Tunica, Mississippi is More Than Just a One-Horse Casino Town!

Heading east, then north on this writer's next excursion, the pull of Tunica, Mississippi is too hard to resist. Tunica is known for its Casino's, but there is so much more to be had for entertainment! Located close by is Memphis, Tennessee which is the heart and home of the Blues and Bar-B-Que in the south. There is year-round fishing on Tunica Lake, and museums outlining the history of the area back to when the casino strip was a cotton field! Weather year-round is mild enough to be outside most days, and Memphis, Tennessee has a great Zoo to take the kids to. However, Tunica has so much to offer that you can spend a week in the area and not experience everything, so plan a trip soon!

(For your travel information, Tunica has a fun/water park for the kiddo's, as well as pet boarding facilities in the area).

This little town truly is a family place, with something for everyone. There is the Willows Sporting Clay Center for the target shooting enthusiast, and everyone will enjoy the Mississippi Blues Trail which tells the history of the Blues music and it's beginnings in Mississippi. There are public tennis courts and facilities, concerts year round at the convention center and also at the various casinos, and let's not forget Memphis, Tennessee which is just a "spit and a holler" away, and OM-Gosh!!! I thought I saw Elvis!!!

The casino business in Tunica, Mississippi has grown over the years from three nice quaint facilities on a dead-end street, to a strip full, including Sam's Town, Hollywood, Bally's (my favorite and one of the originals), Horseshoe, Harrah's, etc. All offer special deals through their own websites or you can get contact numbers through the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau site, (tunicatravel.com)

Tunica's new attraction is the Tunica Queen which floats down the mighty Mississippi and offers sight-seeing cruises as well as dinner and dance cruises. There is also an air-boat cruise, (lasting l/2 hour), that offers a little more excitement, a little more speed, and a little less romance when compared to the Tunica Queen. These boats are non-gambling providing a break for those that gamble and a quiet yet entertaining evening or afternoon for all. Kids are welcome but must be kept in check by parents, and of course, my pooches were not allowed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening dinner cruise which pulled out at 7:00 p.m. and lasted a few minutes over 2 hours. The music was entertaining, the food was great, the ticket was $47.00 for a non-senior, and well worth it. (This writer would have lost that $47.00 in a matter of minutes at any of the casinos, so it was good to put it towards an evening of enjoyment on the river.)

Food. Yummers. No matter which way you turn there are eateries both inside and out of the casinos. Everything from steak to hot dogs is available and it's all good! For years I have gone to the Bally's buffet and still like everything about it, but I am also a bar-b-que fan and Tunica and/or Memphis is a great place for a good bar-b-que meal. (Did I mention I thought I saw Elvis??)

Accommodations are easy to find as every hotel has rooms for singles, suites for groups. There are also outlying hotels if you'd rather not stay in a casino and it's easy to find these listings at the Convention and Visitors Bureau website, (tunicatravel.com)

If you are a shopping guru there are numerous gift shops and local stores to visit throughout the Tunica, Memphis area with lots of unique items. There are also gift shops within the casinos themselves that offer another way to use your money, -- let's see, shop or one-arm-bandit, hmmmm tough decision.

I could go on and on in praise for Tunica, but it's just best that you plan a trip to the area for a day, for a week. This is a town that offers something for everyone, whether you gamble or not. Come to Tunica to fish, hike, relax, boat, sight-see or whatever you enjoy, because you will enjoy it even more here.