But things have certainly come a long way at the Jersey Shore, attracting those who seek a world-class vacation - and are willing to pay for it.

And while some vacationers may be planning a New Jersey beach vacation as a cheaper alternative to Europe, Disney World, or an Alaskan cruise this summer, there are those looking no further than the closest coastline to satisfy their costliest cravings.

If the sky really is the limit for your bank account, consider the $14,000-a-week Ocean City beachfront condo, the $1,465-a-night hotel room in Cape May. Or, if you're in a shopping mode, the $85,000 suede coat for sale in an Atlantic City boutique.

"I think that what has happened is that people seeking a world-class travel experience are realizing that, very close to home, they can enjoy a unique vacation while at the same time demanding high thread-count sheets and a good wine list," said Bob Krist, a National Geographic photographer and author of an evocative coffee-table book called Down the Shore. "And the market has responded."

Krist said that while he was traveling the world shooting beach photographs for international publications, he came to the conclusion that Jersey's beaches stack up well against some of the world's best.

And now they have the amenities to match.

"There is a trend these days that people prefer to vacation closer to home. Families have made their own Cape May traditions and treat our properties as their home away from home," said Eric Greenberg, a spokesman for Cape Resorts Group, which brought a new level of hotel service to Cape May when it refurbished Congress Hall and the nearby Sandpiper Beach Club and two other upscale Cape May hotels.

"The home away from home concept is really a mind-set we have adopted at our properties," Greenberg said. "Every day, we prepare as if company is coming over. We believe it is the little things that make that connection."

At historic Congress Hall, guests can recapture old-time Cape May with a stay in the beach-vintage decorated Annie Knight Suite, a two-bedroom, two-floor abode. The suite offers three bathrooms, a kitchen, a large flat-panel television and a huge oceanfront deck. In the summer, the suite runs $1,465 a night with a four-night minimum if a Saturday night is included.

At the Sandpiper Beach Club, guests enjoy a more modern experience and an equally impressive list of amenities in two-bedroom suites. The rooms include deluxe mattresses, all-cotton Belgian linens, and two flat-screen TVs. The 51 rooms at the beach club go for about $760 a night on summer weekends.

Things have been changing at the Shore over the last 20 years, as a year-around population explosion and increased investment in Atlantic City's casino industry spurred a transformation of the demographic.

The bus and buffet crowd still frequent the casinos, but a more urbane - and richer - set have joined them, seeking stays at casino hotels such as the Borgata or Harrah's Atlantic City. Both Marina District hotels offer amenities such as over-the-top indoor pool areas and luxurious spas for guests who book into hotel rooms costing about $450 a night. Suites cost as much as $4,000 a night at the hotels.

And while the talk may be about the big savings in the outlet stores, on the boardwalk at the Pier Shops at Caesars things are decidedly more pricey.

In the hushed Louis Vuitton salon, you can't pick up a purse for under $700. Over at Tiffany's, mere bagatelles such as $200 Class of '08 silver charms are sold out of the same vaunted jewelry cases as $135,000 gold and diamond watches. Burberry's has $1,000 summer dresses and $5,000 trench coats, depending on the Shore weather you're dressing for. At the Dennis Basso Boutique, there are $120,000 fur coats and funky $85,000 suede Peter Max-style jackets off the rack.

Dinner for two at Buddakan, one of the pier's more upscale dining establishments, could easily set you back around $300 - and on a summer night, there's usually a 40-minute wait to get in.

But it isn't just Atlantic City and Cape May that have gone tres expensive.

In Ocean City - traditionally a moderately priced, conservative family-oriented vacation spot - there are some beachfront condos in an area known as the Gold Coast around 23d Street that are renting for as much as $14,000 a week.

And they are already fully booked for the season, according to Bill Godfrey, a rental agent with Marr Realty in Ocean City.

"It's all about the view here," Godfrey said. "And with that view, if they can pay for it, they want the high-end amenities they have at home like granite countertops, crown molding, nice beds, flat-screen TVs, and high-speed Internet. If they have the money, they don't want to rough it anymore."