OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY -- LAST DAY

This is the last day of our vacation.  It has been such a super time.

Last night we went looking for a restaurant that was open because we got out there kind of late.  We found one on the boardwalk called Ocean Cafe.  We figured it was a sandwich shop but were we ever wrong.  It was a higher end Italian restaurant.  The service was excellent and the food was wonderful.  Joe had handmade gnochi with four cheese sauce.  I had a green salad with tuna salad on top.  And let me tell you, that was no canned tuna.  So good.  It was a great atmosphere and very romantic.  A nice end to the day.

Joe surprised me this morning by handing me a box and telling me it was a gift from him.  In it was a beautiful turquoise and sterling silver starfish necklace.  I love it.  I was wearing a turquoise top and it just fit perfectly.

Today we went back to Augie's for breakfast.  Then we loaded up the car and checked out.  We asked if we could leave the car in the parking lot for a few hours and the lady said we could stay there all day and even use their pool if we wanted to.  It's such a nice place.  It's pretty too.  The landscaping is beautiful.  I took some pictures from our balcony and some on the ground level.

We went up to the boardwalk and walked to Jilly's Arcade again.  

We played some more pinball and skee ball.  Then we went to the Christmas shop and I got some Christmas and birthday gifts.  So now I'm ahead of the game.

I know I took this picture last year, but I couldn't resist taking it again.  I guess this arcade place will open this weekend.  Everything down there is gearing up for that.

The water was much calmer today.

And there were lots of people on the beach.

We would have loved to join them, but just stayed on the boards.

We thought about getting lunch, but were both still full from breakfast.  So instead we stopped at the Fudge Kitchen and I got fudge and some other goodies for myself, Carole (who has been taking care of the house and the cat) and the people at work.

We walked back to the car and headed home.  

 Goodbye beach and ocean....

Goodbye seagulls....

Joe wasn't feeling all that great.  I drove home and it really wasn't that bad of a drive.  He took beautiful pictures of the bay and the Rainbow Islands as we crossed.

When we got home we started unpacking the car and Carole came over.  She didn't know we were back and was coming to take in the mail and feed Jenny.  So I was able to give her the fudge and a little stuffed tiger that Joe won today.

I went to the door to walk her to her car and we saw lots of black smoke.  There was a two-alarm fire a few blocks from us in a waste treatment plant.  The trash caught on fire.

So our vacation started with and ended with a fire.

We're back home eating take away Chinese food.  Vacation is fun, home is good.