Can you believe it’s already October?! The leaves are falling, and autumn is starting to show its colors. Summer flew by, especially with this whole COVID-19 situation lingering around for way too long! If you asked me back in March when I thought this whole thing would be over, I probably would have said July. Honestly, I was being hopeful because in the back of my mind I knew COVID wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Fast forward to September. My husband and I were eager to not let go of summer just yet. We decided to do a quick getaway to one of our favorite “stay-cation” locations: the beaches and casinos of Atlantic City, NJ. It was the perfect time to get away and celebrate our post-wedding anniversary weekend, as well as the last weekend of September; aka last weekend of “Summer at the Jersey Shore”. Due to COVID, many NJ shore locations and stores decided to extend their summer through the end of September. That means beaches, outdoor pools and certain retail stores would remain open.
We decided to stay at Ocean Casino Resort. One of our favorite spots. We enjoy going to AC as it’s only about a two hour drive from home, so a two day stay is practical and enough for a quick getaway. There is also plenty to do in AC this time of the year. It might be a bit chilly to tan at the beach, or at the pool, but you can take a nice stroll on the boardwalk, do some gambling (either at the casino you’re staying at or at any of the other casinos on the boardwalk), dine at any of the casual or upscale restaurants, get a relaxing spa treatment, or see a show (pre-COVID). Or, you can do all of those things! Quick tip: Try to make reservations for the restaurants because there are guidelines and capacity restrictions that have to be followed in NJ.
My husband and I are both Ocean Rewards Club members. Some of the comps that come with the membership are:
- Discounted or free hotel accommodations
- Free self-parking
- Discounts at certain participating locations throughout the casino/hotel
- Entry into sweepstakes
- Click here to check out more perks of becoming a member
Even though we don’t gamble much, we can still enjoy the rewards and offers. If you are planning on gambling at Ocean Casino Resort, I would recommend getting the rewards card to get the comps. Just make sure to read the exclusions, rules and details. Additionally, if you have a gambling problem, you probably shouldn’t get the rewards card. Instead, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Moving on, when we finally arrived at Ocean Casino Resort, we decided to walk around the property. The hotel/casino is beautiful and massive! The ocean views are great from pretty much every room. There is an indoor/outdoor pool that is open all year round. When you stay at this resort, it makes you feel as if you are somewhere far away from New Jersey.
My Day Outfit
Outfit Details:
During the day, I was wearing a cute navy blue floral “summery” dress from Amazon ($25.98). It’s affordable, super comfortable, true to size and has amazing reviews. Oh! And, it has pockets! I paired it with tan/gold flip-flops and a denim jacket. I chose a small blush Kate Spade cross body handbag ($148) to match the pink/blush flowers on the dress. Not exactly the same one I own, but I linked a very similar option. If that’s too pricey, I found a super cute and affordable blush convertible clutch/cross body bag from Amazon ($17.99) that would match wonderfully with this dress! The price is so affordable, and who doesn’t love two bags in one?! I just might have to buy one myself!
Time for Dinner:
After spending some time trying our luck on the casino floor, we headed back to our room so we can start getting ready for dinner. Our dinner reservations were for 6:00 pm at Dolce Mare. It is a modern Italian restaurant at Ocean Casino Resort. The views from the inside of the restaurant are spectacular! If you’re not feeling Italian for dinner, there are other upscale options at Ocean Casino Resort:
- Amada– Spanish ambiance with Mediterranean details
- American Cut– American Steakhouse
- You can always venture out and go to a different casino on the boardwalk if you don’t like any of these options. There are plenty, walking distance away!
My Dinner Outfit
Outfit Details:
For my dinner outfit, I wanted something comfortable, but at the same time classy, and a little bit sassy haha. I wore a seamless nude ribbed tank top . It’s one size fits most but is more on the tighter side. My high waisted cropped pants are from Express– they are on major sale right now! I also found similar ones from Amazon. The night was a bit chilly so I decided to wear a Burberry Cashmere Scarf ($590) over my shoulders. I love this scarf so much! It’s super versatile! You can wear it as a regular scarf around your neck, or as a shawl around your shoulders. If you want a more budget friendly option, I found a camel plaid scarf from Amazon ($14.98) that looks like a Burberry dupe.
Shoes & Accessories:
I tried on a few pairs of shoes to see what would match best with this outfit, and I decided to go with classic gold sandals ($105). I matched the sandals with a dark beige/gold YSL mini camera handbag ($1,150). It is super classy, and the perfect size seeing how it fits my small wallet, keys, phone, and a lipstick. To put the whole outfit together, I added a gold statement necklace, gold bracelet ($14.99) and a two-tone Movado watch ($550). The bracelet looks like a Cartier dupe! I also found a very affordable handbag ($19.99) and a Michael Kors watch ($155) from Amazon to substitute the YSL handbag and the Movado watch if you are looking for more budget-friendly options. Check out the differences between my outfit board and the budget-friendly outfit board I created. The handbag I found on Amazon is a total YSL camera bag dupe!
My Outfit Board: (Hover over and click on the images to directly shop my outfit)
Budget-Friendly Outfit Board:
(credits: all linked above)
My Husband’s Dinner Outfit
My husband wore a super classy black Burberry shirt ($390). The shirt is slim fit, so I would recommend sizing up for a more comfortable and true fit. To compliment the Burberry shirt, he wore True Religion jeans ($149) and black shoes. He paired his outfit with a classy yet stylish Movado watch ($995) and a Bulova bracelet ($199). He looked super handsome! And, appetizing 😉
Overall, we had a wonderful weekend getaway at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ! The dinner at Dolce Mare was amazing! For appetizer, we shared the “Fritto Misto” which includes calamari, shrimp, and vegetables. It was the perfect size appetizer for two, and so delicious! For my entree I had the “Tri Colore” salad, and my husband had the “Chicken Parmigiana”. We had a great experience at Dolce Mare, and I would recommend it for dinner if you are visiting AC.
Hope you enjoyed reading about our lifestyle experience. See you next time!
Questions for the readers:
Have you ever been to Atlantic City?
What are some of your favorite quick getaway “stay-cation” locations in your state?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
XoXo,
Mariola Magdalena
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*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase using a link. I only recommend products and brands I genuinely like! All my recommendations are based on my own experiences*
Can someone recommend Plus Size Stockings and Hosiery? Cheers xox