Atlantic City, New Jersey

It's hot and humid this weekend in New York so a trip to breezy Atlantic City proved to be a manna from heaven. I was invited to a friend's birthday celebration whose partner has a time share at Wyndham Resorts so what better way to escape the muggy Big Apple than in this city that breathes like Las Vegas, its bigger counterpart in the west coast.

Atlantic City is barely 3 hours away by car from Manhattan. It's proximity has thus made some New Yorkers addicted to the allure of casino gambling. Whatever your calling, be it slot machines, poker, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, it's all available in the many hotels here. All you need is that hard-earned money and much needed luck.

But it's not all about casino in Atlantic City. While Las Vegas boasts impressive shows, Atlantic City in the summer has loads of sun, sand and sea. Everyone who can't make it to South Beach in Miami find themselves contented lazing under the sun or battling the surf.

Meanwhile, shoppers and strollers parade down the Boardwalk - a stretch of several miles past shops, resorts and amusement piers. It's a long long walk but then, if one's arse has been sitting for hours in a casino, that's certainly a good exercise, isn't it?

Buses like Greyhound and Megabus ply the route between New York and Atlantic City everyday. Fares start at $25.