Not Las Vegas, but Tunica MS
Sunday: There were four of us on this trip -- my sister Debbie, brother-in-law Eric, mother and me. We drove the 5 ½ hours to Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, Mississippi. We ate sandwiches on the way so that we could start gambling as soon as we got to the casino. In the mid-afternoon we were able to check in at the Golden Moon casino. Mom and I got the big suite, which I’ve had once before. It has a separate bedroom, living room and dining room, and a large bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub. It also has a separate smaller bathroom. There was a television in both the living room and the bedroom. We had two queen beds. There was a separate private elevator that went to the suite. Nice, but not necessary for me since I’m not in the room much. Mom did enjoy the Jacuzzi though. Debbie and Eric got a mini-suite which was also nice. We all met for an early dinner at the Golden Moon buffet. I love playing at the Golden Moon. They have a great selection of slots and I did well on them Sunday night and actually left a few hundred ahead.
Monday: After having coffee and pastries at the Whiskey Bean (Golden Moon), we drove to Tunica. It took about 3 ½ hours. I’ve been there once before but it was the first time for the others. My mother loved the openness of the area and the acres of cotton fields. Mom and I had reservations at the Horseshoe. Debbie and Eric were staying at the Gold Strike. We looked around the Horseshoe, played for a little while, then checked in. We got a very nice mini-suite. There was a little sitting area with a sofa and chair. The furniture looked brand new. The bathroom had a large tub. The bed was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever had in a casino. Debbie and Eric got their room at the Gold Strike, then we headed over to the Grand. I used my Total Rewards comps for a late lunch at the buffet. We played there a few hours, then went back to our hotels. Mom and I checked out the Diamond Lounge at Horseshoe later that night. We ate some of the snacks they had plus we each had a scrumptious strawberry daiquiri. It is a nice lounge and the service was great. Debbie called me from the Sheraton and said they had lots of different games over there, so Mom and I went over and joined them. We all loved playing slots at the Sheraton and would spend lots of time here. Sorry we didn’t get to meet Whimsy as she had already left by the time we arrived.
Tuesday: We got up early and headed to Memphis to visit Graceland. It was a quick and easy trip from the Casinos. We wanted to get there early because we knew there were special events this week due to the anniversary of Elvis’ death. There was a candlelight vigil planned for that night, and there were already people camped out in front of Graceland early in the morning. The tour of the mansion was great. It was so interesting to see the rooms where Elvis spent a lot of time. We all had a fun time at Graceland then went back to Tunica. We decided to check out the Hollywood Casino and have lunch there since we had 2 for 1 buffet coupons. We spent the afternoon at Hollywood and Resorts casinos. Randy (from the Tunica board "Dale3x8") called and we decided to meet later back at the Horseshoe. We went back to the Horseshoe and the place was packed. We found out that there was lots of mailers sent out for free money so everyone in Tunica and Memphis were there to collect. Randy and Rita decided to go elsewhere for dinner because of the crowds. We decided to stay and eat at the Horseshoe buffet. The Diamond card does come in handy occasionally because we didn’t have to wait in the long buffet line. The Horseshoe buffet was delicious. They had the best fried shrimp I’ve ever had at a buffet. We all loved the buffet. Because of the crowds, we headed back over to the Grand afterwards to play for a few hours. When we got back, the crowds had thinned at the Horseshoe, but we went back to the Sheraton. We really liked a slot called Big Ben, which I’ve played in Las Vegas. It has two bonus games, one with free spins, the other one is clock chimes. If the clock chimes 12 times, you get the jackpot, which starts at $50 and goes up until somebody wins. We all played this machine several times during our stay and had a blast.
Wednesday: We had the breakfast buffet at the Gold Strike, then drove over to Fitzgerald’s. We signed up for their slot card, gave them our email addresses and got free mouse pads and $5 free slot play. Mom and I had fun playing the penny Beverly Hillbillies slot machines. Then we went to Sam’s Town and played there for a while. I love the look of Sam’s Town. We got free 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke there. I love freebies! Went back to the Sheraton afterwards, where we were finally able to get on the two Big Ben machines. All four of us were taking turns on the machines and having a blast. The strawberry daiquiris helped! One of the jackpots was well over a hundred and one of us just had to win it. Mom played for a few hours, then I played it. Debbie and Eric played the other machine. Whenever one of us got the Chime Bonus, we would all count the chimes out loud, hoping to get to 12. We were having a great time. During this time, Randy called and said he was also at the Sheraton, so he and Rita came over to where we were playing the Big Ben machines. They are a very nice couple from Georgia who were celebrating their 29th anniversary in Tunica. I love meeting people from the message boards. We chatted for a few minutes then they went to eat dinner. I hope to see them again one day, maybe in Biloxi. I skipped dinner that night because I didn’t want to leave the Big Ben machine. I did finally win the jackpot that night. It was about $170. I went back to the Horseshoe and lost. I did accumulate enough points on my Total Rewards card to retain the Diamond level for next year.
Thursday: We checked out of the Horseshoe and Mom and I walked next door to the Gold Strike to wait for Debbie and Eric. We hit the road and went back to Pearl River for another night’s stay at the Golden Moon casino. Since we didn’t eat breakfast, we needed to eat, so we used our comps at the Villa Restaurant at the Silver Star. I found a hot Tiki Torch machine at Silver Star that I sat at for a few hours, trying to win back what I lost in Tunica. I did cash out about $600 from this machine, then took that money over to Golden Moon and lost half of it, trying out new penny slots.
Friday: Our day to go home. After another comped breakfast at the Whiskey Bean (cappuccino and croissants), we headed for home. By the way, it is very easy to get comps at Silver Star and Golden Moon. I think they are always very generous in the comp area. My other sister called and said that the Grand in Biloxi had opened up the night before and that perhaps we should stop there. Well, we didn’t have to discuss this too much. We decided to make a stop in Biloxi. So much for taking home any money! The parking garage at the Grand was packed, but we finally found a parking spot. The casino was crowded but I liked it. The cocktail service was great and I was asked several times if I wanted anything. They have lots of the newer video slots. I played a $1 Top Dollar machine for a while, but ended up losing. I also enjoyed playing a Lil Lucy machine. The buffet was open, but we didn’t eat there. I will go back to the Grand after things have settled down a bit. We had to stop for a little shopping at the World Marketplace in Mobile, but we finally made it back to Florida that evening!
We all had a wonderful time, but didn’t have any big wins. We loved Graceland. I hope to make a Tunica trip once a year. Our rooms and most of our food was comped, so our only expenses were gas, tips and gambling. All in all, it was a very inexpensive vacation. Next trip will be the Beau Rivage in Biloxi in September. I also have a trip to Las Vegas in December the week before Christmas. Thanks for reading
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08-25-2006, 01:27 AM
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