Travel Blog

Everyone is concerned about the cost of healthcare during our old age. However, did you know that there are a number of steps that you can take to mitigating health care costs in old age? They will also help to ensure that you lead an enjoyable lifestyle during your senior years? There are always healthcare issues that we can’t avoid and have nothing to do with, diet, exercise or lifestyle. Taking these steps can improve the odds of having a healthier life during old age and mitigating healthcare costs during that time frame. Let’s all agree that anytime you can improve your quality of life, why would we not take advantage of these opportunities? This is such an important issue for all baby boomers as we age in place. What are some of the steps that we can take with regard to mitigating healthcare costs in old age?

Mitigating Health Care Costs – Steps

The following are some of the steps that many experts feel will help seniors and really anyone improve their overall health as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle during your senior retirement years. If you are worried about having sufficient money set aside for your health care costs in your senior years, these are some of the steps you can take to improve your overall health and reduce the amount of health care that will be needed.  Here they are in no particular order:

• Maintain the proper weight for your frame and age.
• Always eat a healthy diet following the national food guide.
• Stop smoking
• If you drink do so in moderation
• If you are overweight now take steps to lose weight and get down to the proper level that you are supposed to be at for your age.
• Exercise on a daily basis, whether it is a walk around the block, the gym or swimming
• Taylor exercises to your capabilities and lifestyle.
• Maintain an excellent circle of friends that you see on a daily basis.
• Build and maintain a healthy social life
• Maintain contact with family and take the time to enjoy every day

While some of these may seem obvious, many of us do not stay focused on all of these issues and let exercise slip for example. In time, poor body fitness will catch up with us and we will pay the consequences with high health care costs. Take the steps now to make sure that this does not happen to you.

For more information on health care costs and issues, click here.

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We have been wondering if competition from online casinos will affect many of the brick-and-mortar casinos? As we tour the country and visit a variety of locations we are finding that some locations are extremely busy. While others are struggling. It really depends on the local market. Also how much competition there is from other casinos as well as competition from online casinos.

For example in Ottawa Ontario there are only two casinos. Both are packed almost every night. While there may be competition from online casinos in the Ottawa area, the market is far from being oversold. In fact the Ottawa area could do with a third casino to handle the demand. In other locations such as Tunica, Mississippi there are at least 10 casinos. They are struggling to stay open. There simply is not enough population in the Memphis area. It is close to Tunica to drive business for 10 casinos, and the online casino business is taking it’s toll.

Competition from Online Casinos – Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada is also struggling however they are changing their business model and to all appearances succeeding. They have added the conference business, the wedding business, and tourism to the traditional mix of casino gambling. Add to that professional high quality entertainment and you have a huge draw for people to come to Las Vegas to spend money for their vacation.

Other locations such as Atlantic City are struggling because of competition from online casinos, taxation from the city and state, tolls on roads. Consumers even have to parking fees just to visit the casinos. In addition neighborhood states have built other casinos in their area to keep some of the gambling revenue in their state. As a result with all of this competition places like Atlantic City or now seeing casinos closing rather than stay open and lose more money.

We feel that you get far more value from the traditional brick-and-mortar casino however there is a definite attraction for people to play online and play their favorite games. The gambling business in North America is still evolving and there is a shake out taking place that is driven in part by the economy, by online casino gambling and government need for revenue. There will be more changes coming in the future.

We all know that healthcare costs are very expensive and healthcare plans don’t always cover all of those expenses. As we age, the chances are that we will need more and more healthcare coverage. Most financial advisers will advise seniors that they need to set money aside it to deal with healthcare. Late life health care is a serious issue for many consumers. This is obviously good advice and we certainly encourage this. But there are other steps that middle-age people and seniors can take with regard to ensuring that they have a healthy retirement life.

Diet, Exercise and Late Life Health Care

For example, managing your diet and conducting daily exercise that is suitable for your age will go a long ways to maintaining your health in retirement. This is one of the best areas in terms of value for time spent that you can focus on to ensure a healthy life during retirement.

You may still need to say for healthcare during your old age, but it will be much less expensive if you’re healthy from exercising and eating a proper diet. Most seniors focus less and less and exercise as they become older due to joint problems, weight gain and other health related issues.

Often weight gain leads to more joint problems, diabetes, heart disease, and many other health issues. Focusing on your diet and reducing your way to the recommended level for your age as well as exercising can make a huge difference in your overall health, the amount of prescription drugs that you take, and the support that you will need during retirement. This is one of the best ways to ensure that the money you have will last you in retirement. Stay healthy and stay focused on the proper diet, the proper amount of exercise for your age, and ensuring that your savings will be sufficient to carry you through your retirement.

What about Smoking

Another obvious area is smoking. It has been proven time and again that you will live longer and healthier if you do not smoke. if lung cancer does not get you then stroke or heart attack will and it will happen sooner than if you do not smoke. We can all point to people who have smoked and lived a long life. These are the exceptions. Most smokers will die 10 to fifteen years earlier than they would have if they had only stopped smoking.

For more health related topics, click here.

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I decided to write a blog about what we are going through as a family dealing with what we hope will eventually be a hip replacement for my wife. As I write this she is having severe pain in her hip and we are starting the process of having it assessed with the expectation that she will eventually need a hip replacement, but then we are getting ahead of ourselves. This situation first of course must be diagnosed and get into the health care system so that her hip can be assessed and then the proper corrective action taken. OHIP and Government Bureaucracy will ensure that this process is long. We hope the solution is a hip replacement and not something far worse.

We hope that our friends south of the border read this blog and can avoid the significant delays and extra pain that patients experience in Canada, particularly in the province of Ontario. Our health care is covered, so we cannot go broke, but we do have to wait a long time before solutions to our health issues are resolved. I am going to track the appointments and elapsed time so that readers can appreciate just how much time is involved in our situation. We are also going to attempt to be proactive and expedite appointments etc where and when we can. OHIP and Government Bureaucracy has its plus and negatives.

OHIP and Government Bureaucracy – Time Line

Save For more information about our health care system, click here.

We saw this joke online and thought it would bring a laugh to readers who are trying to lose weight, the writer included.  It does illustrate the fundamental truth that you have to be active in order to have a successful weight loss plan! Anyone on a diet and anyone who has tried to lose weight in the past knows that not only do they need to watch what they eat, cut down on intake, but also they must become more active so that they burn more calories than they are taking in. This is a fundamental issue. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in each and every day, otherwise, you will not lose weight, you may even gain weight! That is a different kind of diet plan.

We hope you enjoy the following little story!

A Different Kind of Diet Plan for Weight Loss

A Newfoundlander was terribly overweight, so his Doctor put him on a
diet. ‘I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a full day.

Repeat this schedule for 2 weeks and when you return, you will have
lost at least 3 kilos.’

Two weeks later the Newfoundlander returns and the Doctor is shocked
to see he’s lost 25 kilos.

‘This is amazing!’ exclaims the Doctor ‘Did this happen by just
following my instructions?’

The Newfoundlander nodded…’ I’ll tell you though, by jaesuz, I t’aut
I were going to drop dead on dat 3rd day.’

‘From hunger, you mean?’

‘No, from all dat fockin’ skippin!’

Whether it is a walk around the block to get started or a couple of hours at the gym each day, burning calories from exercise is a good thing to do. But there are other benefits as well. You will improve muscle tone, your cardiovascular will improve and your overall well being will improve. Walking around the block could even improve your social life since you will meet other like minded people in your neighborhood. This can be a great way to meet people.

For more information about diet and weight loss, click here.

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It is a shame really, but four New Jersey Casino Hotels Closing  this fall throwing thousands of people out of work. The Revel, the Trump Plaza, the Showboat and the Atlantic Club Casino closed this year. Revenues are down 6.2% from last year and there is no relief in site so the owners are being forced to close these properties.

It has been rumored that the Revel hotel is being purchased by a company named Brookfield out of Las Vegas. They are getting a real bargain if this deal goes though. The Revel was built at a cost of $2.4 billion several years ago. It will be picked up for a paltry $110 million dollars. Details of the deal have not been disclosed although we do know that they are negotiating with the city to lower the taxes paid on the property. As of mid 2016, it is still under negotiations.

New Jersey Casino Hotels Closing – Taxes

The city and the state want their share of taxes and have not been willing to forgo the taxes that have been collected in previous years. The City of Atlantic City is also suffering from reduced tax revenue from property taxes. Tourism taxes and is looking for ways to beef this up. This is one of the major reasons people are staying away in droves. Tolls(another form of taxes) on the highways are expensive and parking fees take another bite out of tourist visitors. Both suffer substantially when people stay away from the Atlantic City area.

New Jersey Casino Hotels Closing – Competition

The other major reason consumers are staying home, particularly those that gamble is that they now have a choice of going to local casinos in surrounding states. Practically every state is getting into the act and running their own casinos to keep this revenue in the state. This provides a very difficult competitive problem for Atlantic City especially in the fall, winter and spring. The beaches may draw people in the summer to the area. It is a cold place along the coast in the winter time.

We hope Atlantic city finds a solution to this problem. We hope that the city also gets into the act of being more competitive to save this tourism business and the jobs of thousands of people.

We have all been there, why I cannot lose weight? We try to lose weight. Go to the gym but somehow we just cannot remove the pounds and lose weight. We wonder what is going wrong and are thinking about giving up as far as losing weight is concerned.  Well there is a reason many people fail to reach their goals even if they do go to the gym. There are a number of reasons and most of us just have to realize that we need to focus on really doing what is needed to lose weight. If you recognize yourself in any of the following descriptions, then this could be the reason you are not losing any weight or at least not achieving the goals you have set for yourself.

Why I Cannot Lose Weight?

Going to the gym couple of times a week, but hit the wall before we even break a sweat. If this is you, then you have to realize that you need to push through this wall and really burn some calories. Doing a lackluster exercise routine is not going to help lose weight.

Doing the Same Thing every day or every couple of days will train the body to adjust to that routine. Varying your exercise routine will train different muscles and will challenge your body to respond. Complete cardio training one day and do muscle training the next and focus on different groups of muscles. Each time make sure that your break into a sweat.

Not Pushing Yourself is one of the best ways not to lose weight. Find a partner or someone to compete with. Set objectives for yourself that are increasingly more difficult.  Before you know it the exercise you did when you started will seem like a breeze.

Couch Potato the Rest of the Day – being a couch potato after your exercise with the corresponding snacks that usually go with it will not only ensure that you do not lose weight, you actually could gain more weight. Be active all day long to sustain your loss of weight.

Over Eating is another way to ensure that you gain weight. Use smaller plates which cause you to consume smaller portions. Eat slowly so that your stomach has time to fill up and tell your brain that you are full.

Waste Time at the Gym – is another great way to avoid exercise and not lose weight. Look around you at the gym. How many people actually are working out vs. socializing?

Recovering from a Work Out – allow your body time to recover from a strenuous workout. The muscles you pushed need time to heal, so work one set one day and another set the following day.

Know Your Target Heart Rate – your target heart rate is based on your age and your current weight along with activity level. work this rate so that you can gradually do more at the same heart rate.

Balanced Routine – means varying the routine from one day to the next, working different muscle groups every day. Set the routine and cycle back every few days so that muscles are aging put to work after healing from the last workout.

Have Fun While Working Out – if you are having fun, there is an increase chance you will continue exercising. It will not be boring and you will enjoy your time at the gym, playing sports or whatever it is that is fun.

Hopefully this will help you answer the question, Why I Cannot Lose Weight. For more information about losing weight, click here.

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We recently visited the Hollywood Casino located just outside of Grantville, Pennsylvania near the town of Hershey. This is the place where Hershey makes all of their chocolates. The Casino is at the racetrack just off of Interstate 81 and about 10 miles from Hershey. There are several hotels to stay at in the area including a Hampton Inn which is very nice, clean and offering a hot breakfast in the morning. The Hollywood Casino dies not have a hotel associated with it. Hershey offers the famous chocolate factory,  outlet mall for shopping and a tourist area for going on rides etc as part of the overall experience of visiting the area. For travelers, this is a good stopping point that offers a number of things to do including hotel, restaurants, and entertainment.

Hollywood Casino – Overview

This is a large casino with approximately 2400 slot machines, table games, at least 4 restaurants, and several bars. They also have the horse races if you are interested in that sport with a beautiful dining area to sit and watch the races.  There is lots of surface parking as well as a covered garage.

Hollywood Casino – Restaurants and Bars

There is a small bar on the main level which is not very attractive as far as bars go and the prices for drinks at the bar are more expensive than if you just buy a drink from one of the servers who are roaming the floor. The buffet is ok, however we wound the food a bit bland and not well presented. Basically it was untidy. They also serve wine from a box which we declined. The restaurant and sports bar upstairs is better and offers a good selection of food. We had the rib dinner and a plate of Nachos. They were both excellent and the nachos were more than fully loaded.

 The Slot Machines

They have over 2400 slot machines and a number of table games. We did not find that the machines were paying and they did not seem to have the standard machines we look for. There is lots of selection so we are sure you find something you will enjoy. They could have more poker machines and more keno machines to suit our tastes.

We probably will return there sometime in the future if we are traveling through the area.

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The picture on the left is an example of one type of CPAP mask that consumers can purchase. There are actually about ten different styles, however the point of this post is not really about the type or number of CPAP masks. Instead we wanted to bring to consumers attention that they really need to shop around to find the best price for their CPAP supplies. In many cases they can be purchased at a discount, sometimes as much as 50%. Medical supplies are priced very high, especially if you purchase them through a medical supply agency or company. Consumers can really save a great deal of money by shopping around to get the best deal. An example will illustrate what we are talking about.

CPAP Supplies Discount

The write recently went to a local health provider of medical equipment. This is a popular one and used by many people including seniors who need various types of supportive equipment. In our case we wanted to replace the hoses and the nasal pillow CPAP mask that is being used. Everything was great in terms of service, fitting etc, until we saw the price for a hose, the mask and the supporting straps. The total came to over $250, the mask itself with straps was $230. At the time we were kind of blown away at the high cost. When the writer mentioned this to the medical professional, the answer was somewhat surprising. First she indicated or reminded me that my health insurance would pay for 80% of the cost. Secondly she mentioned that anything related to the medical field is very expensive.

Well the writer decided to check around to see what other prices there are. Turns out that you can purchase the exact same thing for half the cost online. So should the writer purchase the CPAP supplies at a discount? Well my insurance only pays 80% which means my cost would be around $50. If I purchased the items online ,y cost will be around $20 after putting the claim into my insurance company.

We are not going to purchase the CPAP supplies from our local medical store on principal. This is just a rip off and we have to vote with our dollars to register our dissatisfaction. What do you think?

For information about finding CPAP supplies, click here.

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The Trump Plaza, Revel, The Showboat and the Atlantic Casino are closing placing a minimum of 8000 people out of work and delivering a severe blow to the economy of Atlantic City. All Levels of government are meeting to see what they can do to deal with this problem. However, the issues are very significant. Some can be fixed while others are beyond the scope of what the casino owners and the government can do. In our opinion, there are several major issues that are at the root of this downward spiral. It all has to do with competition. While Atlantic city controls the casino market on the eastern seaboard, life was good and business did well. Unfortunately, a number of things got in the way. Meanwhile Casino Hotels Closing in Atlantic City continues.

Casino Hotels Closing – Competition

Surrounding states were tired of losing money to New Jersey and built casinos of their own. This fact alone siphoned millions of dollars from Atlantic City. Not only the casinos lost, but so did the supporting businesses. Consumers just found it easier to drive to their local casino. Especially in the winter than to drive for several hours to get to Atlantic City.

Another deterrent is the high cost of tolls along the various highways. Individually they do not amount to much. They do add up over longer distances. Tolls are a big irritant to many people including tourists who might visit Atlantic City.

Free parking is almost a given when you go to a casino, but not in Atlantic City. When they began charging for parking driven by the city and increased the tolls just to get to the city, I think that this was the beginning of the end. The city and the casinos just could not sustain the taxes and the tolls and also keep tourists coming to Atlantic City.

Unless the local and state governments give some money back, Atlantic city is going to see hard times and tourists are going to stay away in droves. That is my opinion, what’s yours?

Consumers can purchase several different kinds of CPAP masks. Often a health consultant will help you choose the proper one to fit your face and one that is comfortable for you. In this post we want to talk about a recent experience the writer had regarding the purchase of a nasal mask CPAP. The current equipment is two years old and they suggest that you replace your mask and hoses at least once per year so we are well over due for a replacement.

Of course the first place I went to for my replacement was the same store that I originally purchased my medical  equipment from. They were quite helpful and really all I needed was a replacement set of hoses and a nasal mask CPAP. Well the price for just the nasal mask and the harness to hold it on came to $220 in Canadian dollars. I could not believe that it was so expensive. Even though my health insurance would pay for 80% of the cost, I rebelled at paying so much for essentially a piece of plastic. They told me at the time that this is typical of what medical devices cost and that I just had to accept it.

Nasal Mask CPAP – Check Online Prices

I decided not to purchase what I needed at that time, much to the disappointment of the medical professional that I was dealing with. I am sure they get a commission for everything they sell. When I arrived home, I checked online and found the same thing for less than half the price from a Canadian supplier. In the US it is probably less expensive than even this online price. I was simply blown away by the difference in cost!

It really does pay to shop around and register your financial complaint by purchasing what you need at less expensive stores or online web sites. Even though my insurance would have paid for the nasal mask, it is the principle of the thing to not always pay the top dollar! I submitted the invoice to my insurance company and they paid the standard 80%.

Another thing that I learned is that  these same medical professionals are waking up to this issue and that they have competition. I went back a month or two later to discuss the cost to see if they would budge at all. I really do value the advice and consultation they provide but just do not want to pay more than double the cost. It turns out that they were willing to provide me with a 20% discount to obtain my business. While the final price was still higher than the online price, the premium was worth it to me for the advice and consultation that I received.

For more details about CPAP mask types, click here.

There is a great deal of competition in the casino industry and now there seems to be a bit of a shakeout starting with a number of traditional casinos closing. It used to be that there were really just four main places to go to for gambling. These were in order of size – Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Tunica, Biloxi and perhaps Laughlin. They worked with local governments and they prospered.  Unfortunately a number of events have taken place that are dealing some of these locations a financial blow that is tough to come back from. Some have even closed, gone bankrupt and reopened under new owners.

Traditional Casinos Closing – Atlantic City

The first big names to fall by the way side are several of the casinos in Atlantic City. Atlantic city has been for many years the go to place for gambling in addition to the beaches. There were approximately  twelve casinos along the boardwalk and in the marina area. There was at least 50 million people within one days driving distance from New York, Phli, Washington etc. The casinos would bus people in, offering a meal, some tokens and hope that they would spend the day gambling.

Four casinos are closing in September in 2014. Revel, Showboat, Atlantic club and Trump Casino will close putting at least 8000 people out of work. Revel was a brand new hotel that just did not make it and was not popular with local gamblers. With growing poverty in the area, Atlantic city needs to take steps to figure out how to reinvigorate the industry.

Unfortunately, there have been casinos popping up in surrounding states. Each state tired of losing revenue to New Jersey decided to have casinos of their own and this has siphoned off much of the tourism traffic to the Atlantic city.  A storm dealt a recent blow to the area taking the focus away from gambling and taking money as well. In addition, the writer found that the extensive tolls that travelers needed to pay just to get there was adding up. Combine tolls with closer easier to get to casinos and many people are staying in their home states.

The picture on the left shows the typical types of CPAP masks that are available from most distributors of CPAP equipment and accessories. In addition each of these masks will be available in a variety of sizes. They will fit people with varying sizes of nostrils and facial features. It is important to have a comfortable fit that also fits securely on your face to prevent air leakage. Air leakage can cause the CPAP machine to not work properly and deliver the wrong pressure to your airways. It is annoying if air is escaping from around your mask. The air around the mask is whistling or bothering your face. It must be tight enough to provide a secure fit. It also must be contoured and sized to fit your face properly.

What is a CPAP Mask

The CPAP mask is connected by a hose to your CPAP machine. It delivers the air to your airways and must be fitted properly as already mentioned. It usually consists of something that fits over your nose and possibly your mouth if you are a mouth breather. Straps that will go over your head to tie it in place. Some people refer to it as a Darth Vader mask. It reminds them of this fictional character from Star Wars.

As you can see there is a variety of masks in the picture. All are design to deliver the basic functions. The choice is really based on comfort, your personal taste and the ability of the mask to do it’s job. For example if you are a mouth breather, then you need a mask that fits over your mouth and nose. Or you need one that includes a strap that goes under your chin to keep your mouth closed while you are sleeping.

The benefit of wearing a mask to deal with sleep apnea far outweigh any discomfort you may feel. Avoiding a stroke, a heart attack and getting a decent nights sleep is by far better than not wearing one or being so vain that you will not wear one. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, get tested and take the steps you need to deal with your sleep apnea.

For more info on CPAP masks, click here.

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Every month I receive an online casino news letter. It has been sent to me for many years. It has lots of links in it that take you to a variety of articles that discuss what is going on in the casino business. Like most news papers, whether they are  online or traditional, they try to cater to many people who have a variety of interests. We read this online casino news letter just about every month and scan the headlines. They are interesting for the most part. But really do not have anything of interest to us that we can use as we visit various casinos around the country. There is the possible exception of the latest one which talked about what is going on in Atlantic city.

Online Casino News – Atlantic city

Three if not four casinos in Atlantic city have or are closing their doors as of Sept 1st. . These are casino hotels that are along the boardwalk in Atlantic city. They have been part of the casino scene for many years. In fact we have spent many summers visiting this area primarily because of the total package that is available in Atlantic city. For example in addition to top notch hotels and restaurants, there was also the beach along the Atlantic ocean. There is the boardwalk that runs for over ten miles. Off course there are the casinos where you can try your luck at the slot machines or the tables.

Online Casino News – Competition From Surrounding Casinos

The primary reason these hotel casinos are in trouble is that there are more and more casinos being built in surrounding states. People are spending their money at these upstate casinos instead of making the trek to Atlantic city. One of the irritants about going to Atlantic city for us was the amount of tolls that had to be paid just getting there. We paid at least $20 in tolls each way. This adds to your trip in addition to having to pay for parking at the casino parking lots. While we are not talking about a lot of money, it was seen as a money grab. It is also an irritant which combined with other casinos to go to is keeping people away.

We enjoy the Akwesasne Casino and the hotel. In fact this location is probably one of our favorites to go to in the area. It is clean, bright, the staff are friendly and helpful. There are more than enough slot machines of the type we like. This is by far one of the best casinos in the area to visit.

The buffet is well organized, kept clean, with excellent food. It is easy to navigate even when it is really busy. The busiest days appear to be Monday and Wednesdays. Which are considered senior days. On these days the buffet is half price and your automatically receive free play on your slot card to use in almost all of the slot machines. If you need to line up at the cashier to get some money or to cash in chips, you may want to chose your time. The lineups can belong. We will talk about this issue and one other that we think patrons should be aware of to make their visit more satisfactory.

Akwesasne Casino – Dining

As we mentioned, on Mondays and Wednesdays it is seniors day and the casino is very busy. There are long lines of people waiting to get into the buffet at lunchtime and also at supper time. Sometimes people can wait in line over half an hour. If you have a preferred slot card, you can bypass this line and enter the buffet immediately after paying with your slot card using your points.

The problem is that due to poor signage, some people in the regular line get quite upset especially if they have been waiting for over 30 minutes when they see others bypassing them. They will even try to jump the line and step in front of people even though they do not have a preferred card. This can get very uncomfortable until the staff straighten it all out. Bottom line is that if you do not have a preferred card, you cannot go in the preferred line and you just have to wait.

Akwesasne Casino – Slot Card

The slot card at the Akwesasne Casino works very well. As you rack up points, you can use them to pay for meals at any of the restaurants. The only problem is that they have combined the Winners Circle with the Cashier and now the lines are even longer than they were before due to both sets of people waiting in the same line. This has not made customers very happy, however, we hope the casino will eventually straighten it out.

The map on the left shows us that there are twelve casinos in the State of Louisiana, scattered around the state. There are also the casinos in Mississippi as well that are situated along the Mississippi River and along the coast. But this particular post is about the casinos in Louisiana. The map gives the name and location of these casinos. Note that there are no casinos in Texas. Texas residents must travel across state lines to enjoy their local past time. If you are having trouble reading the map, you can use your ctrl – + key to expand the page until you can read it properly. We have also listed the casinos in the following paragraph. They are numbered to match the map.

Casinos in Louisiana – List of Casinos

1. Amelia Belle Casino
2. Belle of Baton Rouge Casino
3. Boomtown Belle Casino
4. Boomtown Bosser City
5. Holywood Casino
6. Diamond Jacks Casino
7. Horseshoe Casino & Hotel
8. Isle of Capri – Lake Charles
9. Isle of Capri LC Grand Falls
10. L’Auberge Du Lac Casino
11. Evangaline Downs Racetrack and Casino
12. Treasure Chest

Casinos in Louisiana – Evangaline Downs Racetrack and Casino

This is the only casino we have been to personally in Louisiana. They have all of the standard slot machines. Many racetracks are not doing as well these days since potential customers who like to bet on the horses are spending their money at the casinos instead. This Racetrack is using some of that attraction to keep people coming and to also use the casino to fund some of the racetrack operations.

It is a nice spot however there is no hotel to stay at, so visitors from out of state must plan to drive to another location in the surrounding area to spend the night.

The casino business is far too dynamic for an online casino guide to really provide any significant benefit for readers. Sites are changing all of the time, new sites are being added and old ones either eliminated or changed. With all of this activity anything we write would be out of date almost from the time it is published. As a result we decided to take a different approach. We are focusing on general topics to help readers and people who play these online casino games. Hopefully they will gain a better idea of how to enjoy themselves. Also how to gain the most from some of these sites. And as a result most important avoid losing their shirts playing these online casino games for real money.

Online Casino Guide – Play Casino Slots for Free

There are many sites that are available online that allow players to play for free with chips or credits that they provide at no cost to the player. the player is only given so many credits per day and can play until they lose their credits or play as long as they are winning. There does not seem to be any limit on time,. Just a limit on how many free credits you are given each day. Sometimes if a game freezes, and you have to restart the slot game all of the credits are lost for that day. It is frustrating especially if you were doing well to have the game freeze and lose all of your credits however that is the way these work and it did not cost you anything in the first place. Besides you just move on to another site with free games.

Online Casino Guide – Limit your Play

If you do play with real money, play with your head and not your heart. It is very easy to play, lose a lot of money and then think you will win it back sometime in the future. The problem with all casinos is that the majority of people lose money and a few people win large jackpots. No one can win all of the time except the casinos regardless of whether they are online or not. Play for fun and not to make money!

Could it be possible that two meals a day be better than many small meals or even three meals a day? Most of us have heard that eating a number of small meals, usually six, each day is the best way to maintain your body weight. Also your energy and your overall health. Now recent studies are finding that these multiple meals may be over rated. Fewer meals may be the better answer.

Two Meals a Day – The Study

Fifty four patients with type 2 diabetes were split into two groups. Their diets were reduced by 500 calories per day.  The first group had three regular meals plus snacks between meals and after their main meal at night. The second group was limited to two meals a day. They had a large breakfast and a large lunch between noon and 4 pm. They kept their same exercise habits and they maintained this eating approach for two weeks and then switched. Both groups also maintained 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat

Two Meals a Day – The results

Both groups lost weight, but the group that was limited to two fewer meals lost more weight than the other group. They had lower fasting blood sugar levels. They lost or decreased the amount of fat in their livers.

Eating 6 meals per day makes it very difficult to control the calories in total that they eat. While eating only two meals per day, most people will eat fewer calories and possibly lose more weight. The study doctors were not confident that the group eating two meals per day did not eat fewer calories and lost more weight as a result.

They also recognize that it is difficult to not eat a meal at supper time. It is ingrained into our culture and the body is looking for a meal, unless a large lunch was consumed late in the day, which may be one way of compensating for the two meal a day approach. There may also be a tendency to gorge oneself especially if you are overly hungry. With a small number of meals, by the time it is time for the second meal most people are overly hungry. They may eat more calories which negates the weight loss potential.

If you are serious about dieting and losing weight, click here for more info.

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The Mirage casino is owned by MGM Grand group of companies. The mirage casino is located on the strip in a central location. Which gives you access to many of the major hotels in the area. Next-door is Caesar’s Casino and down the street is the Bellagio. On the other side of the hotel on the same side of the street is treasure Island hotel and casino. Which is no longer owned by the MGM group of companies.

Across the street from the Mirage casino and hotel is the Venetian Casino Hotel as well as Harrahs Casino. All of these hotels contain approximately 5000 rooms. As a result there are probably 20 to 40,000 rooms within the immediate area of where your staying. All of these hotels offer fantastic restaurants, entertainment, and free shows .

Mirage Casino – Sight Seeing

Most people will spend a lot of their time sightseeing going in and out of the hotels. For example the Mirage has a volcano that erupts every 30 minutes during the evening hours. Across the street at the Venetian we have the Canal shops. There are gondolas being guided through waterways in front of all of the shops. At Caesar’s hotel there’s a street of shops with a sky like ceiling and statues that come alive with a laser show every 30 minutes. There are many restaurants to dine in from the very inexpensive to some of the most expensive in the world.

We suggest that you spend three days maximum in Vegas every once in a while. Take in all of the sights and sounds, the glitter, the noise, the casinos and the shows. After about three days you need a break from all the action since it goes 24 hours a day.

We all fall into the trap of looking for the best online casino. We are looking for games that we like to play. Whether they are slot machines or table games that we are hoping will be loose and will pay a large jackpot. At the very least we want to be able to play for some time without losing all of our money. It really sucks when you lose everything quickly and have to quit or get more money. At least with the online casino you can try a variety of slot machines and table games and be entertained. Players look for the best online casino using different criteria so we thought we would list some of them here.

How to Rank the Best Online Casino

The obvious first criteria that many people look for is how well these online casinos actually pay. The payout rate, the real rate is a very closely held secret. You can be sure that it is always in favor of the casino. Regardless of what you feel or think, know that the online casinos and the real casinos are set up to take your money, it is just a matter of how much enjoyment they provide you while they do it.

This brings us to the next major point. If you really like to gamble, then it should be enjoyable. We think that this should be the next major criteria for most players. If you are not enjoying what you are doing then move on to another slot machine or casino. In our case, we love the ambiance of being in a real casino, with the sounds and the music as well as listening to other players. We also like to win, but these extraneous features are part of the entire package.

Other factors such as service, cost of meals and drinks, obtaining your money when you do win are all items that many people also consider. For online casinos, the only one that fits is the criteria of how quickly you can obtain your money from a jackpot and have it transferred to your account.

Manage Your play at Online Casinos

Lastly, whether you are playing an online casino or a real casino or one that is online, we feel that it is always important to manage your play and not lose your shirt so to speak. Consumers who set limits and are able to enjoy the experience and then walk away usually enjoy themselves the most. Which one are you?

There are small travel CPAP machines, so small that they can fit in your pocket, or even your brief case and compared to some of the larger ones this can be very convenient.  If you travel a lot especially by plane, suitcases are packed tight then a travel CPAP can be very attractive. There are a couple of things that users should consider when traveling with a CPAP. Regardless of what machine you actually use.  The picture on the left is of someone taking the sleep test. We wanted to mention that since people might get the idea that this is the way you have to sleep. Check out the pictures in some of our other posts with pictures that show the various types of masks that can be warn once you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Best Travel CPAP – Still Need Water

Regardless of which CPAP you use, we strongly recommend that you have a humidifier module attached to keep your nose and throat moist during the night. A CPAP without a humidifier can cause your nose etc to become uncomfortably dry during the night and even wake you up. Carry the humidifier portion of the CPAP with you at all times and bring distilled water with you to use so that you do not have to depend on tap water of questionable purity. If you are flying you will have to pack the water in your suitcase or purchase distilled water at your destination. Sometimes it can be difficult to obtain depending on the location you are traveling too.

Best Travel CPAP – Bring Extension Chord

You should also pack an extension chord to reach those hard to reach electrical outlets. It is surprising just how many are located conveniently for the maid. They are not for the customers with all of their electronic devices that need to be recharged. Also for people who also use CPAP machines. The chords do not take up much room. You may be surprised at how much you use it for other devices as  well. A ten foot chord will be more than sufficient.

Looking for more information about CPAP machine travel ideas, click here.

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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.

It is not difficult to travel with a CPAP machine if you are organized! That is one of the things that I have learned over the past year with my CPAP machine. Yes you have to bring or carry an extra bag, but it is certainly worth it to have a good nights sleep and carry it with you. There are a couple of tips that some readers may find useful which we will cover in just a moment. the main thing is to ensure that you always have it with you and your hoses and straps are in good condition.

The last thing you want is for one of them to break while you are away from home and then you are unable to use the machine at all. While we have never encountered this problem, it is time we carried spares with us since it is now two years old and the plastic of the hose and mask could be a little brittle.

Always wash the mask every day with mild soap and water to keep it clean and smelling nice. Wash the hoses once a week at a minimum to avoid any further issues  as well.

CPAP Machine Travel – Bring Water

Always bring extra water with you for the humidifier. The instruction booklet strongly recommends distilled water which is the cleanest you can find. It will not add any dirt, grit or anything else to your lungs which could be in natural tap water.

CPAP Machine Travel – Bring an Extension Chord

This is probably the most important tip of all. Always bring an extension chord with you. It is amazing how electrical outlets are arranged in hotel rooms. they are often no where near the head of the bed and only an extension chord will allow you to place the machine close to you on the side table. We even found that some of the more modern hotels are short on outlets and an extension chord is required.

For more information about CPAP machines and getting used to using them, click here.

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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.

Smart phones are a wonderful tool, however more and more people are finding that they need to let their Smartphone Sleep on the Couch so they can get a good night sleep. If you bring your phone to bed with you are you listening for the familiar notification when a new email arrives?  Or an alert that signifies something you are tracking has been updated. Any of these things can be distracting. They can ruin your sleep as well as that of your partner. This can leave you tired with low energy and unable to concentrate properly on the job or the daily tasks at hand.

Smartphone Sleep on the Couch – Turn it Off

There are a number of solutions to dealing with this problem. The main focus is to get a good nights sleep and really the best solution is to leave your smart phone in another room, where it cannot be heard. If you have a tendency to also use it to read books or articles, the news etc when you cannot sleep it really should not be on your smart phone. The light tends to wake us up even more and cause us to get used to waking up in the middle of the night. If you do this often enough, you establish a pattern and your body becomes trained to wake up in the middle of the night.

Smartphone Sleep on the Couch – Set it to Not Disturb

I have an iPhone and regularly take it to bed with me. It sits on the night stand ready for me to grab it at any time. I use the built in alarm to wake me up in the morning. I also set the phone to night time do not disturb mode. This has the phone turn off all notifications and alerts. As a result there are no interruptions that can wake you up. I specifically do read in the middle of the night although I have lots of good books on my phone. This is a personal rule that I have made to help me sleep at night. I want to avoid getting into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night.

Several links to other sleep related posts may be helpful, click here.

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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.

Online casino reviews are always a little suspect. We happen to think that most people would only write a review if the comments are negative. They are upset enough to take the time to write an online casino review. Any positive ones may have been written by paid writers to write these reviews and make the online casino look great. We happen to think that the odds of winning at an online casino are actually worse than traditional casinos. But then again, there does not appear to be a lo t of factual information to support this idea.

Online Casino Reviews – Slot Comp’s

Online casinos can really only offer free play which you can then use to pay your favorite slot machine or table game. Regular or traditional casinos have so many more opportunities to use to comp their players. These include free hotel rooms, free meals, free show tickets even free transportation.  They also offer free play as well along with free drinks at many of the casinos run by public companies. Even if the drinks are not free, the prices are usually deeply discounted for customers who are playing in the casino.

Online Casino Reviews – Where to Spend Your Money

While we enjoy gambling there is so much more to gambling than just playing a machine or table game. There is the entertainment, the atmosphere that goes with a casino, the meals the drinks and on and on.

There is a huge social side to the casino that you do not receive when you play online at a casino. You get to interact with other people at the tables or the slots. Sometimes the game is as much playing the people as it is playing the game. For example if you are playing texas holdem. How do you get a read on what cards your opponent is holding when you are playing online? You cannot read his facial expressions or look for tells.  It so much more interesting to play in a real casino vs an online casino. You might not have been expecting this sort of post for online casino reviews, however this is our take on the whole scene.

We recently visited Logan’s Roadhouse in Wilkes Barre, PA and were not disappointed. They had the usual ice cold beer, the peanuts in the shell and a really great steak! We like to sit at the bar and have a couple of beers before enjoying our meal. We chat with the locals, enjoy a beer and munch on the peanuts. The peanuts are in the shell and they ask you to deposit the shells in an empty bucket in front of you which helps decrease the cleanup at the end of the night.  We usually eat at the bar as well since it is place where you can strike up a conversation with other folks. We have met a lot of interesting people over the years this way. Most people enjoy conversations about the local news and hearing about our travel. We tend to stay away from politics and from other contentious issues to avoid any really disruptive conversations.

Logan’s Roadhouse – Salads and Steaks

We ordered a Cesar salad along with a baked potato and a steak with a side order of ribs. Both were cooked to perfection, the meat fell off the bones and the taste was perfect. For the money these meals are the best available as far as we are concerned.  If you have not gone to a roadhouse, you really should. The quality and the quantity are fantastic. My wife and I usually split a meal since the size of these meals are too large for one person. We often order a side of something such as a salad or extra ribs. In fact there have been times when even ordering a side with another meal for two is too much food for us. If you have a large appetite you may order two full meals and then if you cannot finish it ask for a takeout container for the remainder.

Logan’s Roadhouse – Sitting at the Bar

We like to sit at the bar as mentioned, however if you are not the type to sit at the bar, and prefer to have your own table there are lots of seating available. On busy nights you may need to get there a bit early otherwise you may have to wait until a table becomes available. We always seem to be able to find a seat at the bar no matter how busy they are.

The Logan’s Roadhouse in Wilkes Barre is part of the huge chain of Logan’s Roadhouse’s and measures up to that chains reputation.

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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