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Tunica and Memphis are great for Short or extended weekend trip
All that Glitters in Tunica, MS could be more than Gold
By Pat Lindsey
At the crossroads between the home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll lies Tunica, Mississippi—an ideal destination for a short trip from St. Louis, about 5 hours drive time. Originally an agricultural area of cotton fields, soybeans, rice, and other crops, Tunica was developed in the late ‘90s as a gaming destination. Its location was strategic because it is only a 30-minute highway drive from Memphis.
At its peak, there were a dozen casinos in clusters of three or four, separated by fields of crops, but eight remain today. Casinos everywhere have witnessed a decline in business in the last few years, and Tunica is no exception.
On a recent weekend trip to Tunica, my husband and I stayed at the 33-story Gold Strike Casino, which happens to be the tallest building in the state of Mississippi. It is owned by Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International and received a multi-million dollar renovation in 2010, which also included a smoke-free second floor gaming area. It boasts two lounges and three restaurants, including the Wine Spectator and DiRona award-winning Chicago Steakhouse. We were fortunate to be among ten guests in its private dining room, where the food was outstanding and the service was impeccable. From the best crab cake appetizers we’ve ever tasted to steaks grilled to perfection, to the flaming Bananas Foster dessert, the meal was outstanding and one we will not forget.
TEN10 Wine & Whiskey, located just off the casino floor, is a popular spot. If we were a little younger, we could have partied all night at the Stage2 Bar, where live music was being played all night long. It was all we could do to stay awake long enough to play some of the new slots in the casino. “Neverland” and “Ellen” were two favorites. By then, it was time to turn in and rest up for the following day in Memphis.
A Day trip in Memphis
Memphis feels a lot like St. Louis because of the Mississippi River and some common roots. Its steamboat history and blues heritage are familiar to us, but there’s a much more southern atmosphere there. A day is not long enough to see all the sights in Memphis. Beale Street alone could fill an afternoon. And while “you’re walking on Beale”, you have to stop and get some barbecue at one of the many restaurants. We chose a place called Pig, because it looked old and authentic and its windows were filled with trophies won by their delicious pulled pork and other smoked meats.
We toured the downtown area by motor coach. After a brief visit to the Mississippi River Museum where statues of Elvis and W. C. Handy stand larger than life, we drove along Mud Island.
Mud Island, which is not an island, but actually a small peninsula, is about a mile from downtown Memphis. It is surrounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River Harbor to the east. In 1982, Mud Island opened to the public as an entertainment area that features a museum, restaurants, and an amphitheater. It is accessible by the Memphis Suspension Railway (a monorail), by foot (via a footbridge located on top of the monorail), by ferry, or automobile. The pyramid that was once a basketball arena is now being converted to the largest Bass Pro Shop in the country.
We were most surprised to see the northern portion of Mud Island, which is known as Harbor Town. It is a beautiful new residential area of apartments, condos, and large homes lining Island Drive and overlooking the wide Mississippi River.
As we drove around downtown, points of interest worth visiting again sometime were the Peabody Hotel, the Lorraine Motel, St. Jude’s Hospital, and AutoZone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds. People were beginning to file into the ball park as we passed by, and we would have liked to have seen the Cardinals top minor league team play, but we had to get back to the Gold Strike Casino for Jungle Jack Hanna’s show.
We knew we were going to see Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild show in the 800-seat Millennium Theatre at Gold Strike, but we didn’t know we were actually going to meet him and some of his animals before the show. It was definitely a highlight of the weekend and an example of the caliber of entertainment that Gold Strike is offering its guests. Jack Hanna was just as funny and personable as he was on “The Late Show With Dave Letterman” or “Good Morning, America,” and his stage show was a perfect balance of animals from the Columbus Zoo and film clips of some of his safaris.
Beginning June 19 and running through July 12, Gold Strike will take the entire family on a magical European journey during a cirque-style show named BALAGAN. There will be two shows Tuesday-Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $9.95, $14.95, and $19.95, or two tickets to any show for $15. Rounding out the remainder of the Millennium Theatre’s summer will be Loretta Lynn, July 17 and 18, and Vince Gill on Sept. 26. Tickets for performances can be purchased at 1-888-747-7711 or www.goldstrike.com
“BALAGAN brings a Las Vegas Cirque-style show to Tunica,” said show creator and DreamCast Entertainment producer Misha Matorin. BALAGAN (left) photo) will be appear at Gold Strike’s Millennium Theatre June 19 – July 12 and is for audiences of all ages
A veteran aerialist himself, Motorin grew up in the Moscow Circus, where his father was the director and his mother was a trapeze artist. The former guest creator of Cirque Du Soleil’s production “Mystère” now uses his background and expertise to develop shows consisting of the finest aerial, acrobatic and discipline talents in the world.
BALAGAN tickets range $9.95 to $19.95 plus tax and service fee, and may be purchased by calling 1-888-747-7711 or by visiting goldstrike.com. Two tickets are available for $15 plus tax and service fee, when mentioning offer code BALA. Show times are 7:00 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. There are no Monday performances and the show is dark July 3 and 4.
BALAGAN room and show packages start at $69 per person, Sunday -Thursday and include deluxe accommodations for one night and two tickets to the show. Mention offer code BALAGAN2015. For reservations, call Gold Strike Customer Care at 1-888-245-7829.
There’s no better way to end a fun-filled weekend than with a champagne buffet brunch at the Gold Strike Buffet American. The food selections seemed endless as we grazed through biscuits, eggs, and grits and then on to shrimp, crab legs, salads, desserts, and, of course, soft-serve ice cream.
