Long Weekend or Extended Vacation, Council Bluffs, Iowa Has it All

Council Bluffs, Iowa truly has something for everyone. We have taken long weekends there for several years now and enjoyed every minute of it. A small town with all the sites and sounds of a city. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is laid back.

Our weekend starts at Ameristar Casino/Hotel. I would encourage anyone to sign up for a Player's Club card. There is no cost and the benefits are great. They will send you discounts for the hotel, restaurant, and any special events.

There are four restaurants to choose from. We go to the Heritage Buffet. The food is excellent. They have a complete menu and a desert island. The staff is one of the best I have ever seen. They are helpful, courteous, and only there when you want them to be. Kids are welcome; it is not in the actual casino. The price is right. Just remember to bring your appetite.

After finishing our meal we take the kids down to Kid's Quest. It is located in the lower part of the building. Kid's Quest has every toy imaginable. The staff is excellent and the kids enjoy themselves. In fact the only problem I have ever had is my kids not wanting to leave. Don't worry about the safety of your children. The kids are behind a locked gate; there is staff at the front counter all the time. Bring your driver's license or state identification card. The staff will need to see it when you are dropping off and picking up your children. They assign you a number and put a sticky label on the kid's clothes, usually on the back so they don't peel it off, and give you a sticky label. You will need the label and your identification to pick your kids up. They have a fully equipped snack bar and you can set the limits on how much your child is allowed to charge. You can leave the kids there only while you are on the casino grounds.

While the kids are enjoying the toys my husband and I go on the riverboat. The riverboat has slot machines and card tables. I like the atmosphere. The boat is beautifully decorated. They have slot machines and card tables to rival anything Las Vegas has to offer. They also seem to have a pretty good payout ratio.

After a couple hours of gambling for the adults and playing for the kids we try and utilize the other amenities the hotel has to offer. We walk around the casino complex. They have a gift shop, it has nice things mostly with the Ameristar logo and the items are a little bit on the pricey side. There is a fully equipped fitness room. The sauna has large windows that overlook the Missouri River. The kids love the indoor pool.

We spend a day touring the town of Council Bluffs.

A railroad golden spike is located there. It marks the start of the trans continental railroad over the Missouri River. It is a 56-foot tall concrete spike painted gold. Worth a visit at least once just for the historical factor.

You can take a tour through the Grenville Dodge House. It is a beautifully restored Victorian home built for Grenville M. Dodge, a highly respected civil war general and railroad builder. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The furnishings are authentic to the time period. Admission is extremely reasonable. It cost our family of 4 less than $15.00 to tour this magnificent house.

We sadly end our long weekend with a picnic at the Lewis and Clark monument. This monument, which has been recently refurbished, sits on top of the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. There is a plaque telling the history of the site. The site marks the meeting place of these explorers and the Otoe Indian tribe.