relaxing vacation sleeps that we ever had.
The service at Seaview was superb, specifically from the engineering department and housekeeping. When we had a question about the way to operate our air conditioning system and also to report a stuck door, a technician was up at our room and solving the problem within a few short minutes. Requests to housekeeping for additional pillows, plastic laundry bags, and other items were also delivered fast. The team at the reception desk was also really organized, pleasant, and eager to resolve any issue/question/quandary that we had.
An especially noteworthy aspect of the Seaview experience was the food: it wasn't just appetizing, it was truly remarkable. Seaview's chefs grow many of the herbs that they use in their delectable creations, and much of the kitchen's produce, meat, and fish are gotten from local growers/producers. The wholesome freshness shined through at all of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, with everything that we ordered looking and tasting delicious.
The many activities available to us at Seaview didn't disappoint: my 15 year-old son Eddie and 11 year-old daughter Lee spent many hours playing billiards in the game room and burning up energy in the two pristine swimming pools; Eddie and I both got some runs in on a gorgeous and serene nature trail, which gracefully weaved through and around the Pines Golf Course; I worked up a sweat in the clean and well equipped fitness room; and Eddie and I divvied up a couple of ball buckets on the driving range (we're both sub-novices, so while our swinging prowess was really pitiful, we had a blast).
Speaking of the links, Seaview happens to be a popular and highly regarded golf resort: its courses were faves of Presidents Warren G. Harding and Dwight Eisenhower, and have been graced by such greats as Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, who earned his first major there at the 1942 PGA Championship. We saw golfers aplenty during our stay, including guys who were taking breaks from company confabs at Seaview's conference center as well as families from around the country whose youngsters were competing in the 2013 U.S. Kids Golf Open (hosted by Seaview). Along with their legacy course choices, Seaview also offers complete golfing lessons and family golf packages.
We had an eclectic slew of activities slated in Atlantic City, and given how close and convenient it was to get there, we ended up heading over each day during our trip. The drive to A.C. was around 12 minutes from Seaview, and parking near the boardwalk cost $5 for the entire day at any of the casino lots. Access to the wide, clean beaches was FREE, and there were shower facilities along the boardwalk to wash off salty skin and sandy feet.
Our itinerary through our week at Seaview included stops at a variety of family-oriented Atlantic City attractions, including:
The Steel Pier, America's oldest boardwalk amusement center (SteelPier.com) - First opened to the public in 1898, the historic Steel Pier should be the 1st stop on any visit to Atlantic City. Packed with arcade games, indulgent samplings of classic boardwalk delicacies, and rides with appeal to visitors ranging from toddlers to adults (including helicopter tours and the insane Slingshot thrill ride), Steel Pier offers families an ideal taste of the classic A.C. boardwalk experience.
James Candy Company factory tour, a mouth-watering look at the production process behind one of America's premier family-owned candy manufacturers (JamesCandy.com) - For 5 generations, the brands of James Candy Company - which include Bayard's Chocolate, Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy and James Candy - have been pleasing sweets lovers of all ages across the U.S. and around the world. James Candy's offerings are crafted by experienced artisans, a number of whom have been with James Candy for many years (the factory employs over 200 workers from the Atlantic City area). Many of the company's original (and yummy) chocolate, taffy, fudge, and macaroon recipes that were invented at the start of the 20th century continue to be used, as are a number of the machines that are part of the production processes. Levi Fox, an adjunct professor at Stockton College and Rutgers University, leads the James Candy factory tours in the summer, and manages to combine bonbons of history (American and regional), science, cooking, geography, business, and industry into his enjoyable and engaging presentation. The tour delights the brain and thrills the senses: the scents on all four floors of the factory are mesmerizing, and the tastes are amazing (there are samples aplenty during and following the tour). Eddie, Lee, and I were blown away by this unforgettable experience, and the sugar rush afterwards was way cool.
Ripley's Atlantic City Odditorium, a museum featuring amazing relics from the journeys of world explorer Robert Ripley, along with a wide collection of strange, shocking, and amusing "oddities" (Ripleys.com/AtlanticCity) - The Ripley's Odditorium is pure, straight-up fun. It includes weird artifacts that Ripley collected in his early 20th century adventures, multimedia presentations of unusual phenomena, brain teasers/quizzes, optical illusions, eerie exhibits, and a whole lot of surprises. The displays offer lots of history and interesting facts for both adults and children, and all of us had a great time taking it all in. Expect plenty of conversations and questions to spring from this entertaining and unpredictable tour.
Atlantic City Aquarium, a small yet glorious collection of marine life displays and noteworthy interactive exhibits (ACAquarium.com) - Located in the historic Gardner's Basin district - a maritime park that offers concerts, artisan crafts and antiques, a farmer's market, fishing charter boats and themed cruises, and rustic eateries - the modern and colorful A.C. Aquarium lets families get a close-up look at exotic aquatic creatures and local nautical history. The little ones will be wowed when a diver gets in a 25,000 gallon "Fish of the Mid-Atlantic" tank to feed black drums, sea bass, cownose rays, smooth dogfish sharks, a loggerhead sea turtle, and more - and everybody will like the 900 gallon touch tank of baby stingrays, which enjoy getting petted and actually pop their heads out of the water to say hello!
Blue Man Group, a multi-media stage show featuring music, comedy, and and dazzling technology (BlueMan.com) at Caesars Hotel & Casino - Sue and I had seen Blue Man Group's original show in New York in the early 90s, and it was fantastic. The most recent version of their performance mixes slapstick, crazy gross outs, boisterous percussion, rock n' roll energy, social commentary, and cutting edge technical effects - all rolled into a celebratory party vibe. The other wordly Blue Men take the crowd on a joyous trip that's ideal for both adults and kids. Unsuspecting audience members are selected by the Blue Men throughout the show to be part of their onstage shenanigans, and if you're lucky enough to become a victim - I mean, participant - you should definitely leap at the opportunity to join the fun.
So what were the takeaways from our week long jaunt to Seaview and Atlantic City?
1. Atlantic City offers a varied choice of fun, unique, and reasonable family-friendly activities and attractions. We could have stayed in the area for another whole week and still not gotten to many additional A.C. experiences that we'd have enjoyed.
2. Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club is an outstanding escape for families (or couples) looking for a fall getaway, spring break, or summer vacation, with plenty of activities to please those seeking activity or relaxation.
3. Seaview is an ideal home base for area visitors who want to enjoy all of the pizzazz that A.C. has to offer, but also need a break from the city's high energy vibe.
To express our collective satisfaction with our Seaview/Atlantic City spree using gratuitous casino lingo, the trip wasn't exactly a blind bet - thanks to the wild card of many positive online reviews, we knew that our roll of the dice would yield some mega payouts. What we did not realize was how much of a winning streak we would be on: our top shelf Seaview experience made us feel just like true high rollers, and our daily visits to the action of "America's Favorite Playground" delivered a royal flush of memories, excitement, and fun.
About the Author:
Barry Zeger is a travel writer who, along with his family, spent a week at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.
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