Eva's report got me thinking that maybe I should post a report of my recent jaunt to Biloxi.

Okay, so we wanted a gambling fix and Biloxi is a 6 hour drive from our house. I've been twice before, both times before Katrina. The casinos are new and shiny and open for business, but the rest of Biloxi is still a sad mess.

The waterfront used to be lined with nice old homes, hotels, yacht clubs and restaurants. Now, it's either blank spaces or twisted metal. You can clearly see that the foundations of the old homes are left, but not much else. Many people are living in winnebagos on their lots. It was sad to see, but residents appear to greatly appreciate their visitors. Re-building of restaurants, yacht clubs, etc is beginning, but moving slowly.

We stayed at a pretty low-rent place called the Palace. We had a special $69 rate, and it was nice for the price. I'd say the hotel portion of this place is a 3 star, but the casino is small and filled with locals who appeared to be spending the rent money on blackjack and slots. Plus, the dealers were surly and wouldn't talk. We chose to gamble elsewhere after seeing folks who clearly couldn't afford it pull out twenty after twenty, only to lose it (by the way, this observation was not based on appearance of the patrons, but on the response when said patrons lost a hand). We enjoy the "sport" of gambling and NEVER spend what we can't afford to lose. It's part of an entertainment budget for us. As such, we prefer to gamble alongside like-minded people when possible.

We gambled at the Beau Rivage and the Grand. I forgot how lovely the Beau Rivage is. It's like a mini Bellagio. Definitely the classiest place in Biloxi and we'll try to stay there when we return. The Grand was also very nice and would be a nice place to spend a weekend.

We did pretty well on blackjack and ended up paying for our trip. I hit $275 on a slot machine at the Beau and it bankrolled my blackjack for the rest of the trip. Got some meals comped, got lots of free drinks, and ate a buffet or two. Basically, what a trip to a gambling spot is all about. If you live in the SE United States and can't make a Vegas trip, Biloxi will get you through a dry spell. The people are, as always, very friendly and welcome the return of tourists.

By the way, a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is opening up in July. Apparently, it was weeks from opening when Katrina hit and it's taken this long to rebuild. It looks like a very nice place as well. It's located beside the Beau. Between the Beau and Hard Rock you'd have about 15-20 restaurant choices, ranging from a Hard Rock to a Todd English's Olives. Vegas it ain't, but all in all not a bad place to spend a weekend.