My husband and I have always wanted to take a trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. We had heard stories of splendid glass statues, Tuscany under a waterfall, and of course slot machines. We will hear the barbed breath as friends describe their vacation to the Sun and then breathe a deep, sad sigh when we realize how much that vacation cost. With a single income and a twin the necessities to provide for our vacations are very cheap, sometimes boring. This year is set differently. Going to Mohegan Sun and we weren’t going to break the bank.
My father raised me to believe that with hard work and a lot of dedication, anything is possible, so I sat down at my computer with a cup of coffee in my hand and my father’s advice in my head. The first thing was, we needed a place to stay. Now, of course, we would like to stay at Mohegan Sun. They also offer 175 suites and a spa. After a brief understanding of our finances and a little laugh, I began to search the internet for a hotel in the nearby area. We knew what we wanted – a big room, a hot tub, a pool, and a short drive to the casino. It turned out that the best deal was not a deep discount from one of them; You name your price on the website, but directly from the hotel chain’s website. In the middle of the night, I release the dirt. The Norwich Courtyard by Marriott had a room with a hot tub right in the suit, an indoor pool, a restaurant next door, and a five minute drive to the casino In fact, they also offered shuttle service to Mohegan Sun and neighboring Foxwoods Resort & Casino.
Shoestring advice: Check your favorite hotel chain’s website for rooms and availability and book online. We were able to book a King Suite with a hot tub for $129 per night.
Since the biggest chunk of our money was going to stay in a great place, we wanted to eat in a great place. While we knew that we would inevitably have to spend at least one of the fast food restaurants in the casino, he wanted us to have a place for substantial refreshment. Our best casino is the same. Mohegan Sun is famous for two brands, Seasons and Sunburst. The season of the two is less expensive and offers a wealth of cut flowers, pasta, and vegetables; and desserts. It’s a great option when you can sit back and relax, eat your fill, and never leave the casino lights. If you really want to soak up the atmosphere, not to mention enjoying the 85-foot indoor waterfall and glass sculpture, head over to Taughannick Falls Bar in the heart of the casino for an after-dinner drink.
Shoestring advice: Visit the various buffet restaurants and have a drink after dinner in one of the smaller bars. You will enjoy the same atmosphere, without having to pay for some of the better things in expensive casinos. We were able to follow this route for two under $40.
What would a trip to Mohegan Sun be without a little adventure? Don’t get lucky at the tables or slots of time. Mohegan Sun offers plenty of five dollar gambling tables and also boasts Nickel slot machines. If you are afraid of losing too much money, be sure to take only a small amount of cash with you to the casino and leave the plastic at home to avoid being tempted by all those bank machines. My husband and I played twenty dollars for a little over 2 hours on our first night at the Sun, using the fourth slot. Choosing video slots seemed to work better for us because they were out of luck. The key is to just have fun and not get too caught up in catching or losing.
Shoe Tip: If you are lucky enough to win slots, don’t put all your winnings back in. Keep at least half so you’ll be left with some change in your pocket. Throwing only half of our winnings in the slots, we could pay our drinks, the gamblers, and buy a few small souvenirs. In the end we came home with only about $10 less than when we started.
A vacation is not without necessities, and the casino provides plenty of them. If you’re willing to spend a small fortune, the whole family can have sweaters with the casino logo on them. Or, if you’re like us, you just want to remember the trip, but don’t want to stay long for it. When you walk into a casino gift shop, head toward the back and look to the side. That’s where you’ll find smaller brands, most of which still contain the Mohegan Sun logo, all of which are less expensive. I still have my keys in the “lucky gambling” key chain I bought at the shop. Every time hanging video from the car ignition, I think about my good husband and times. Each casino before that.
Shoestring advice: Don’t forget your camera! Shops sell gift cards in gift cards, but the pictures you get are guaranteed to mean more to you than you discover. If you want a stock photo of the casino, head to the gift shop. If you want something more unique, have someone photograph you while standing in front of the indoor waterfall or sitting at your favorite slot machine. By taking our camera with us, we ended up with priceless pictures that didn’t cost us a dime.
In the end, our stories about Mohegan Sun are every bit as interesting and fun as our friends. Their mouths must drop when we tell them that a six day trip is only a little over $800, including hotel and dining! If you’ve dreamed of visiting Mohegan Sun, but it’s because of the cost – stop procrastinating! Do your research, shop around, and have some fun.
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- The Mohegan Sun Casino website provides a full list of dining and dining options as well as a wealth of information on the Casino. www.mohegansun.com
