Fun at Foxwoods: A Review of the CT Casino Resort

Every weekend, Foxwoods has some sort of Bingo event. For some reason, my whole family LOVES to play Bingo. Truly. When I found out about the Mother's Day Special Mystery Envelope Bingo Event, I knew this would be the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom. After all, Foxwoods is located just north of New London, so taking the ferry over is no problem. As a matter of fact, you can catch the Sea Jet from Orient Point (NY) for just $25. The $25 charge covers ferry transportation from Orient Point to New London and back, bus transfers, 10 $1 Keno quickpicks and $10 to spend in food or a free buffet. You can go to www.longislandferry.com for more information on the Sea Jet and other ferry services. Mom and I planned to leave the car overnight, take the SeaJet and stay at Randall's Ordinary Inn & Restaurant. (Don't worry-- review coming soon.)

When mom and I got to the Orient Point ferry, we discovered that there wasn't any secure parking. I didn't feel comfortable leaving Craig's car there overnight, so we decided to take the ferry that allows you to bring your car over. We purchased the tickets - $39 for the car and driver and $10.50 for an adult passenger each way - and were on our merry way.

Upon arriving to New London, we drove off of the ferry and made the quick 20-minute drive to Foxwoods. (Directions from the ferry terminal in New London: Take 95 North to Route 2. At Route 2, make a left. Follow for about 8 miles. Foxwoods will be on your left side.) We pulled into the new Rainmaker Valet Parking area and dropped off the car.

The valet attendant was very nice and informative. He gave us instructions on how to pick up our car when we were ready to go. instead of coming outside, we just had to go to a desk inside and give them our ticket. They would let us know when our car was ready. Talk about efficient!

In good spirits, Mom and I headed upstairs. Mom hadn't been there in a while and was overwhelmed by the enhancements and extensions made to Foxwoods. We took a long escalator into a hallway, which led us right in front of the new Hard Rock Cafe. There are a lot of new shops around, too. But, right in front of us, was a sprawling casino filled with various coin denomination slot machines, table games, cocktail servers, bars, video poker machines.. You get the idea.

After realizing how ENORMOUS Foxwoods is, visitors will notice how incredibly clean everything is. The hallways are spotless and sparkling. I have never seen any trash on the floor. The bathrooms are immaculate, and there is always someone cleaning them to make sure they stay that way. The casinos are very clean as well. Employees are constantly cleaning empty cups and other garbage from slot machine areas. I have never been in a cleaner casino or resort. This really shows that Foxwoods takes pride in their complex.

There is so much to do at Foxwoods. Believe me, I have been there many times, and I have never been bored. Besides gambling and Bingo, there are stage shows, a movie theatre, several restaurants, a large shopping area, nightclubs, full-service salon and spa, workout facility, and even a tribal museum. You could go to foxwoods and not gamble at all, if you really wanted to.

As a matter of fact, there is a lot to do in the area surrounding Foxwoods. There are a lot of places to go antiquing, such as Raspberry Junction. You can spend several hours in Mystic. You can even visit the Mystic Aquarium. You will never be at a loss for something to do at Foxwoods!

If you want to stay at Foxwoods, there are three different hotels located within Foxwoods itself. There is the Grand Pequot Hotel, Two Trees Inn and the Great Cedar Hotel. If the rooms are booked, there are many hotels in the area, including Hilltop Inn & Suites and Randall's Ordinary Inn & Restaurant.

You will never go hungry at Foxwoods, either. There are many restaurants to choose from, including Al Dente, Cedar's Steakhouse, Golden Dragon, Festival Buffet, The Bistro, Hard Rock Cafe, Veranda Cafe and many more. There are lots of fast food restaurants, too, like Subway and Nathan's. You can grab snacks at a lot of places, too, such as Ben & Jerry's. Prices aren't all that high, either. And, you can use your Wampum Card points at ANY of the restaurants, stores and hotels in Foxwoods.

There are several smoke-free casinos that you can play in if you don't smoke. Unfortunately, there aren't any table games in these smoke-free casinos. However, you can find all denominations of slot machines and video poker. Smoking is allowed in the majority of Foxwoods, and I always find myself stinking like an ashtray after spending a long period of time there.

Finally, be sure to join the Wampum Club. You will earn points that you can spend on anything in Foxwoods: food, hotel, shopping, spa services, etc. You will also receive terrific offers and coupons in the mail, and be entered into all sorts of sweepstakes and drawings. It's a great reward club that is free to join and free to use. You can easily access your Wampum account by visiting the Foxwoods website at www.foxwoods.com .

Speaking of the website, you can do all sorts of things at www.foxwoods.com. First and foremost, you can find out all of the information that you need to know about Foxwoods. You can plan your trip, access your Wampum account, make dining reservations, buy show tickets, download the Bingo schedule, find out about ongoing promotions... You get the idea. If you want more information on Foxwoods, their website is a terrific way to get it.