I left you all in Stockbridge at the Red Lion Inn but our adventure didn’t end there. On Thursday morning we left the inn and drove around the surrounding area. Back in the early days of our marriage we spent quite a bit of time out there every spring. Dale would turkey hunt and we would camp and we have terrific memories of those times. It was so nice to see so many of our old favorite spots.
And then we left and headed to Springfield, home of the new MGM Springfield Casino. Our check in was simple and our room was very cool. It’s all sort of industrial-modern-steampunk-ish with lots of printed word decor, which I love. Once settled in our room we walked around a bit, got a drink, ogled at the casino, and finally wound up at TAP Sports Bar. After a bit I heard from my niece Danielle (she isn’t really my niece but that’s a long story and I’m not going into it here) who let me know that her husband Jose would be down to visit with Dale and I shortly. Jose is a big shot at the casino and he gave us a VIP tour of the whole place, including introducing us to managers and wheelers and dealers! We felt very important!
After Jose left us we gambled a bit. And lost, of course. It was fun, though, as was the people watching. Seriously, we saw people dressed to the nines and others who were . . . not so dressed up. Everyone was having a good time, though, and that’s what mattered. Eventually we headed back to our room with our heads full of the sounds of the ringing bells of the slot machines.
Before we left in the morning I said we should gamble just a teeny bit more. I slid $20 into a penny slot machine and started . . . losing. I was down to $7 when I miraculously started winning! I suddenly was getting tons of free games (56 in all) and the machine sort of took on a life of it’s own. I surreptitiously took that photo at one point when my winnings were over $200 but by the time we finished (Dale took a go at the same machine when I cashed out) our winnings equaled $533!
And we walked away.
We had lunch at a brewery in Northampton and then made a brief stop at WEBS and we were back at home in time for Friday Night Snacks. It was a really fun few days away, made especially so by that cash win!
And that’s the end of the February Two Hotels & A Casino Story.
Is it a coincidence that winning $533 and a trip to WEBS were in the same trip? I think not. How fun to finish your trip with your casino adventures.
Winning and walking away? Most wise, and congratulations!
Woo! Winning and walking away is the sign of true genius! I hope you spent a tiny bit of that win at WEBS! XO
A February vacation is a great thing, and a win at the casino makes it even better! I’m not much of a gambler, but I think I could have a lot of fun at penny slots.
A visit to Webs after a casino win is perfect! Glad you two had such a nice week.
That’s so exciting! And I certainly hope you used some of your winnings at WEBS!
You stay at the best places! How fun to hear you won and then hear you stopped at WEBS! What a great vacation!
Winning! I’m a walk-awayer too. That’s a nice little boost to the week! And Northampton…always a nice place to visit!
Well I would HOPE you made a long stop at Webs to celebrate!
That seems like an absolutely perfect little getaway to brighten up February! And yes, curious readers want to know how much of your gambling take ended up getting left behind at WEBS!
You have my undying admiration for winning and walking away. Few people can do that. (Personally, I hate to gamble. When Smokey is on the machines I go out to the car with a book or my knitting.) The clientele at our nearest casino runs heavily to folks with walkers and/or oxygen tanks.
Nice that you walked away with $$$ to spend at Webs!
What fun! Personally, I really don’t enjoy casinos, and try my best to avoid them. But winning over $500 is BIG! And WEBS is a great way to “celebrate” your winnings. XO
You had me at WEBS and Friday Night Snacks….:) What a fun trip!
Oh fun! I’ve only been in a casino twice… once in Reno and once in Vegas, both times with my sister Sharon. Reno was a blast because they still used actual coins — and we won, at least enough to buy ourselves a nice dinner. Vegas wasn’t as fun because they’d done away with all the coin machines… BORING!! (But Vegas was fun in OTHER ways!). What a fun trip, Carole! I love the decor in that room.