Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 84: The Food Network Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival is this weekend

FOODIES! Get your butts to Atlantic City for the Food Network Food & Wine Festival, which started yesterday. Don't worry that you're late on this. You can still grab tickets to hang out with celebrity chefs and drink and eat to your heart's content.

Believe it or not, I've never been to the event. There's always been something the weekend of the event (this year, it's a memorial service and a christening). I mean, how could I deny this little guy?

Ryan, on the left, is the one being Christened. Drew, on the right, will be in attendance with his parents who are coming up from Baltimore. Who are these adorable creatures? My nephews - and Phillies fans - of course.

I'll be back down the shore next weekend. I was going to hop into the Captain Bill Gallagher 10 Mile Island Run in Sea Isle but I think we're going to be a little silly and do the No Shower Happy Hour at the Ocean Drive. Why not?

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 83: You CAN suffer from the heat down the shore

I was down the shore for part of that monster heat wave. Yes, some days it was cooler because of wind blowing off the 60-degree water. But when that breeze turned and passed over the land instead, the only cool place was to actually be in the ocean. It was the only place you could escape the greenhead flies, too (partially - I stood in the water and read my book but one of them STILL got me on the back).

Looks like we're getting another heat wave shortly, so please be careful if you're down the shore. Hydrate more than you usually do, and be careful if you plan to run or bike while you're there. My suggestion for runners: jump into the ocean after. It's no longer 60 degrees, but it's a wonderful cool down.

High Roller at the Tropicana

The second part of my birthday treat last week was a stayover at the Tropicana. I was lucky enough to be booked into one of the brand new Cielo Suites - so new that the tag was still on the ironing board.

Pretty swanky. Our room had a living room, two bathrooms, and two separate rooms with king sized beds. TV in the bathroom, huge walk in shower in one. I was heavenly.

The suites also have a 24 hour concierge service and butler service. I have to say: it was pretty cool to call my parents and tell them I was staying in a high roller suite.

Tropicana added 26 of these suites, and they're part of the recent $5 million in improvements to the property.

This is a step in the right direction. Most people who have told me they've stayed at the Trop did so because they were there on a bachelor/bachelorette party and tried to cram 8 people in the cheapest room the Trop offer. That has lead to a not great reputation (and the place did go bankrupt, so there were obviously problems).

But if they keep moving in the "Cielo" direction, I think the Trop has a good chance of wiping that away. It was packed for the entire time we were there - and we stopped in a few times on nights we weren't staying there, too.

Dinner was at the Knife & Fork, which I love more than I could possibly say. You've got to read the history if you haven't.

Old Atlantic City and new. Perfect way to spend my getting older day.

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 82: Avalon was once covered in juniper trees

That is a branch with berries from a juniper tree. These kinds of trees used to cover the island that is now known as Avalon.

I learned this while having diner at the Diving Horse last week - my favorite meal of the six fancy dinners I enjoyed while on vacation. The dude took notes and will be posting reviews on the blog in the near future. Until then, though, I wanted to share that juniper tidbit.

The reason I learned this is because we were served a dish that involved juniper. I don't have the dude's notes, or I would share. Until then, how about a picture from dinner?

This is their tomato and watermelon salad, served with feta, avocado, mint and cured olives. And that was just the start...

Vintage Atlantic City

Need an afternoon break? Ok. Take a look at these bathing beauties, photographed in Atlantic City in the late '40s or 'early 50s. Back then, you could go on the dunes.

Looks like they're having so much fun. I would have been, too!

Jersey Shore Fact of the Day 81: Lights on the GSP for one more year

Looks like we'll still be stopping at lights on the Garden State Parkway. The project that was to remove them in Cape May County has been pushed back to 2012.

According to the Press of AC, the issue isn't funding but a "wetlands mitigation plan."

Always thought it was funny that there were lights there, but I don't know if anyone anticipated how traffic heavy that end of the GSP would become.

Day-Cations at the Chelsea

Tuesday was my birthday (hooray! I'm older!) As such, the dude and I planned to sit on the beach all day, then have a fancy dinner at night.

In between, we tried out a Day-cation Package at the Chelsea in Atlantic City. As many times so I've stayed here, I never hit the spa.

The Day-Cation lets you experience the Sea Spa at the Chelsea even if you're not staying overnight. For $99, you get a $100 Sea Spa credit, $30 Teplitzkys dining credit, complimentary use of Chelsea pools and solarium, complimentary use of beach chairs/umbrellas (in season), and complimentary valet parking for one car.

I started with with a Blond Ambition classic massage, which ended up also being part medical treatment. The masseuse could tell based on the way that my muscles were twitching that I carry my stress in my shoulders, and that I'm low on potassium and should eat more bananas. She was also the first person to tell me how to breath through pain in a massage (I ask for hard massage because I know it'll release knots - this is not necessary on your experience, of course). My masseuse was Laura, and the dude's was Donna. They are both recommended.

Then the dude and I took full advantage of the rest of what the Day-Cation offers: he used the sauna, and we both hung out in the salt water jacuzzi. We sat outside at the non-jacuzzi salt water pool to have a drink and a snack (the pretzels are amazing, and they have pretty good happy hour drink deals) before relaxing back in the solarium until the spa closed. I have never felt so relaxed.

I didn't take my camera into the spa, so here are the fancy photo they provided (credit ©2009 Don Pearse Photographers, Inc.):

Fine print time: Deal is good Monday through Fridays, 9am to 5pm. Does not include room, taxes, gratuities and alcohol. Want one? Call 609-428-4554.