My Atlantic City boardwalk bike tour on a summer Sunday morning

A bike ride on a boardwalk on any summer morning is about as "summer is Jersey" as you can get.

I have great memories of riding the boardwalk in Wildwood with my dad and siblings on our yearly summer weeklong vacations as a kid. Every shore town that has a boardwalk has it's own flavor and flair. But, there is nothing like the Atlantic City boardwalk for a bike ride on any summer morning.

Where else can you see twin girls practicing their tap dance routine as mom coaches and her friend takes the video? I started at the AC/Ventnor border at the south end of town, where there are no businesses or casinos, and made my way north.

You start to see the Atlantic City we're all used to when you hit the first casino at the Tropicana.

As you keep heading north, you'll pass any number of tram cars filled with people who had a rough night the day before. Then you'll hear blaring music from one of the casinos and ride past some of the restaurants serving breakfast. As you approach Ceasar's Casino and the Ocean One shopping pier, things get more intense.

Next Resorts Hotel and Casino is on your left and you can't miss the legendary Steel Pier with it's huge observation wheel looming over the pier and boardwalk. Right across from the pier is the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as you are now in what is called North Beach section of AC.

Once you pass the Ocean Resort in all it's magnificence, things start to quiet down. You almost don't realize what town you're in.

There's a large marker to indicate where to turn to check out the Absecon Lighthouse, which is about a block in from the beach and boardwalk.

As the beach ends, the boardwalk continues along the Absecon Inlet with it's jetties, perfect for fishing on one side and majestic homes on the other. Your bike ride ends at a guarded inlet beach with calmer surf and a perfect view of Brigantine across the inlet.

If you've never ridden a bicycle on a Jersey boardwalk on a sunny summer morning, you ain't experienced one of the great joys of living in New Jersey.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.