One type of place that Ann & I camp at are casinos. While neither of us are big gamblers, casinos often have RV parks or allow us to park overnight for free. They often have great food and drink specials. Plus, we are both avid people watchers, and casinos offer up plenty of interesting people to watch. On top of all of that, we sometimes actually win money!

Our first stop after leaving New Orleans was the Cypress Bayou Casino, an American Indian casino located near Baldwin, LA. This casino has a RV park that offer full hookups, paved sites, with many being pull through, and cable TV for only $10 a night. They do not have a shower house, pool or laundry facilities. In addition to the low price per night, the casino comps each of us $10 in free slot machine plays.

The “casino” is actually two casinos, Cypress Bayou and Shorty’s. They are in two different buildings with an enclosed walkway between them. I am not sure why they did it that way, probably for legal reasons. But if you go there, be sure you check out both (we didn’t know the second casino was there till our second visit). There is no hotel at this casino, although one is now being built about 1/2 mile away.

Their Mexican restaurant had great Happy Hour deals while we were there: $1 Margaritas and 1/2 priced appetizers. We definitely took advantage of those deals!

While we were heading home from Texas, we stayed the night in Shreveport, LA, just across the Texas border on I-20. Here we stayed the night in the Sam’s Town Casino’s parking lot. Right next door to Sam’s Town is the Eldorado Casino. Both of these casinos have hotels attached to them. When we signed up for player’s cards, Sam’s Town gave each of us $5 in free slot plays, while the Eldorado didn’t comp us anything.

The Eldorado is decorated nicely, although Ann will tell you that their huge central light fixture needed cleaning. I won $30 playing slots there so we treated ourselves to the Sam’s Town all you can eat buffet. They discount the buffet 50% for those of us who are over 50 years old, so the price was only $8.00 each. This turned out to be about what we thought the buffet was worth. The seafood was good (crab legs, fried shrimp), but the beef was over done and there was a lack of vegetable dishes. However, they had plenty of tasty deserts.

The next night we stayed in Vicksburg, MS at the Ameristar Casino’s RV Park. For $22.50 a night you get full hook ups, cable TV, a shower house, coin-op laundry facilities and a small swimming pool (unheated, so we didn’t try it out). We also received vouchers for a free breakfast buffet for both of us at the casino.

The Vicksburg casinos all used to be riverboats. However, the riverboats are all now sitting on dry land. The Ameristar has a hotel, however it is not attached to the casino. You have to ride a shuttle to go between them.

Up the street from the Ameristar is Diamond Jack’s. This is a bit of a hike, if you are walking, as you have to climb a large hill from the casinos to reach the main road. There is a fence between the two properties so you cant just walk along the river. It’s easiest if you go down the drive to the park that is between the Ameristar and Diamond Jacks.

Diamond Jacks gave each of us $10 in free slot play and they had a promo game going where Ann won another $5 in slot play and I won $5 in cash. Diamond Jacks has a hotel right next door to the casino.

This evening we didn’t win quite as much, so we went back to the trailer and made Cincinnati Chili.  Yum!

One thing we don’t like about casinos is the cigarette smoke. We have found that the later it gets in the evening, the heavier the smoke gets. If you go to the casinos in the morning or early afternoon, the smoke is not as bad.

As far as the gambling goes, we set a budget on how much we want to spend, then try not to go over that. And when we are significantly ahead, we quit (or at least try to .

Tuesday, Feb 16

It’s Mardi Gras Day! One last day to go crazy before we have to start behaving ourselves during the Lenten season.

Today we will see several daytime parades. We are sitting in a different location this time. We are in the viewing stands by historic Gallier Hall. Built in 1845, it served as the New Orleans City Hall for 100 years. The parades will be MCed by New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagen, who arrives by horseback.

Mayor Ray Nagen arrives on horseback

There are several walking groups preceding the first parade. One of the more interesting ones was a collection on “sheets”:

One of the pre-parade walking groups

The largest, and most famous, of the Mardi Gras Day walking parades is Jazz Clarinetist Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club. Originally named the Half-Assed Walking Club (Pete changed the name under pressure of the parade organizers), The group meets at 5AM for a liquid breakfast, then continue the drinking as the amble down the parade route. This is the group’s 50th year in the parade.

Pete Fountain and his Half-Fast Walking Club

The first parade is the Zulu’s, officially known as the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. The krew, formed in the early 1900′s, is predominantly African American. They dress up in grass skirts and put on black face. However, ther King, Queen and court wear gorgeous and elaborate costumes.

While the Zulu’s have a theme every year, thy do not use themed floats. They have several that they reuse every year, but for their other floats they use whatever is available to rent.

The Zulu throws can be unique. The prized throw to get is one of their hand painted coconuts. Other throws feature coconuts, shrunken heads and other Zulu-themed items.

A Zulu Parade float

Following the Zulu parade is the Rex Parade. This parade has wonderfull themed floats. The theme this year was “Fables of Fire and Flame”, and the floats did a great job of depicting that theme.

A theme float in the Rex Parade

Like Zulu and many of the other Krewes, Rex has a Royal Court consisting of King Rex, a Captain (who is the head of the krewe), Lieutenants (who ride on horseback in the parade), an other “royalty”.

King Rex greets his loyal subjects

The Rex parade throws aren’t as nice as many Zulu or Muse. There were a few generic “Rex” themed beads, but we think last year’s parade had better throws.

Last, and certainly not least, is the “Truck Parade”. This is a parade where any group can decorate a flat bed semi tractor trailer truck and have it in tghe parade. Most of the floats were put together by various neighborhood groups or civic associations. There were over 100 of them!

The participants on the floats threw out all sorts of throws. Some of them you can tell were collected at other parades.

One of the floats in the Truck Parade

After a long day filled with parades, we boarded the busses to head back to the campground. Just when the busses were ready to leave, we got stuck waiting for a LONG line of empty floats being driven back to the Mardi Gras World warehouse. So, you can say we got to see the parades twice!

As always, photos from these parades can be seen in our Photo Gallery.