Oct 29, 2003 03:49 PM
2289 Views
(Updated Oct 31, 2003 06:27 AM)
We had a long weekend to kill and just wanted a place to relax. Cherokee seemed like quite an option because I badly wanted to stay in a log cabin and try out my luck in the casino. Tennessee, where I live jsut happens to be a non-gambling state.
We hired a log cabin about 2.5 miles away from Cherokee. We got a good deal on it, about 110$ per night, which was fair considering that we had decided at the last moment and most of the cabins were booked. It was the month of October, which is probably the best time because of the fall colors on display. The drive through Maggie valley was just amazing. We reached the log cabin at around noon, and just crashed into the hot tub, which was essential since we had a long drive and most were tired.
We spent the day just relaxing, I hit a couple of trails and took some snaps. It is indeed one of the best places I have seen in the fall and highly recommend it.
HARRAH's :
We made it to the casino at cherokee the next day and somehow a few were dissappointed that they coudn't make any money. Well, the sad part about this casino is that they have only digital black jack, the dealer among other things is the same, but the cards are dealt digitally. Apparently they didn't have a permit to use real cards. it just takes away all the fun from black jack.
They say that it is one big casino. Perhaps these guys haven't been to MGM Grand. Most of the Black Jack tables had a minimum bet of 15$ which is too steep for the casual gambler. Sometimes even these tables are not available and you have to settle for the 25$ bets on other tables.
The rules are a bit too strict and you can't double on anything other than 10 or 11. There is also a lack of variation in the gaming rules as opposed to casinos in Atlantic city or Las Vegas. They jsut serve free soft drinks and coffee at the player's tables. When you have a minimum of 15$ a bet, people expect free alcohol. I don't know if the rules change by the night, but atleast in the day, the waitress refused to serve me beer. I for one wasn't too pleased. Give me Vegas anyday.
Other places of Interest in Cherokee mainly include 'Ocanuluftee - the red indian reservation', where you can witness first handedly the lives and ways of the native Americans previously known as Red Indians. They charge you at the entrance. I think it was around 7$ per person.
Overall it is a nice retreat, there are a couple of lakes around Cherokee if you want to have a family outing or a picnic. You could drive to Asheville and witness the magnificent Biltmore Castle. NC is beautiful indeed.
