During the first three days of our trip, we ran ahead of our scheduled plans. It was taking less time than estimated to take pictures and collect information. Weather and traffic disturbances were minimal.
Day 4
Our morning started visiting JACK Cleveland. The casino is located in a historic building downtown. The weather was rainy for our drive to Presque Isle Downs, Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, Mountaineer Casino and Wheeling Island Casino. We even saw some May snow in the higher elevations of our drive in Pennsylvania. We crossed a very rustic toll bridge between Youngstown and Mountaineer.
The rainy/snowy weather and extra drive time caused us to call it a night early in Wheeling, WV. The hotel staff was enthusiastic about the city and its history. We decided to brave the weather and walk across the street to the recommended TJ’s Sports Garden restaurant. After dinner and a couple drinks, we called it a night. A student I tutored laughed when I used the phrase “awesome sauce,” so I had to take a picture to prove I was not the only one!
| The event | The original plan | The reality |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | 10 am | 9:39 am |
| Drive time | 5 hours 40 min | 7 hours 5 min |
| Casino visits | 6 | 5 |
| Ending location | Wheeling, WV | Wheeling, WV |
| Hotel Check-in Time | 9:30 pm | 7:55 pm |
| Total casinos visited | 18 | 18 |
Day 5
Blue skies greeted us the next morning. Our day started out with a half hour drive to Meadows Gaming. The track had some jockeys out for a leisure warm up, but no active races during our visit. The poker room has views of the racetrack through walls of windows. Our next stop was a visit to Rivers Casino Pittsburgh where we stayed for lunch at Wheelhouse. Wheelhouse had beautiful views of the river. Construction was beginning for the Landing Hotel, which will connect to the casino upon completion.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh was a unique experience due to its location. The casino is an anchor in the Westmoreland Crossing shopping mall. We continued with visits to Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin and Rocky Gap. These properties are surrounded by the beauty of the mountains and forests of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Since we found ourselves once again ahead of schedule we decided to visit Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course before calling it a night. The Hollywood Casinos have fun décor and recognizable themes throughout their properties.
| The event | The original plan | The reality |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | 10 am | 9:55 am |
| Drive time | 6 hours 30 min | 7 hours 1 min |
| Casino visits | 5 | 6 |
| Ending location | Harrisburg, PA | Grantville, PA |
| Hotel Check-in Time | 9:30 pm | 7:55 pm |
| Total casinos visited | 23 | 24 |
Day 6
The previous evening’s light was waning as we arrived at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, so the morning started with a quick trip to take pictures of the racetrack before heading out for the day. Live harness racing had started for the day when we arrived at Mohegan Sun, so we decided to enjoy a race before checking out the rest of the casino. A lucky pull on a slot made up for my horse racing loss. The casino was very aesthetic and artistic.
Our day continued with visits to Mount Airy, Wind Creek Bethlehem and Valley Forge. The weather threatened rain throughout the day, but stayed clear long enough for us to advance closer to our next location before calling it a night. Every day was feeling more successful than the last.
| The event | The original plan | The reality |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | 10 am | 10:40 am |
| Drive time | 5 hours 15 min | 5 hours 24 min |
| Casino visits | 5 | 4 |
| Ending location | King of Prussia, PA | Bensalem, PA |
| Hotel Check-in Time | 8:30 pm | 8:00 pm |
| Total casinos visited | 28 | 28 |
