There’s a pretty good chance that if I hadn’t moved to Arkansas, I would have never heard or visited Tunica, Miss. But I did move to the Natural State (obviously) and I make the journey to the casino-abounding city at least once a year. In fact, I went there over President’s Day weekend with my husband and in-laws. It’s the latter who usually inspire the journey, especially my FIL – he is an expert on the craps table. He told us he would pick up the hotel tab if we drove them down there for my MIL’s birthday. Free room? Sign us up!
It actually turned out to be perfect timing, as Parish and I needed a little break from the norm and spring was starting to peek her head around the wintry corner. They drove to our apartment, and after a hearty breakfast at Denny’s, we headed east. Beforehand, we decided to stop in Memphis before checking in at Harrah’s. I’m always up for a visit to Memphis – I enjoy sipping something cold and people watching on Beale St.
The weather was absolutely lovely – one side of the street was sunny, while the other provided shade. A chef in a side street pizza shop said the weekend was one of the nicest they’ve had all year. I found a bartender who had no problem making me a cool drink – a refreshing Hurricane.
As we walked out of the local haunt, an impromptu Corvette car show was unfolding. About 25 beauties lined Beale St. causing people to come out of shops and various other locations to view the show. Camera phones were pulled out of pockets, people posed next to their favorite cars and I was overwhelmed with a whole new wave of people to be targets of my gawking.
Parish was finally able to peel me away from the action and we settled back in the car and went to Tunica. About a week before we left, I went online to book rooms and found most of the casino/hotels sold out. Well, at least the ones we were familiar with and wanted to stay in. Harrah’s was the only one with rooms and a moderate price. The only problem with Harrah’s is that you have to take a shuttle to get to the casino and major restaurants. I don’t mind it that much – but (usually) when you try to leave late at night, the line can be ridiculously long.
Thankfully, I’m not much of a gambler, so I didn’t mind not being close to the slots and poker tables. I work hard for my money and watching it disappear inside a glowing machine is heart breaking. Instead, I opt for video blackjack. There’s no pressure, which allows me to play at my pace for an hour or two. This is my version of gambling: put $5 in the machine and play until it runs out. Seriously – that is what I did at Harrah’s and I played on it for almost two hours.
When we walked out of casino around 10 p.m., the line was very long, so we decided to walk back to the hotel. Midway through, the walk turned into a run and then a race. It was one of the highlights of the weekend. When we stopped running, I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe – the run didn’t help my efforts.
Tunica is a great town, whether you decide to take a dance with Lady Luck or run like a crazy person back to your hotel – it’s all acceptable behavior.