By Paulette Dininny
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

This month, we’re heading to Atlantic City and the “shore” for glitz and glam.

If casinos call your name or you’re keen to see  famous entertainers, Atlantic City is right up your alley. And the shore has more to offer when you’re ready for relaxation.

Wild for wildlife
Start your trip a little ways inland in Oceanville at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, perfect for seeing and photographing herons, geese, swans, ducks, rails, terns, and other birds on the Atlantic Flyway. Don’t miss the Noyes Museum of Art on the edge of the refuge. This little gem’s tranquil setting is enough to lure you back once you’ve visited its fine collection of 19th and 20th century American art, regional folk art, and stunning collection of vintage bird decoys.

Another treat is Smithville  and Village Greene, just north of Atlantic City. Once the site of Revolutionary War privateers’ storehouses and an early stagecoach stop, the area is a  collection of buildings relocated from around New Jersey that contains shops, restaurants, B&Bs, and the inviting Smithville Inn. For little ones, there’s a train ride and a small lake for paddling around or just watching ducks and geese.

Glitz, glam, and fun for grandkids
Then head on down to Atlantic City, where you might be surprised by all that this famous playground has to offer.

When you’re not taking your chances in the casinos, step out for a gull’s eye view of the city—from the top of the Ferris wheel on the Steel Pier, from a beautiful suite at Trump Plaza, from the top of the Absecon Lighthouse, or from Lucy the  Margate Elephant (grandkids will get a kick out of climbing up the hind leg of the world’s largest zoomorphic wooden sculpture to her observatory, where they can peek out of her eye).