Traveling Around - Michigan - Casino Trip To The Upper Peninsula

We got away from home by about 9 AM, knowing that we wanted to stop in Clare, MI, to try a much advertised bakery by the name of "Cops and Doughnuts". It is a rapidly expanding chain. Although only open for a couple years under the ownership of nine members of the Clare police force, they currently have three locations and are expanding to five this summer. In addition to the bakery outlets, they have a large number of sales outlets throughout the state. We stopped simply because all the publicity had intrigued us. Although we were not overly enthralled with the baked goods, we did enjoy the doughnuts and coffee (the wife had a fritter and I had what they call a "squealer" which is a long doughnut covered with maple icing and two strips of bacon).

Back on the road, we crossed the Mackinac Bridge and headed into the lonely country that is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Got to Brimley about 1:30.

We checked into the hotel. There is a really ornate lobby area with vaulted ceiling, a fireplace, and soft seating for television viewing. Our room wasn't quite ready so they checked us in and told us to come back to get the keys in a bit. We wandered into the casino and asked a few questions of the Player's Club as it was a double point day and there were several additional specials. Satisfying our curiosity we went back to the hotel and finished checking in.

One of the major reasons for the trip was the restaurant at Bay Mills. Sacys keeps changing its menu slightly but one of our favorite dishes remained. We went there after checking in to satisfy that need. "Smothered Chicken" was the meal we had looked forward to. It's a huge portion of chicken breasts smothered with cheese and onion and is delicious. We each had a salad and then split a baked potato and an order of asparagus. There was still more than the wfie could eat and she carried out some salad for a later snack.

On Wednesday and Thursday mornings we ate at Sacys and they have such huge servings that we split the meal both times. Of course, it was pancakes and eggs and bacon but still there was plenty and I left some on my plate both mornings. On Wednesday there was a casino special where you could earn a minimal number of points and get a free lunch buffet so that was our second meal on Wednesday.

Although it wasn't quite this crowded when we were there, lots of people were around. I usually mix my play between video poker and some blackjack, but this time I was content with the video poker. They have a bar that has 25 cent full pay jacks or better and the wife spent most of her gambling time there. There is a bank of 7 nickel video poker machines with lower payoffs that hover around 97 or 98 percent and we both spent some time there. The machine that caught my eye, however, and I sat there immediately was a Quick Quad machine. I played for several hours on Tuesday. My best (and most fun) hand came when it dealt me three 6's, a five, and an ace for a dealt Quick Quads. (I got the picture from a video I took and the video play controls are at the bottom of the picture - sorry.)

I headed for that machine Wednesday morning but got there too late. Someone had begun playing. I think that a "team of two" was playing because either that initial person or another fellow that I recognized was playing every time I went by. I checked it over a period of about 12 hours and one or the other of them was there all the time.

They had a Player's Club sponsored slot tournament on Wednesday that we played in. I had more points accumulated than the wife so I got more entries. As normal we didn't do very well, but I was lucky at one session and wound up in 7th place which was good for $25 free play which I put to good use at video poker.

Additionally, there was a once a month activity in the Conference Center that I like to at least stick my head into. It was a polka band - Richie Yurkovich and Polkarioty - that attracts an enthusiastic older crowd. They appeared from 1 to 5. I'd image that by 5 PM, there were some very happy people because beer was flowing at $5 a pitcher. We listened for a bit but were too timid to get on the dance floor.

After a leisurely breakfast we packed up our stuff and got on the road about 10. Ran into some rain after crossing the bridge but it quit pretty quickly. Had lunch at Soaring Eagle while going through Mt. Pleasant and were home by 3.

Video poker was about what should be expected since I didn't get a royal and I wound up putting about $4,000 through the machines and lost $45. The wife, as usual, did better than I and was at or near even. We probably won't get back up there this year and hope they don't change Sacys menu too much before we do.

I had intended to go to some museums in Sault Ste Marie but video poker kept calling me at the times I wanted to go so didn't make them. Perhaps next time. Most of the attractions that I wanted to see were closed for the winter months (they open up later this month). Hm-m-m, maybe I'll get back again this summer.