RB,
Enjoyed your TR. The pictures add so much. I noticed you started with what appears to be the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. As I am a Hampton, VA native, I am curious as to where your trip began?
I have made the same trip to AC a couple of times after visits to VA. I always enjoy the ferry ride.
Back in my youth, we used to take the ferry from Norfolk to the Eastern Shore. It was a 2 hour ride and we would have breakfast in the restaurant on the ferry. This would save about 90 miles of driving on a trip to New York City. However, it didn't save you any time.
The ferry from Lewes to Cape May has become so expensive that I took the longer drive to Atlantic City on my last trip from VA. The cost of gas was less than the ferry fare.
Ned in NYC