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My family thinks I am crazy for flying back to Beavercreek, Ohio from Florida to do a casino run with my sisters to Tunica. Only my gambling friends and forum friends will understand the reasoning behind my actions "The Thrill of the Gamble."

So this crazy lady and her little sister (Teresa...age 56) spent Saturday night, June 21 acting like school girls on an overnight slumber party. We painted nails, ate, laughed and finally went to bed at 1 a.m. knowing we had to get up at 3:30 a.m. Tee had stayed overnight at my Beavercreek condo so my other sister Pat didn't have to make a long drive Sunday morning picking up little sis who lives out of town.

After very little sleep, big sis Pat picked us up at 4:45 a.m. We do like an early start...especially with a 10 ½ hour drive ahead of us. BIL Mark came along and Tee's husband Gary and Mike wished Mark (BIL) the best of luck with all us women and told him he had their sympathy.

The following is my trip report of Tunica, MS after not being there for six years:

ROOMS:

Stayed two nights at Harrahs Grand and two nights at Gold Strike;

Harrahs gave me two comped nights which surprised me but I didn't argue. Grand was always my favorite and I was excited to see the changes. We booked the Terrace, our favorite, and the room was wonderful. New beds, bedspreads, carpet, etc. The beds were as good as the Tampa Hard Rock. We hated giving up those beds to move to Gold Strike. We had the view of the casino and my little sister loved seeing the Grand lite up at night. She shared the room with me and we had connecting rooms with Pat and Mark.

The lobby looked the same at Harrahs (Grand) and I'm glad they didn't change it;

The shuttle was no problem...ran every 5 mins., and we met some really nice people while riding to the casino or back.

Little sis loved the gift shop at the Terrace and thought the whole place was great. This was her first trip to Tunica. She doesn't gamble but came with us so the sisters could be together.

Gold Strike also gave me two comped nights. I believe it was from my play at Beau Rivage. Thank you MGM. Nice check in, room on the 22^nd floor with a great view of the Mississippi, Horseshoe and Sheridan. Beds not as nice....a little too soft but had a newly remodeled room (which we asked for) and it was the chocolate room. I rode down in the elevator with the designer of the rooms that was staying at Gold Strike on business. She said there is four colors and you can actually ask for your favorite color. All the carpet is the same, chocolate cut berber. There is orange, blue, brown & burgundy accented rooms.

FOOD:

Harrahs: The food was great everywhere we ate. The first night was at Replays. I had enough comp dollars for my Teresa and myself to eat. She had the cheeseburger basket and I had the Philly Cheese Steak. So good.

Next morning we ate at Paula Deans Buffet. I loved it and thought it was very good. My sister Pat and BIL Mark thought it was average. We all like the layout of the eating rooms and the neat touches like pretty salt & pepper shakers and dollies under your plate. They have seating in the porch area and seating in the formal dinning room. Coffee was very good and so was the cheesy grits and biscuits. Love the rockers on the front porch. Good place to people watch.

Dinner that night was at Paula Deans. Had to try the dinner there also. Little sis and I loved it and Pat & Mark thought it was just okay. Everything I had I liked except the "Butter Cake"...just a little too much sugar. The "Mac & Cheese" is to die for. Overall, we all liked the buffet. Both sisters ended up buying stuff in the gift shop.

Gold Strike: Breakfast the 3^rd day, after checking out of the Grand, was at the Atrium. I have never ate there. This was my first time. The menu is great. So many selections and the food we all had was wonderful. I would recommend their food to everyone. The bad part was they were not busy, only 3 other tables, and it took us 45 minutes to get our food. Then the hassle began. The waitress wouldn't write separate tickets and said the cashier would straighten it out. Well, the cashier does but she had to void at least 3 times from ringing things wrong. We, the four of us, was with the cashier for ½ hour. Even the manager came over and she was no help. She told us the reason for one ticket was because the chef prefers the table orders to stay together. He gets confused if there are several tickets for one table. HELLO!!!!! Why do you need one ticket to cook four different orders. Doesn't make sense. Next time, one of us pays the whole thing and we divide up later.

Teresa and I ate breakfast again at the Atrium our last day....thinking it would be different. It wasn't.

Sams Town: Ate at the Dinner Buffet the 3^rd night of our trip. Expecting the same wonderful food. Was a little disappointed especially with the barbeque. Just too done...almost crispy. Just hit a bad night.

City Burger at GS: Last night, we are not that hungry and ate hamburgers. They were good but service bad.

GAMBLING:

Didn't do bad at Grand. Cannot begin to tell all the machines I played. Couldn't get on the new ones but had lots of fun on a dollar machine by the steak house. It was called "Quick (something). No big bucks but enough to keep me going for a few hours. I love the grand, the layout....all the machines and especially the new Sphere Bar. Wow, I didn't expect anything that nice. It has so much atmosphere. Nice soft couches and dark pillows with gold threats. Very lush and expensive looking. The chandelier is out of sight. I was trying to get a picture and was busted. Made me put the camera away. I like it because it seems so private. Mostly sheltered from the playing floor. You feel like you are in a VIP room. Fun playing VP at this bar. I had no big wins.

My best play was at Sams Town. I really like Sams...I usually have good luck there. Again no big wins but enough to keep me going. I played by the big cashier area on a $1.00 Tabasco and cashed out $100.00. Played a "Big Times Pay", 2-coin, in the same area and did well on that...about $80.00 with a $20.00 in. Played a Blazing 7's Special Scatter ($.25 cent) and it was nice to me...also in the general area.

My sister Pat hit on a .02 cent machine (I think it was either .01 or .02 or .05....can't remember. Anyway, don't remember the name but she hit for $300.00. It's right at the bottom on the steps at back of the casino. We were up at our favorite bar, went to the bathroom up there (not upstairs...where you take the escalator) and as you come down the back steps by the bathroom, it sits right at the bottom....end machine. It was very friendly. I tried to get back on it the two hours we were there and couldn't get on.

We went to Hollywood. Still a favorite. Didn't win but had fun.

Gold Strike. Had great time, played everything but didn't bring anything home. Also visited Horseshoe and Sheridan.

We had a great trip. Drove 12 hours getting home in a blinding rain storm. Would go back again and definitely stay at the Grand (Harrahs) and possible Sams.

Pat hit a Royal at the small bar, close to the lobby, for a little over $1,000. Another person hit five minutes later at the same bar. The bartender said it was very unusual that two people hit that close together. Pat also won $300 on a $.50 cent machine at Horseshoe. Overall she was the big winner. She came home with $1,900.00. Me....$100. Tee....lots of shopping stuff (she don't gamble).

Teresa loved our gambling trip. I think she played $25.00 a day and couldn't understand how we could throw good money away like we did. We told her not to look.

Mary