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The happy-go-lucky traveling bloggers from GamblingResort.com hit the road this week to take a look at a few of the Indian casinos in the great Central Valley and Gold Country territory of California.
Any time the crew can hit the road and get away from the stressful environs of Los Angeles is time well spent.
Departing from Long Beach by car and first driving over the never-ending "Grapevine" of Interstate 5, these travelers made the transition to the old Highway 99 heading north towards Fresno. This road is a more direct route to casinos that are sprinkled throughout the farm belt of the Central Valley.
Fresno was to be tonight's welcomed resting place after visits to both the Eagle Mountain Casino west of Porterville and the Tachi Palace near Lemoore.
To find Eagle Mountain, head east on Highway 190 from Highway 99 towards Porterville, then right on Road 284, left on Indian Reservation Road and follow the signs along a road some 11 miles long and full of switchbacks right to the casino.
This road winds through territory that is occupied by the Tule River Tribe of Yokuts. The trip is slow going to anyone who might happen to get stuck behind groups of gamblers riding buses provided by the casino. Plenty of buses seemed to be making this trip in both directions.
Evidence of brush fires blanket the surrounding hills as this land is hot and dry in summertime. It is unclear how recent these brush fires were but the blackened hills extend as far as the eye can see along this road to the casino.
After spending some time in the casino and dropping a few bucks at the tables, the GamblingResort.com crew headed back into the Central Valley for the town of Lemoore, location of the Tachi Palace.
Tachi Palace is a massive and impressive architectural complex that rises out of the cornfields and dairy farms of the Valley. This casino and hotel resort lies west of Highway 99 and north of Corcoran State Prison and is easy to get to. But keep your road map or GPS handy.
For more information about Tachi Palace, click here.
It is owned and operated by the Tachi Yokut Tribe on the Santa Rosa Rancheria.
After spending a night in Fresno, the traveling bloggers of GamblingResort.com also visited the Table Mountain Casino in Friant and the more "modest" Mono Wind Casino in Auberry, both long drives, so it seemed, from Fresno. More information about these casinos can be found here and here, respectively.
Check out the unique photos of these casinos and the other casinos mentioned in this report on GamblingResort.com. This travel site features the best and most extensive collection of gambling resort photos on the internet.
The highlight of this part of the trip came when the crew headed northeast into the hills beyond Fresno in search of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in a place called Coarsegold.
Chukchansi Gold is no ordinary casino. This is one of the most beautiful Indian casinos in the entire United States. This casino rates "4 Aces" at GamblingResort.com and for good reason.
Part luxury resort lodge, part mining encampment, but gilded by gold in every respect, Chukchansi Gold is tucked away among towering trees in an area far from the madding crowds of the city. It is a peaceful place where one can gamble to the end of time without ever realizing that time has passed at all, as long as the bankroll holds out of course.
According to Wikipedia, the name of Coarsegold derives from the California Gold Rush of the 1850's when prospectors discovered coarse lumps of gold in a nearby creek. Dozens of gold mines operated in the area at one time.
After finally departing Fresno and the hot Central Valley, the crew of GamblingResort.com headed north and then east again into the cooler climes of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
This is truly the "Gold Country" of California where some 150 years ago gold was discovered on the American River at Coloma at Sutter's Mill in 1848. Virtually overnight, towns sprang up nearby to accommodate the incoming hordes of new arrivals from around the world.
The historic and scenic Highway 49 runs through these towns and is one of the most spectacularly beautiful routes a car traveler could ever hope to take.
Towns like Jamestown, Sonora, Columbia, Angels Camp and Jackson, some with wooden sidewalks still intact, evoke memories of a time when the typical possessions prized by the settlers were a mining pan, a pick-axe and a mule.
But, what is a gold miner doing in a gold mining town without a deck of cards and a pair of dice?
Hard days spent scratching the earth for nuggets of gold evolved or, maybe, devolved, into long nights of drinking and gambling. Saloons, gambling halls and cat houses lined the streets of these towns and when the gold played out, the next town over the next hill offered comfort until the gold played out there too.
But step out of the car for a moment and into the morning coolness of a summer day in these hills and the smell of gold still hangs in the air as it did way back then.
Step into Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, only 10 miles from Sonora. This place is a true reflection of the modern Indian casino set in the lush green environment of Gold Country. Tuolumne County, after all, is home to Yosemite National Park. Take Highway 49 south to Highway 120 east. No natural wonder in the world can compare to Yosemite.
Black Oak Casino has a towering entry way, a 23,000 square foot casino, some 28 table games and over 1,000 slots.
This place is at the epicenter of Gold Country and the wholesome, fresh air that goes with that.
The last stop in Central California for the now weary travelers of GamblingResort.com was in Jackson, location of the Jackson Rancheria Casino. This resort is owned by the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians.
The casino is some 250,000 square feet. Once inside, it gets somewhat difficult to find the nearest exit. The place was packed with people midday on a Tuesday. The parking structure behind the casino is huge as well, necessary to accommodate the rush of cards streaming in.
Imposing sculptures of eagles and bison adorn the pathway to the casino and photos of these creature can be found here.
It is alone worth the trip into these hills to see these beautiful animals on display in all their representational glory.
The travel website, GamblingResort.com, provides information about all Indian casinos in California and other states. It is a great resource for those planning to visit a gambling destination here or anywhere else in the country. One can find all sorts of useful stuff, including photos, casino statistics, map locators, addresses and phone numbers for every casino in the USA and beyond. One can also book hotels at GamblingResort.com. Give it a try!
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