Travel Blog

The best online casino bonus is the potential Freeplay that online casinos can provide to their customers, either as an incentive to join their online games or to reward customers who have played a great deal. Online gamblers should really think of free play as free money. They can use this money to possible win some of their money back, however in practice at most casinos, online or the real thing, this seldom happens. Online Casinos are limited to what they can offer their customers due to the very fact that they are online and not a brick and mortar type of casino. The best online casino bonus cannot compare to what the real casinos can offer.

Customers can be rewarded with meals, free rooms, free entertainment even free travel or rounds of golf depending on how much you play and how much money you spend. The online casinos have a difficult time with these kinds of offers unless they are affiliated with a live casino. Sometimes you can be offered some of the free items we mentioned as long as you continue to play online and frequent the gambling tables online.

Compare Casino Bonus – Best Online Casino Bonus

If you enjoy gambling and like the free things that come with gambling compare winnings and benefits. Compare what you can earn or be rewarded with at all casinos, not just the online ones. In actual fact, your free things are part of your winnings. You do have to eat and sleep somewhere. Most people also take vacations as well, so why not have the casinos pay for it if you are going to spend the money anyway.

Avoid Traps to Spend More Money

The biggest trap is being enticed to spend more money than what you can afford. To some extent free play awards are doing just that. They are enticing you to continue playing. They are enticing you to use you own money once you run out of free play. The classic, I have a hot machine, in most cases does not last. Many people find that their free play and their cash dry up quickly. That is why the writer likes combo’s of free play and other free things. Such as free rooms and meals which are tangible and have value in our opinion.

Good luck with the best online casino bonus awards.

The Aquarius Casino and Hotel in Laughlin Nevada is probably the best hotel in the city to stay at. There are two towers with the casino in the middle. Families and parties stay in the tower on the north side. Couples looking for a quieter room usually stay in the south tower. Both hotel towers and their elevators are located just off the casino floor.

Duet has opened in the last year, it is a coffee shop similar to Starbucks with higher prices because it is attached to the hotel. There’s also a subway and a McDonald’s if you’re looking for something inexpensive. There is also a coffee shop with a full à la cart menu, and the buffet that serves fantastic food at reasonable prices. There is an outback restaurant and also another restaurant called the vineyard which we have not tried. For your money, we suggest eating at the buffet where you can enjoy two alcoholic drinks along with your meal.

Aquarius Casino – Seafood Night

On Friday nights they have king crab legs, and on Saturday night it is a seafood buffet. If you like seafood this is the place to go to and they have the best crab legs that we’ve had in many places.

For those people looking for free Wi-Fi Internet access, enjoy your coffee at the duet and connect to the Wi-Fi for free at this location. If you want to use the Wi-Fi in your room, it’s going to cost you at least $10 a day.

The Aquarius Casino Hotel is located along the Colorado River. There is a walkway that allows you to walk from one end of the casino strip to the other. You can go in and out of all of the casinos and access them by this walkway that runs along the Colorado River past all the hotels with the exception of Harrahs .

You can also catch a water taxi across the river to the other side in Bullhead or down the river to any of the hotels. There are daily jet boat rides along the river to points south and you can also rent Sea-Doo’s to cruise the river. This is a very fast flowing river and the water is quite cold so be sure to wear life jackets and wetsuits for protection if you’re going to go on any of the Sea do’s or if you plan to go swimming. In fact we recommend that you do not go swimming in the Colorado River.

For more details about casino bonuses, click here.

As of April, 2014 Treasure Island on the strip is being updated with a new entertainment area. It is replacing the pirate ship that used to provide entertainment every hour on the hour.

There’s a lot of construction around the hotel. It is constantly being updated. They want to provide better service and cater to Las Vegas tourists staying at the hotel. There’s also a local Starbucks right at the corner at the entrance on the strip to the treasure Island hotel. The tram continues to run between the hotel treasure Island, and the Mirage Hotel which is part of the MGM group. Reader should note that Treasure Island is no longer a part of the MGM group of hotels.

Treasure Island – Dark Casino

Personally, we find the casino very dark with dark brown carpets and dark furnishings. I’m sure it appeals to many people however we like a brighter atmosphere than one that is dark and drab. The Wynn casino and hotel is diagonally across the street from Treasure Island. It is an example of an upscale bright and modern casino and hotel that we like to visit. On the other corner is the Venetian Hotel. And also across the street is the fashion show mall. These are all connected by above street walkways that provide safe passage across the major intersection in front of these casinos.

This area is one of the best to stay in. Regardless of which hotel you stay at your within short walking distance of at least 10 major casinos and of course the fashion show mall. There’s lots to do on the strip including shopping, bars and of course casinos.

The Wynn hotel and casino is the nicest hotel on the strip in our opinion and we just attended one of the Wynn Slot Tournaments that was recently held there. The Wynn hotel and the casino is beautiful, clean, not smoky and elegant all together. They seem to always have someone going around cleaning, straightening chairs, dusting and maintaining the Wynn hotel at a high standard. We loved getting an invitation to play in a free slot tournament with our rooms comp’d and an invitation to a slot tournament party at the end. It cannot get any better than that all because we always use a slot card when we are play the slots at the Wynn Casino.

Wynn Slot tournaments – Invitation

The invitation included free entry to the tournament, three nights free in one of their deluxe hotel rooms, and an invitation including our guests to the party after the tournament when the awards are handed out. There were 238 people participating with the top prize being $35,000 in free play along with 19 other smaller wins. Just the three nights along are worth about $600 in value alone. This is a great deal and of course you are going to gamble outside of the tournament which you may win or lose. As long as you are careful, this can be a very good deal to participate in this tournament.

Exciting Contests

The tournament was exciting and professional. Our names were on the screens at the top of the slot machine. These are special machines that are set up specifically for the tournament. The slot tournament lasted a total of ten minutes and I think there was about 35 people in our round. I came in 5th overall in our round. Ufortunately that was not high enough to win any of the prizes.

Basically you press the play button all of the time. You must watch the screen for balloons that pop up on the screen from time to time. With your other hand you must touch the balloons on the screen to explode then and earn additional points. My score was around 385,000, while the winner had over 435,000 points. This was all very exciting. I would encourage everyone to take part in a tournament anytime you get the chance.

The Venetian Casino and hotel as well as the shops at the Venetian are located along the strip across from Treasure Island. It is right in the middle of the strip as far as the strip hotels are concerned. It is also attached to the Sands Convention center. If you are attending a convention in this area, this is a great place to stay.  That is to say it is so central and close to the convention center.

We have included a couple of pictures of one of the areas inside the hotel with the current decor. As with most of the major hotels, they go to great pains to decorate and provide displays. Many people will spend time viewing and taking pictures of these decorations. They change it on a regular basis. So even if you are not staying at the hotel it is definitely worth a trip to the Venetian casino just to view the decorations and also to walk through the shops of the Venetian casino and hotel.

Shops at Venetian

There is also a waterfall in this same area which on a practical basis is used to add humidity to the air, while at the same time provides a beautiful view for visitors who are strolling through. The shops at the Venetian are on the second floor. they have a blue sky on the ceiling to give you the impression you are strolling outside.

Visitors can also take a gondola around the shopping area. This is designed to emulate the shopping and the gondola rides that are available in Venice. The boats can be rented by the hour. You can just relax and take a tour of the shopping area at the Venetian hotel. We actually have never taken one of these rides. However many people do all of the time and seem to enjoy their time. The operators of the gondolas also sing to them as well as answer their questions about the hotel, the casino and the shops of course.

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We are staying again at the Aquarius hotel in Laughlin Nevada. They offered us three nights free based on our casino play. Aquarius Free Rooms! This was tracked on our slot card from the previous several trips. This is like winning a small jackpot. When you receive offers like this based on your play, take advantage of them. Because they can save you a significant amount of money. In our case room rates were
$50 a night, so a small jackpot of $150 is nothing to be ignored.

Aquarius Free Rooms – Multiple Offers

We seem to receive multiple offers every couple of months. Unfortunately we cannot take advantage of all of them based on the distance that we would have to travel to stay at the Aquarius hotel. However if you were someone who lives within three or 400 miles of Laughlin Nevada, this can make a really nice weekend trip or week day trip when you take advantage of these free offers. Since we travel a lot, we make sure that the offers are sent to us by email. You can also receive the offers by snail mail however they may not always get to you one time. In addition to receiving the Aquarius free rooms, you could also use the cash on your Slot card to pay for meals and also other incidentals that you may charge. Talk to your Slot host for more details.

Aquarius Free Rooms- Best Crab Legs

One of the things that we really enjoy at the Aquarius hotel in Laughlin Nevada is the buffet on Friday night. This is seafood night and they have a great deal of seafood available depending on what you like to eat. We happen to like the Alaskan King crab legs. They are hot ( some place serve them cold ), they are pre-cut so they are easy to break open and they taste absolutely great. We try to make sure that we are staying at the Aquarius on a Friday night so that we can dine on crab legs.

Even better, quite often we end up getting comp’d for the meal as well as the room. What a deal!

Backing on to the Colorado River, the Aquarius hotel is probably the nicest hotel in Laughlin Nevada. They have two towers with one tower dedicated to families, while the other tower is reserved for adults. Both towers have elevators that are off of the main casino. Both also have access to the pool and the tennis courts. We recently stayed at the Aquarius Casino hotel and were fully comp’d for the room charges. These Aquarius Casino Comp’s included our meals while we were staying at the hotel based on our play.

Aquarius Casino Comp’s – Rooms & Free play

One of the major advantages of using a slot card at every casino is the comp’s for food, meals, beverages. Also rooms as well as shows. In addition to the above sometimes the casino will also award free play to the slot cardholder. Which is almost the same as providing real money to the player. You cannot withdraw the cash. However, you can play it on a slot machine. Once all of the free play is fully utilized, withdraw whatever winnings that you may have won. Sometimes patrons will win huge jackpots with their free play. However most of the time you will win the equivalent in real cash. Whatever the value if you play smart you can win a great deal of money from free play.

Aquarius Casino Comp’s – Depends on your level

The number of complimentary things that you receive will really depend on the amount of play at the slot machine. This rating depends on the denomination of the bets you are making, the speed of your bets, in other words, how many times per hour that you press the button to bet and how long you play. Someone who is playing a dollar slot machine will be comp’d much more than someone who is playing a nickel machine for example.

Whatever you are betting and regardless of how long, always use a slot card to rack up slot machine benefits. they do add up over time and everyone enjoys a free room or free meal from time to time.

We just got invited to a slot tournament at the Wynn Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is an excellent example of using your slot card to make a difference. This can be an inexpensive Vegas vacation versus paying directly for all your rooms, gambling, drinks, etc.

Our offer includes three days free at the Casino Hotel Las Vegas, participation in the  Slot tournament, and an invitation to an awards ceremony at the end of the slot tournament. We’ll tell you more about the award ceremony in a moment, but this is an excellent deal for many different reasons.

Offers Can be Amazing

Can you imagine, I called the Wynn Casino Hotel on Wednesday morning to see what room rates they would offer us. They were busy, and the casino rate was $200 a night, including the room, resort fee, and taxes. We were not prepared to spend. $600 for three nights and so we declined to make the reservation.

The very next morning, I received an email offering participation in the slot tournament, three nights free including resort fee and taxes, participation of the slot tournament, and the party at the end of the slot tournament. This was for the same dates that we’re hoping to make a reservation. We grabbed it in a hurry since it was only a maximum of 250 people invited to the tournament.

Wynn Slot Tournament – Free Rooms

If you have not stayed at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas before, you really should. The rooms are large, very clean, and very modern. They have excellent views of the strip and the eastern part of the city. Everything is automated with controls at your fingertips next to the bed for opening and closing the blinds. Also dimming or shutting off the lights. There is a TV in the bathroom so you will not miss any of the daily news or your favorite show. These rooms go from anywhere from $150 per night to as high as over $600 a night.

Wynn Slot Tournament – Free Play

We played in the tournament, and afterwords attend the slot tournaments awards ceremony. Unfortunately, the writer did not win, but someone won $35,000 in free slot play. There were 20 winners in all of the free slot play. The rest of us and our companions got to enjoy complimentary drinks and munchies, including sliders, cheese, sandwiches can small cupcakes. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

Always use your slot card when playing. You never know when you will be invited to something like this.

There are literally thousands of free play casinos online for people to play. No money is required and all that is needed is that you sign up with an account with no credit card or money provided. A free play casino is played with free credit that is made available when you sign-on. In some cases the free play casino will sell you additional free credit for a small fee if you end up losing all of your free credit. You may want to take advantage of purchasing additional free credit if you happen to lose all of the credit you have been initially given. If you happen to win a large jackpot, there is no method to convert it to cash.

Free play casino – purchase credit

As with all Slot Machines, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. In a free play casino situation you are provided with an amount of free credit. If you lose the free credit, you either have to wait another day before more free credit is added or you can purchase additional credit. Remember you cannot turn jackpots back into cash. This is merely a game that you play for fun even if you purchase added credit.

Many free play casinos

Rather than purchase additional credit so that you can keep playing the same machine online. Most consumers will just move to another online site where they can play for free. Each of these sites provides free credit to players in an attempt to get to sell them free credit. Or to get them to click on advertisements. Most will add credit each day or every few hours in an attempt to keep you on their site. The objective is to avoid you moving to some other competitive site.

Why would you purchase added credit when you can just move to another site that provides Free Play Casino credit? Most people will bookmark them so that each site is just a click away and they are back playing for free. The other major issue to remember is that casinos with free credit usually have odds that are much more lucrative so you win more often. If you switch to online casinos where you are playing with real money! The odds of winning appear to be lower and you seem to lose your money more quickly.

The title of this post was chosen since so many people do not know how to spell Cassino, they in turn apparently choose to spell it as follows Casiono.

We decided to write a small post about this apparent misspelling of the word casino. Because people are looking for information about regular casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, Tunica, and Atlantic City. As well as online casinos that you play on your smartphone or desktop computer.

Casiono – Live Casinos

Live casinos that you actually go into the building are thriving in this economy. We’ve been to over a dozen casinos over the last two months and found them to be extremely busy on the weekends. Even moderately busy during the week. These are vacation oriented locations. People are going there after work as well as traveling through as tourists.

There are a lot of casinos that are just that with no hotel or anything in the area to attract tourists. Many people prefer to go to those casinos that include a hotel, nice restaurants, and perhaps even a golf course. Some will also have entertainment at night. These casinos deliver the full package. They are very attractive to locals as well as tourists. As a result, they come to spend a great weekend, see a show, have a nice meal, and perhaps do some gambling.

Casiono – Always Use a Slot Card

Whether you spell the word casino properly or as Casiono, it really does not matter. The most important thing is to make sure you’re using a slot card to collect all of your comps and promotions. These are part of your wins at the casino. Free play anytime is something that can be valued. As well as tickets to shows and other comps that may be available.

If you win over $1200, you will pay tax on your winnings. By using your slot card the casino can provide you with a win/loss statement at the end of the year which may help you get some of your tax money back.

Remember the golden rule, always use your Slot card when you’re playing at the casino.

The National Do not call list is one way to reduce spam calls that we all get from time to time. But does it really work? Well the answer appears to be partially. We still get a lot of calls from people trying to sell us various things. These include the usually duct cleaning services, rug cleaning services, lawn services etc. These are not too bad except when they call at dinner time and interrupt your meal with your family. This is probably what ticks most people off. As soon as you know that it is one of these companies, most people will just hang up and that is the end of it.

National Do not call list – How to get on it

Many of you will already know this, however if you want to register your number on the “do not call list”, you can go to the following site to register your number so that those annoying telemarketing calls will decrease. They will not be eliminated, but they should decrease.

Here is the link

https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/insnum-regnum-eng

You can also call 1-866-580-3625

National Do not call list – Report them

If you still get calls from companies, you have several choices. These include just hanging up on them which works very well. You can also threaten to report them. They usually hang up immediately since they know that there is no chance of a sale. They do not want to get reported. The third approach is just answer the phone, listen for a minute and then set the phone down without hanging up. They will continue talking giving their sales pitch until they realize there is no one there and then they will hang up. They have taken up your time so why should you not also do the same thing to them.

Don’t forget to hang your phone up since as long as it is off hook you will not get any calls. Most people will glance at the incoming number on the screen and if they do not recognize it, they will just not answer it.

Lately we have found that casinos really want their customers to use their comp’s on their cards before approaching the slot host to find out what additional comp’s they might he entitled to. The writer had  a conversation with a slot host recently about this topic and she confirmed that all of the casinos are moving to this model.

For example, lets assume you have spent the afternoon playing the slots, using your slot card all of the time and racking up points on your slot card that is commensurate with the level of play and the amount of time you have gambled. You then decide to go for dinner at one of the restaurants in the casino. In the past you may have gone to the casino host to request a meal comp.

Casino Restaurant Promotions

This takes time and it can be sometimes frustrating if they have to deny your comp based on your play. Now you simply head to the restaurant of your choice and when it comes time to pay for the meal, they want you to use your comp’s that you have earned on your card to pay for the cost of the meal. You simply present your slot card to the waiter and they will run your card and deduct whatever comp you have on your card. If there is not quite enough, you just need to pay the difference in cash or by credit card.

Depending on how much you have played and the cost of the meal, the entire meal may be covered. If the full meal is not fully covered, You have several choices. You can then either pay cash, pay with a credit card. Charge it to your room for later consideration by the slot host before you check out.  We followed this latter approach at the last casino hotel we stayed at.

At the end of our stay, we met with the slot host who based on our play wrote the remaining food charges off. Even though the direct comps on our slot card were not enough to cover the total charges.  This is the approach that all slot card players should consider when gambling at a casino. Take full advantage of casino restaurant promotions. You only need to meet with a slot host once at the end of your stay prior to checking out of your room.

Many Canadians spend their vacation in the US. Snow birds make the annual trip south every fall to escape the snow and ice in Canada. They head to Florida, Texas, Arizona and California to spend the winter. They head home once the winter is over. Canadians have enjoy warm temperatures and also a strong dollar for the past 5 years. However now the dollar is not so strong and Canadians travel cost going up means it is going to cost more.

Canadians travel cost going up – Categories

Exchange rate

Lately the exchange rate, the price you pay to purchase US dollars has been going up. As of writing this post the best rate that is currently posted is ninety cents or in other words it takes approximately $1.11 Canadian to purchase $1.00 US, which is an 11 percent increase in the cost compared to a few years ago. It costs more to travel as a result and Canadians are beginning to look for cost saving measures.

Cost to travel

If your vacation is costing you $1000, then you are going to pay an additional $111 Canadian for every $1000 US you are going to spend. This can be significant and can add a significant amount for more expensive vacations.

Hedging the exchange rate

One solution is to hedge the exchange rate by averaging your cost over a year. As rates change you will pay the current rate, but at least you will not lock in the rate for your total vacation. if rates improve which they might then you get to take advantage of the improved rates. Unfortunately it also works the opposite way as well. The economists are forecast and $.85 cent dollar by mid 2015, which means that your US vacation cost is going to go up another 5%!

Cutting back on travel

Another solution which is not popular with many people is that the Canadians will start cutting back on travel to conserve money and bring it back to levels that they can afford with the increasing costs. This will hurt the travel industry to some degree and could even trigger a decline for a short period in this industry.

Let’s go anyway

Many senior snow birds realize that they may not have than many years left that they can travel and as a result just suck it up and plan to go anyway. They only live once and if they can get the money together they plan to go regardless of what the cost will be.

What are your plans for vacationing in the United States this coming year? For ideas about trip planning, click here.

We have stayed at a number of Drury inns across the US.  This time it was the Drury Inn Lafyette Louisiana. They’re usually in the main cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Detroit and so on.

They offer good value in terms of a place to stay, happy hour at night and a hot breakfast in the morning. The price for two people is typically around $100. This includes both the room, free Wi-Fi, happy hour at night, and a hot breakfast.

Happy hour at night includes three alcoholic drinks per person, plus bar food such as a baked potato, mac & cheese, hot dogs, salad and soup.

Drury Inn Lafyette Louisiana

The Drury Inn in Lafayette Louisiana met all of these requirements. However we are becoming less and less supportive of this particular hotel chain. The rooms are not soundproof, and the beds are generally uncomfortable. We found that this particular hotel was a bit rundown and tired.

The beds are not good quality beds and are uncomfortable. And in fact we had a sore back the next morning.
It just does not measure up to Hampton Inns.

While you get the value for the money consumers may want to decide whether it is worthwhile to have a free meal or pay a little bit more and stay at a Hampton Inn

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We put together a list of travel tips that we feel are must haves for traveling while in your own country or even in other countries. This list is based on our own personal experiences and includes the items that we have found helpful. You may not need these things all of the time on every trip, but you will need some of them from time to time. Just having them will give you peace of mind and make your trip much more pleasant in many situations. Enjoy your trip and if you have one that you would like us to add to the list, just leave us a comment and we will be happy to add it to the list.

Travel tips

• Bring a deck of cards to play solitaire or bridge with new friends.
• A folding paper fan works wonders when waiting at a bus in hot countries.
• A small LED headlamp is perfect for emergencies or for reading at night.
• Small folding umbrella that has light aluminum spines and handle.
• Homemade packages of almonds and raisins for an inexpensive healthy stack.
• Bring toilet paper for those emergency situations in countries that do not provide toilet paper
• Bring a compass to help you find your direction.
• If you are traveling alone carry the front section of the newspaper from home. Keep it in view while you’re dining, it is an invitation to those who speak your language.
• Always dressed down and travel to observe and not to be observed.
• Hide emergency money in an old vitamin bottle with a few pills in it. Thieves will not be interested in your vitamin C.
• Always tell friends where you’re going and check in with them on a regular basis.
• Make copies of your passport and leave them with the same friends in case of an emergency.

One of the things we like to do on this particular blog is to write about unique experiences and interesting topics. This particular post will be about a barbecue restaurant that we discovered in Biloxi Mississippi, actually just outside of Biloxi. This restaurant is actually a barbecue restaurant located on route 57 just north of interstate 10. It is a barbecue restaurant, called the Shed! This restaurant is actually very rustic and pieced together from corrugated tin, wooden posts and a collection of knickknacks from various locations around the state. It is situated beside the bayou. In the summertime people can eat outside on the bayou. As a result it is a very unique place to visit.

The Shed Barbeque Restaurant

It is known worldwide for the barbecue ribs, pulled pork and a variety of other meats that are absolutely excellent. We went for lunch and had a two meat combo with sweet taters and coleslaw. The ribs were excellent with the meat falling off the bone. The pulled pork tasted great as well. During the day they play blues music. In the evening they play live music with a number of different entertainers that come in.

There’s a campsite nearby and also an RV park. This would be a great place to spend an evening listening to blues music and having a fantastic meal. The interior of the Shed Barbeque restaurant is just like the outside. Very rustic and down to earth literally. Patrons can sit at the bar and enjoy a few beers along with their meal. They can head over to the dining area which are picnic tables on a gravel floor. This is as basic as it gets. The atmosphere is extremely interesting and enjoyable. We have talked to other patrons who tell us that they go to the Shed every time they are in the area. The combination of food and eclectic decoration is wonderful.

In case you are wondering this is not an advertisement written by the restaurant staff. Although it might sound like it. We really like the food . We really enjoy going to this particular restaurant every time we are in Mississippi along the golf coast.

For more travel related stories, click here.

All casino bonuses are not the same and not all casinos provide the same complimentary gifts and rooms along with meals. You really have to check each casino to confirm what promises they provide in terms of comps for things like food, rooms and shows. These comps can actually end up being part of your win at the casino. Think of it this way. You go to the casino, you have only so much money to spend for gambling, food and whatever you plan to drink along with accommodations if you plan to stay the night. If the casino arranges to provide you with free meals and a free room, this can amount to several hundred dollars in savings.

All Casino Bonuses – Casino Business is Competitive

The casino business is very competitive. Ultimately they are trying to attract customers to the casino from other casinos and trying to make money at the same time. Based on the business and we’ve seen the complementary bonuses of the receipt along with how nice the casinos are, we think they’re making lots of money.

For example at one casino that we go to where we play nickel and Penny slot machines, we never have to pay for a meal. We also get free rooms during the week almost every week of every month of the year. This is a really great service and the bonuses are very attractive. They are what keep us coming back all of the time to this casino and not to others.

In markets where there’s only one casino serving a population of 1 million or more people, the bonuses are usually not that great. A good example of that is a Rideau Carlton racetrack Casino in Ottawa Ontario. They are well-known for not providing very good bonuses, or free meals and they cannot even provide a free room at any hotel. Another casino, the Akwesasne casino in Hogansburg New York provides many free rooms at a very nice hotel, and with a point system on their slot card you can pretty much guarantee that you will have enough money for paying for meals such as the buffet or at Sticks, one of their restaurants.

Casino Bonuses

All of these casino bonuses are part of your package in terms of your win loss ratio and should be considered when you discuss or account for how much money you’ve won or have lost during your time at the casino. Take into account the total package when you consider your net wins and losses at the casino.

In North America, the casinos in Las Vegas are pretty much considered to be the top casinos in the country and on the continent. Some casinos have over 5000 rooms. There are over 120,000 rooms available in Las Vegas. The city is the place to go for gambling and entertainment as well as great dining. In terms of dining, Las Vegas has some of the best restaurants in the country. There are more five-star restaurants than any other city altogether.

Following Las Vegas, the next major gambling center would probably be Atlantic City. Located along the Atlantic coast in New Jersey. Atlantic City has approximately 10 casinos that are approximately 3000 rooms each. Some are older and have been revamped while several are brand-new modern glass structures. Combining Ocean Beaches, Dining, entertainment, and gambling this is the place to go in the summertime.

Top Casinos – Other Locations

Most other locations have a smaller number of casinos and they are not as large. Tunica for example in Mississippi has quite a few casinos. However, they are not nearly as grand as those in Las Vegas. The next location would be Biloxi Mississippi and these are very nice as well located along the coast. Throughout the country and in almost every state there are casinos that provide gambling services to clients so that people do not have to drive very far and the state can collect revenue.

However many people rate casinos from a different perspective. Fundamentally, gambling patrons will rank casinos from a different perspective. They may be looking for less distance to drive. They may be looking for nice restaurants, or entertainment, or places that they feel pay much better. In addition, patrons also look for great comps in terms of free meals free rooms, and entertainment.

Rating of a casino could be convenient i.e. how close is it to your home. It could also be the end number or amount of complimentary meals, rooms, etc. that you receive.

You can also rate the ability to go to a number of shows and entertainment that is offered at the casino.

And it could be the total ambiance of the casino when you take into account the casino, hotel, surrounding venues, and even considering being able to go to the beach, such as in Atlantic City. For our money our first choice, of course, is Las Vegas Nevada, the next choice would be Atlantic City and surprisingly another place is Laughlin Nevada which is just southeast of Las Vegas on the Colorado River.

There are approximately 10 casinos in this area all within walking distance and providing all of the standard things that you would expect at a casino. They’re not as modern, nor as new but they offer great service with great entertainment and the slot machines don’t pay too badly either.

We have just come back from Logan’s Roadhouse Restaurant, in Cookeville Tennessee. This is the second time we have been to a Logan’s roadhouse and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Large 20 ounce draft beer for three dollars, a combination meal of ribs and steak along with baked potato and Caesar salad for $19 large enough for two people to share it easily and great entertainment. It is Sunday night and all the screens are showing the NFL football games. Apparently Payton Manning just beat Tom Brady!

Logan’s Roadhouse Restaurant – Meeting People

There are always lots of characters at any of the roadhouses that we have been to. In this case the person sitting at the bar is a woman, probably in her 70s wearing cowboy boots and a Texas style hat. She’s enjoying herself, having a drink, and a meal and quite comfortable sitting at the bar. By the way she enjoys football because she’s pretty intent on watching the game. The bartenders are very friendly, and helpful when they have the time. That is the one thing about these bars is that they are usually pretty busy with lots of people. They are a popular place to go regardless of what city we seem to be in. Our perfect combination is a Hampton Inn and a roadhouse next door preferably a Texas Roadhouse or a Logans Roadhouse.

We spoke to the manager of this particular restaurant who wanted to know where we were from and what we were doing passing through. We had a long conversation and enjoyed talking with her. She actually has relatives in Quebec. After our meal was finished she gave us a desert on the house. No calories but fabulous, lol.

This was graham cracker base with a light creamy pudding with whip cream on the top covered in Carmel sauce. If you ever have a chance to try Logan’s roadhouse, anywhere in the states don’t miss the opportunity it’s a great place to spend an evening. A great way to end our evening.

Tomorrow we are on our way to Memphis Tennessee and then on to Tunica Mississippi.

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We visited the Hollywood Casino Hotel in Pennsylvania at the national racecourse for the first time this year. We found it to be a lovely casino with many different kinds of slot machines, poker tables, and great restaurants. Of course, there’s also the racing venue although we did not look at it.

They have ample parking for surface parking as well as in the garage.

Hollywood Casino Hotel – No Hotel

The only complaint that we have is that they do not have a hotel next to the casino or the racetrack. We spoke to one of the security guards. They told us there was too much competition in the area and there were lots of hotels and motels a couple of miles away. We prefer to stay at the hotel at the casino rather than have to get in a car and drive to the motel.

We enjoy having a couple of drinks while we’re gambling and after even two drinks you’re probably over the limit and therefore should not be driving from the casino to a hotel.

Slot Machines

We also noticed that they have very few Keno machines, as well as poker machines in the casino compared to all of the other slot machines that they have. For those of you who enjoy playing these types of games, you may be a bit disappointed. This is a typical race track oriented casino.

Other than that this is a great place to spend a few hours gambling and enjoy playing slot machines, the races when they have a horse racing night or just having a drink and enjoying the atmosphere. With little in the general area, paying a visit to the Hollywood Casino can be a nice evening out. As always, patrons must be careful of how much they wager on the horses or the slot machines. It is easy to find yourself losing more than you planned.

We just read an article about tipping, which suggested that just about anyone who provides a service to you should be tipped. This is part of our research about, ” Do Americans tip enough?”. This includes the taxi driver, the person who delivers furniture to your home. Also the person who cuts your grass, the restaurant waitress, the bartender and on and on and on. There have been some acceptable norms in terms of tipping and most people will tip 15% for average service.

But it does not include everyone that provide services to the average consumer. For most people they will tip the waiter or the waitress, the bartender. People who generally provide service in the tourism industry.

Do Americans tip enough?

But recently barristers at coffee shops have tip jars out. Just about anyone who is providing service who didn’t traditionally collect a tip is now suggesting that they should be tipped for the job that they’re doing.

We strongly believe that people who are being paid for the job and doing a job and don’t do anything out of the ordinary in terms of providing service to you should not receive the tip.

For example the taxi driver who does not get out of his car to open the car door for you. Or help get your bags out of the trunk  does not deserve a tip. The coffee shop person who fills your coffee, makes change and get you your cup should not get a tip for just doing their job. Many people will disagree with us, but that is our thoughts on the question, “do Americans tip enough?”.

If any of these people do something special then obviously you should consider tipping. But this new trend of tipping everybody even if they don’t do anything special for you is just another way for people to get ripped off. They pay extra for the services that they should be getting free.

Examples

An example is worth talking about. We think it will illustrative of the kind of location and time that should be considered for tipping. A hotel that we go to quite often, approximately every two weeks provides coffee and drink service.

The waitress only sees us every two weeks among thousands of people that she provides coffee service and drink service for. Yet she remembers our faces. How we like our coffee including how much cream and sugar we take in our coffee without us having to tell her. When we order coffee it is delivered promptly and with a smile. A small conversation inquiring how we are with the coffee exactly how we like it. Consequently this is an example of great service and well worth the tips that we provide to her.

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One thing that we’ve noticed recently at the Rideau Carlton Casino is a lack of automation concerning comps and the slot card. The only way to really find out if you have enough points to cover a meal, cashback, or qualify for draws is to go to the winner’s desk. Find out if you qualify for any comps.

They do have machines throughout the floor where you can have coupons cashed. You can also find out how much cashback you’re entitled to. But if you want to have a meal and have it paid for by the casino you have to go to the winner’s desk. Find out if you have enough to qualify for a meal.

Rideau Carlton Casino Competition

Other casinos that we are going to have everything automated on the card. All you need to do is go to the restaurant of your choice to give them your slot card. They will automatically deduct the points that you need to pay for the meal.  You cannot use your points to cover drinks at any time. We find this much easier than having to stand in line and ask if you qualify for a meal.

It is about time that the Rideau Carlton Casino updated their slot card system and made it friendlier for their patrons. It is almost an attitude thing. You get the impression that big brother is watching over you. The other thing we really do not like is the two guards in uniform standing at the entrance. They check if everyone is of the proper age. It is not very friendly. All casinos have the same thing. However, the guards are dressed in suits. They show a little class. What is wrong with the Rideau Carleton Casino?

The Mohawk Casino is by far one of the best casinos in the area, so much so that Canadians from Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, and other areas would rather go to this casino than go to one that is much closer to them. The value they get in terms of comps, free meals, free hotel rooms, and inexpensive drinks more than makes up for the travel time. Also the extra cost of traveling to this casino. Just cross the river at Cornwall. Turn left after you leave the customs area and drive for approximately 5 miles and you are there. It is worth it if you have not tried it.

Mohawk Casino

We also recommend that new members sign up for a slot card. If you bring a guest, then you will be given some added freeplay. Which you can use in the many slot machines. If it happens to be your birthday, they will also give you a free buffet. They award points based on your play which can be used towards meals at the restaurants and the tuck shop. You do not have to line up at the winner’s circle as you do at some places. No need to wonder if you are wasting your time to find out if you have enough points for a meal. Just present your slot card when you pay. They will deduct the points you have towards the cost of the meal and then let you know if you owe anything more.

We also like the idea of using your points to purchase bridge passes if you are heading back to Canada and need a bridge pass to pay for the toll. Pretty good deal overall from this casino which many others do not offer.

Cacino or casino – The word “Cacino”, is an obvious mis-spelling of the word casino, Cacino or casino, however many people appear to be searching for this word when they are looking for casinos in their area.

This website is discussing casino promotions and Casino complimentary meals, rooms, and show tickets along with the companion website Las Vegas casino reviews.

Cacino or casino – Getting Comp’s

We tend to go to casinos once or twice a month for entertainment and enjoyment. They often have really great restaurants to eat at reasonable prices, and the drinks are much cheaper than comparable restaurants. In addition, they will have a variety of shows that you can take in along with your dining experience. Many people do not gamble however the casino is one place that you can go to enjoy an evening, have a few drinks, have a nice meal, and enjoy some entertainment.

The following are examples of casino promotions that are routinely provided by some of the better casinos. For example, free play is the offer of money by the casino that you can play in a slot machine. You cannot withdraw it but you can play with that money. Any winnings you get from the free play is yours to keep.

Cacino or casino – More comp’s

Another example of promotion is free rooms at a hotel attached to the casino. The rooms are usually priced around a hundred to $230 a night. However, depending on your play at the casino these rooms can be yours for free during the week or even on weekends at some point.

Most casinos have two or three or sometimes as many as 10 restaurants for the larger locations. All of your meals can be paid for based on how much you play at the slot machines. Some casinos will allow you to add points to your slot card as your play. These points can be used to pay for any meals that you may have. At other locations, they will ask you to charge only videos to your hotel room. Then the casino host will review your play and write off some food and possibly your room.

Some people prefer to go golfing or to see entertainment. these people can also receive these things for free based on the casino play.

There are more and more online casinos becoming available all around the world. Whether it is a brick-and-mortar casino or an online version casinos can be exciting. Governments are also getting into the act because they want a proportion of the gambling revenue. There are sites that are offered from other countries to people who enjoy gambling online from the comfort of their homes.

There are so many opportunities to gamble online that the subject of online casino real money is an important one. Clients who plan to gamble online can do so with free money. Or they can actually send money from their bank account to the casino. They can gamble with actual real online casino money.

Online Casino Real Money – Gambling with Free Credit

In the case of gambling for free, people are playing with Casino credit. This is play money and does not in any way harm them from a financial perspective. They can play for as long as they wish with no worry about how much they lose or win. If you win a big jackpot it just pretends money and not something that you can actually spend on anything.

In situations where your gambling with real money, this is money that you’ve transferred from your bank account or credit card to the online casino and it is a much more serious thing. There’s a very real possibility that you could lose money and in fact, lose a great deal of money if you plan on transferring additional funds from your bank account. This is a huge concern for many consumers as well as governments who are concerned about people losing their life savings and all of their assets.

Consumers need to be really careful about gambling with online real money at a casino.

Social Element of Gambling

The other thing that we wonder about is what is the social element of gambling online at home all about. The writer loves to go to casinos and experience everything that a casino has to offer. This includes the shows, the restaurants, the various people who are in the casino, and when you win something other people celebrating with you that you’ve won a jackpot. It is much more interesting and much better entertainment value in a situation such as this. Online casino gambling is not something that we would encourage anyone to pursue other than when you’re gambling with play money.

There’s no harm in gambling with play money since there is no impact on you personally or your family. Keep everything in perspective when your family whether it is online or in a brick-and-mortar casino.

The cost of parking in downtown areas in most cities in North America has become the incredibly expensive.  For example if you are parking using parking meters it can be as much as three or four dollars an hour.  If you use a parking lot that is maintained by a parking authority is not uncommon to pay $20-$30 a day.  Whether you are going to work or a tourist visiting the city it makes sense to plan your parking so that you can save money and reduce your overall cost for your vacation.

Parking meters

if you have to use a and one of the passengers is staying with the car you can often wait until you see the reader coming down the street before putting money in the parking meter.  Often people leave their parking spot with the meter still running and if you’re lucky you can score an empty spot with a running parking meter and save a few dollars.  Parking meters are suitable for short term parking, however if you need more than a couple of hours it makes sense to just use a parking lot or find some other alternative.

Paid parking lots

The hotel we’re staying they charge a fee for parking and if you have not negotiated the parking is part of your hotel bill when you made your reservation you will pay the full fee.  Some hotels upon negotiation will offer up a discount on parking or in some cases free parking if it is a slow period for them.  If you are driving into the city many parking lots offered early bird rates which are 20 to 25% lower than rates offered later on in the day.

In many parking lots you’ll have to arrive prior to 9 AM to get the early bird rate.  Another approach is to park at a free parking lot at the mall somewhere in the urban areas of the city and then take the mass transit into the downtown area that you are visiting.  Usually the cost of mass transit is lower than a parking brake at a downtown parking lot plus the cost of gas it used to get there.

Airport parking rates

Airports are notoriously expensive for parking overnight, by the week or even longer by the month.  There are a lot of alternatives to parking at the airport.  A friend can drive you to the airport, you can take a taxi to the airport, or in many cities you can even take mass transit and save a bundle on parking.  If you are going to need parking for a week or a month, usually the long term parking lots are a better place to park your car at lower rates.  For most people the best approach is to have someone driving to the airport and pick them up when they return home.  Even if you have to pay the person and the cost of gas is still would be cheaper than paying for parking.

Plan your trips carefully taking into account your accommodations, the cost of accommodations and the parking at the hotel where you will be staying.  Many hotels on the outskirts of the city will offer free parking and shuttle service to downtown areas as well as to airports.  This is another excellent way to reduce the overall cost of parking.

If you know of other ways to reduce the cost of parking, please leave a comment and we’ll be glad to add them to our list.

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Restaurant tips can vary a lot depending on the location. Also the quality of the food, the level of service, even the decor. As well as the customer who may or may not be feeling generous.  Restaurant tip reporting can vary depending on may factors. The average seems to be 15% for average service.  Some people feel obliged to tip as much as 20%. If you are either part of a large group, the restaurant will levy a tip of 18% regardless of the type of service that you receive.  In fact when the waiters and waitresses know they’re getting 18% quite often the level of service declines.

Some people tip much more just because they feel obliged to tip more. They are embarrassed and worried that the waiter will give them a bad look or create a scene, or bad service if they come back again.  Many people will leave no tip at all. Which actually is really bad form, particularly if you received excellent service and excellence for food.

Restaurant Tip Reporting – Sending a Message

Many tips are on credit cards and are just added onto the total bill.  In fact the credit card machines already have the amount calculated for you or a selection that you can pick in terms of the percentage amount or the dollar amount.  But what is the right way to tip and what you do if you want to send a message.

In the industry a 15% tip appears to be the average tip that is expected for average service, average food and average surroundings.  I like to think that to apply 5% to each of these categories is the right approach.  The waiter is in control of the level of service, and to some degree of making sure that your food arrives hot and is exactly what you ordered.  The quality of the food is up to the chef and the surroundings are really up to the owner.  Should you penalize the waiter by tipping less when the quality of the food is not great or the surroundings of the restaurant is not great?

Tip Preference

The writer prefers to tip 15% and then call the waiter aside to mention any comments or concerns that they might have.  If you did not like the food or the food was bad you should send it back.  If the surroundings and the quality are not what you would like, then you should not have gone there in the first place.  When the service is terrible and the food is terrible then definitely send a message by lowering the amount of the tip.  Some people have left a one penny tip just to send a serious message to the waiter and the staff.  I think a better approach is to call the manager or the maître d’ over and explain the situation.

Accounting is easy for tips since most of them are pre-calculated. Use the credit card machines and easily added at the end of the night.  These are on record and must be reported by the restaurant accounting.  But what about cash tips?  Can cash tips be somehow siphoned off to avoid the tax man?  Many tax agencies have now ruled that waiters and waitresses should receive 15% of the total food and bar take regardless of whether it was paid via credit cards or in cash.  There’s no getting away from the taxman.

Hiding Income

Many servers consistently receive more than 15% in tips. Most waiters and waitresses will hide that money and avoid paying tax on it where they can.  However once it gets into the system in terms of credit card receipts there is little they can do but to report this income.  If the servers are ever audited, there’s a good chance that they will pay much more in income tax.

In summary consumers should consider 15% average, 20 percent for excellent service and 10% for poor service. However we suggest that you call the waiter, the manager or the maître d’ over. Explain why you’re providing a lower tip.  This gives everyone a chance to improve their service the next time.

Casino bonuses come in various forms. Some are actual physical mailing via the post office, but this becoming increasingly rare. Most today are sent via email, or customers can sign on to their accounts to see what bonuses are available to them. Clients can also call their casino host to confirm bonuses that are available to them! What is the Best Casino Bonus?

Best Casino Bonus

Best casino bonuses are the ones that are free, with no strings attached. These are from past visits to a casino and they are merely urging you to return. These bonuses can be free rooms, free shows, free meals, or free play. These are just the same as winning small jackpots and if you are smart about it, these bonuses can save you a great deal of money.

Most are tied to more play at the casino whether online casinos or the traditional ones. For example, if you earn a certain amount of points you will be eligible for some casino bonus like a free buffet or show tickets that day. If the Buffet costs $17.95 per person which is a typical amount, that is a small $38 jackpot for two people.

Casino bonuses can include:

• Free rooms
• Free meals
• Complimentary shows
• Free play
• Free points to use on almost anything

Every player has a different view of what the best casino bonus is for them! Many would just prefer to be given free play to use on the slot machines. While others do enjoy free tickets to a show. Let your casino host know which casino bonus you prefer and they will update your account to award these types of bonuses to you.

This is another really great restaurant in Bucerias, Mexico. Just down the block from Marks restaurant, you might not even go onto this restaurant because it is also a boutique at the front with a great looking tropical restaurant at the back of the building. You may think it is just another small store, however if you go inside and go to the back of the store there is a great restaurant with great food to try!

This is a must location to visit for lunch or dinner. Some evenings they also will have entertainment. It is a wonderful place to spend an evening under the stars in a tropical environment.

Sandrinas Bucerias Mexico

Bucerias is a small Mexican town north of Puerto Vallarta on Banderas Bay. You get there by there by bus or car from Pureto Vallara and enjoy the day at the beach with a great dining experience that evening.

Tropical outdoor setting with a band playing on some evenings. As you can see from this picture, it is a very enjoyable spot to have a glass of wine or a beer. Perhaps some tequila, which is Mexico’s drink of choice.

Many restaurants in the Puerto Vallarta will serve their customers a shot or two of tequila regardless of what drink they order. At one location we ordered beers all around and the bartender followed the beers with shots of tequila to help us enjoy our meals.

We are not sure if the meals were better or not, but we were well satisfied with the service, the drinks and the meals we had. Sandrinas is a bit more upscale than these sort of restaurants. Patrons are dressed in tropical attire and generally are well dressed as well. Being close to the beach area’s patrons can stop in almost at any time for a meal or a snack under one of the umbrellas.

For more details about the Puerto Vallarta area, click here.

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The following is a list of the latest casino bonuses that are being offered by many casinos. Some are better than others. Some casinos offer higher amounts of money etc since they are in a competitive market. Monitor your comps and try different casinos from different competitive companies to see just how much you are being provided.

Latest Casino Bonuses

Free play – this is money that is loaded onto your card and can be played in most but not all slot machines. To activate all you need to do is sign into your account and select free play and then begin playing your slot machine.

Free rooms – are often offered, or at least reduced to some of the higher-rated players. Even if the room is not free, a discount is still saving you money.

Free meals – such as buffets, etc are offered usually through the number of points that are accumulated as you play. The points can be used like cash to pay for meals etc. in other situations you may be offered 2 for one deal.

Discounts on Everything

Discounts on everything – often casinos will offer discounts in the tuck shop or in stores that are part of the casino if you are carrying a slot card. Use your points to pay for these items as well.

Upgrades on rooms – if you do not get a free room, a discount is the next best thing. From 20 to 50% discounts on the price of a room is sometimes offered.

Sky is the limit for whales – big-time gamblers will have their airfare paid for, their rooms paid for, tickets to shows paid for, meals paid for, and just about anything else the casino can provide to keep you coming to their facility.

Free air travel – and free gas for those that drive to a vacation casino property. Usually, people who receive free air tickets are heavy gamblers.

Free show tickets – for tickets to some of the best shows, with behind the curtain opportunities as well.

Complimentary golf – golf round available including golf carts for you and your buddies at some of the best courses available.

Free sports tickets – to sports events held in the casino for the whales.

The list goes on and on. If you can think it and it is within their power to provide it, the casinos will make it happen for their best customers.