VP North East Spring Road Trip

[FloridaPhil]

In late April we are planning our next VP road trip.  We like to combine sightseeing with VP on these trips.  We stay overnight at casinos when possible.  Here's our plan so far. The plan is to leave Florida and drive to Cherokee NC and stay at Harrah's.  From there we are looking for some place in West Virginia half way between Cherokee and Cleveland.   In Cleveland we will check out Jacks Casino and anything else noteworthy.  From Cleveland we will drive to Niagara NY and stay at Seneca Niagara.  From Niagara we will drive to Connecticut and stay at the Mohegan Sun, visit with Olds442jetaway and check out Foxwoods.  From there it's down to Atlantic City and then home.If anyone has any input or suggestions for our trip, we would appreciate it.  Good VP odds are important, but not all that matters.  The experience of travel and entertainment is what we are interested in.

[Carcounter]

Not familiar with Jacks casino in Cleveland, so can't comment on games there, however have visited Cleveland on several occasions since my son-in -laws family lives there. Contrary to some of the negative things said about Cleveland, I have found it to be an interesting and much nicer city than it's reputation. In late April, go see an Indians game if they are home. Beautiful ballpark, reasonable tickets, reminds me of Oriole Park in Baltimore. Check out the Museums and Botanical Garden complex over on the east side. Great art Museum, and beautiful Gardens-should be nice in late April. Don't think there is a hotel at the casino, but the downtown Marriott in the Key Bank building is terrific, we've stayed there several times. Also check out the West Side Market in Ohio City- off I-90 at 25th St. Exit. Lots of food merchants, Great Lakes Brewery etc. As far as AC goes, I think Borgata is far and away the best casino in town. The Hard Rock may be open by then and you may have some comps there from your play in Florida. The happy hour at the Chart House in the Golden Nugget is great. Food and drinks are good and a great view of the Marina and skyline. If you want to see some other things, Cape May is 45 minutes away and is worth it. Beautiful Victorian homes, beach, good restaurants. Also historic Smithville, maybe 15-30 minutes.Wish my wife would do a casino road trip, but no chance.

[FloridaPhil]

Thanks for the tips.  We have never been to Cleveland and have heard good things about it recently.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is on our list.  We would like to stop by the Pocono Mountain area on our way.   We honeymooned there years ago.    I think there are some casinos in that area too.We enjoy combining VP with travel.  Sitting in front of a slot machine all day gets pretty boring, so we break it up.   Staying in casino resorts is wonderful.  The rates during the week are using reasonable and you get a free room on occasion.  A lot of wives that say they don't like gambling, don't like doing it all the time.   My wife doesn't want to live in a casino.   She likes doing other things as well.   By combining the two, we both get what we want.  If you are going to stay married for long, you have to be flexible.

[Carcounter]

My wife will not even set foot in a casino. We have been to Las Vegas on many occasions and to AC as well. She can't stand the smoke, and what she thinks are nasty, rude and mostly old people. I guess that includes me.

[FloridaPhil]

Gambling has a reputation for "seediness".  Some people think it's a bunch of degenerates sitting in smoky rooms betting away their life savings.   In the past some of this may have been deserved.   Today's casinos are video game rooms for adults.   More and more we are finding large non smoking areas.  Some states are now smoke free.   Most casinos we visit are large enough to get away from the smoke.   Losing a lot of money is also a negative of gambling.  There are ways to enjoy casino gambling without taking huge risks.  All it takes is to rid your mind of the idea you are going to a casino to strike it rich.    If you think about going to a casino just like you would bowling or golf, you won't be temped to take the bait.

[Carcounter]

I have a comfortable non-smoking area in the Borgata that has the VP games I play, so I have no problem.

[FloridaPhil]

The Borgata is definitely on our list of places to play.  I see it's an M Life casino.  Maybe we'll see you there?

[Carcounter]

Sure, When you post your arrival date, I'll come down. About 1 hr and 10 minutes from my oofice.

[onemoretry]

Seneca Niagara does not have extremely good video poker at the 25c level. However, they do have the 7/5 bonus poker which you have been playing in Florida. And, they do have a 25c 7/5 bonus poker progressive.

If you are willing to go up to the 50c or $1 level, you can play 8/5 bonus poker, single line , triple line, or five line.

Also available at $1 is single line airport deuces, 9/6 double double bonus, and full pay (99.95%) pick 'em.

They do have a non smoking area, but none of the better video poker is located there. The ventilation is pretty good in the rest of the casino, and I have never been bothered too much by smokers there.

We don't go there nearly as often as we once did, but if your visit there happens to coincide with one of ours, I would be happy to show you around the place.

[olds442jetaway]

Hi Phil. Looking forward to your visit. There are tons of neat things to see and experience in Ct a short distance from the casinos. Mystic Seaport is one. There is a huge new Tanger outlet mall at Foxwoods. Mohegan has some new shops as well there. Mohegan has a new non smoking hotel. I stay there often because my favorite coffee bagel and pastry shop is right downstairs. The rooms are nice in the new hotel. The only drawback for some is the vanity area in the bathroom is small. There is a walk in shower, but no tub. Both don't bother me at all. If I'm there when you are and I probably will be, you won't have to worry about food as I get 2 free buffet vouchers every day or 3 breakfasts. The quality of the buffet is very good. Make sure to visit Bean and Vine Coffee shop in the new hotel area. It is in the Earth Tower. I also have unlimited access to the lounges. Food quality can vary there but many times it is excellent. The main one is open 24 hours. At a later date if you like, I can direct you to the 99 percent games in the smoke free areas or other areas if you like. My sister who lives in Sonoma is also coming to visit in April with her son. We can figure out the details as the dates get closer and we have our numbers etc. If I know in advance which days especially during the week you are coming, I can get the room comped too. Its easy up there. I just register in my name and I can add as many names as I like which gives you access at the concierge desk to get spare room key cards. Checking in is very user friendly. It is nice to play at Mohegan very early in the morning or very late at night when you have the place to yourself. My largest jackpots have always been during those hours. More later.