The Alperts Return to Mille Lacs: Anniversary Trip Oct. 6-8

My bride and I celebrated our anniversary with a return to Grand Casino Mille Lacs (MN). No pics this year since my camera went kaput on our summer vacation… Pics would’ve been similar to last year’s TR pics for the most part…

Friday:

We arrived before dark this year. Also less construction and traffic on the way there. To the player’s club to get new cards and then checked-in. After taking a peek at the room I ran down to get our bag from the car. I took a long-cut through the casino floor and popped a twenty into Disco Fever. One max bet spin ($3.00) later and I was looking at the amount of $65.20 in credits. Nice start!

I grabbed that TITO and headed out to grab the bag. Back to the room and then my bride and I headed down for some dinner. A major change since last summer’s visit is the closure of the buffet. With that “off the table” we ate at the 1991 Kitchen restaurant--which replaces the Great Northern Grill that used to be there. Grand Casino Mille Lacs is still a “dry” casino. So, just coffee, pop, juice, and “mocktails” served at the bar.

We slotted our way back to the room. My bride found a friend in a Hot Roll 3x4x5x and I went into the smoke-free room and—please don’t tell my slot machine wife Wild Cherry this —had a great time on Siberian Storm. I went Russian back to find my bride was up $50 and I told her that I was up fifty bucks, too. She thought I was Putin her on…

Saturday:

Bride slept in. I went to the bingo room to reserve our seats for the evening’s bingo session. Then slotted around, walked outside, etc. for about five hours. Drank too much Dew, too!

Back to the room to wake up my beautiful bride. I woke her up in a polite, husbandly way and after showering we went down to the new B3 (Brand Burger Bar) for lunch. Sports bar without the alcohol! Great burgers and my bride and I really liked the hot fudge shakes.

We hopped in the car and drove north along the lake to the small town of Garrison (population 210) and grabbed a few supplies from Dollar General, visited a souvenir shop, and spent a few minutes looking out over the lake. Beautiful drive with all the fall colors near peak.

Back to the casino area to slot around a little more. Then we walked to the next-door theater to see the new Kingsmen movie. Back to the room for a little breather and then down a little after 7:00 to buy our packages for bingo.

Lots of folks already in the bingo hall. Lots were there in preparation/advance for Sunday afternoon’s Fantasy Bingo session. I was glad I’d reserved our spots earlier. My bride and I both purchased the cheapest package of bingo cards on paper and a dauber. $16 each. My bride added on a few extra cards for one of the extra progressive games. First half of bingo had several long games and some near-wins for my bride and I.

At the half-time intermission as I slid from my chair to go over to refill my Dew cup I heard my bride mention to the twentysomething newbies across the table that we've played here four times or so but she "never wins.” When I returned to the table my bride went to the sales desk to purchase some numbers for the U-pick-em game that leads off the second half of the session. She bought three sets of numbers at $1.00 apiece. You can pick your own numbers—just like the state lotto but you pick seven numbers. My bride wasn’t that ambitious and just had the computer pick the numbers.

So the second half of bingo starts with that U-pick-em game. Quite a few numbers are picked and my bride hasn’t even matched one number on any of her three sets. Then suddenly I’m seeing her mark numbers quite often. Soon she’s down to where she just needs one number for one of the sets and the twentysomethings across from us have joined us in the anticipation. And the very next number—was the one we were looking for! BINGO for my bride! Our tablemates went nuts and were so excited for her. They were great kids. Of course, the usual groans and icy dagger stares from some others in the gallery. $200 baby!!!

Good times were had at the whippersnapper table that night. The twentysomethings had a few near-bingos of their own in the second half and my bride and I were rooting them on! If it wasn’t a dry casino I’m certain we would’ve had a great time grabbing some drinks and celebrating—Alperts’ treat!

Bingo lasted almost a full three hours. My bride and I stopped in at 1991 Kitchen to grab a really late dinner. Good grub! Got back to the room to see the last few sketches of SNL and then off to .

Sunday:

The bride slept in and I enjoyed a nice walk outside and some time on the quiet casino floor. A couple small hits on Hot Shot Progressive but no ghost-of-Hef luck on Playboy Quick Hits. I made a rare foray into the VP realm, not really sure what the heck I was playing, but I ended up $16 the richer. Back to slots, finishing on the Las Vegas-themed Quick Hits for a couple spins. I figured that would be an appropriate slot to finish on in hopes of a return to Vegas soon! Cashed out up $45 bucks for the morning after starting with a $10 bill. I continued to walk around, downing free Dews and people-watching until waking up my better half to get ready before check-out and the journey home!

My bride and I both finished up, even after dining, movie, Dollar General, and gas are factored in.
The way I look at it I'm already the man who has everything--an awesome family, a great set of friends, and well-hung...sorry, I had to cough there ...clothes in everyone's closets due to my wonderful home laundry skills. Anything else I see as a bonus and a blessing!
Thanks to my folks for watching the minions again and to my bride’s dad for feeding the Alpert animals. Also, thanks to my bride who surprised me with a new camera upon our return tonight!

Finally, a big thanks to you for taking the time to read about our latest adventure!

RICHARD

 

I’m getting the shakes just reading how many times “dry” was mentioned in this TR!

Good stuff, nonetheless, RA! Sounds like you two had a great weekend. Congrats on the wins!

 

Sounds like a wonderful anniversary trip! Thanks for sharing, Richard.

 

Happy anniversary! Good trip report, even without pictures.

 

Thanks, @thecarve! Usually the only thing dry in my posts is my [attempted] humor!

Thanks so much @win4me! I appreciate it!

Thank you, @DaiLun! I'm looking forward to getting my new camera up and running!

RICHARD

 

Awww, @Richard Alpert, that's the best kind of stuff ! Happy anniversary !

 

Enjoyed the read, great trip report

 

Wow Richard! The takeaways from your trip:
You Did the Dew
Dollar General
Bingo-Bingo-Bingo and Bingo was his name
Let the wife sleep late
No minions to wake either of you up
Something about being hung
Leaving with more than you started with
A brand new camera
Shared everything with your soul-mate
Sounds like an anniversary that dreams are made of! Congrats!

 

Glad to hear you and your wife got a chance to spend
some quality time together, Alpert.
Sounds like you had a great time and came out ahead.
Always a good thing.
Happy Anniversary!
....Now you can get working on those camera skills for your next trip.

 

Happy Anniversary Richard to you and your wife!! It sounds like it was a great trip and thank you for sharing!

 

Hey Now!
Good times there Alberts!

 

Thanks for your trip report! I enjoyed it immensely, as well as all of your posts. Very happy that you had a wonderful anniversary getaway with your lovely bride, and you both came home winners, too!

How wonderful that your bride got you a new camera. Now go take pictures of your adventures in Vegas!!

 

Thanks, @Geogran!

Thank you, @djslots! I appreciate it!

Thanks, @martinr! You should've written the TR for me!

Thank you so much, @ardee! My bride said she's now good for another year!
I do hope we have a little more quality time together than that, though.
Perhaps a first-week-of-June trip to a little city called Las Vegas? Stay tuned on that one...

Thank you, @amk121! We truly enjoyed the getaway as a couple!

Hey there, @flysrb! I always like to see your "Hey Now!"'s on VMB!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my TR!

Thank you very much, Electro! I appreciate it! And I'm looking forward to taking that camera to Vegas!

RICHARD

 

Happy anniversary. Been a few years since we've hit Mille Lacs. For us it's about a 3+ hour drive, but a nice drive nevertheless. Love driving along the lake, such a beautiful site (we come from the north, through Garrison)
WHAAAT.....No more buffet? I thought theirs was one of the better ones. Too bad about that.
I do enjoy that casino, but not the fact that it is dry. But a bottle of vodka and some mix in the room helps!
Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you, @LV2GAMBLE!
It was my first casino stay without visiting a buffet at least once!
I hope I'm not too slim entering winter now...

RICHARD

 

Great trip report Richard, and happy anniversary to one of everyone's FAVORITE VMBers, and his lovely bride! Sounds like a magical trip, and congrats on the bingo win!

 

Thank you, @Multifarious5!
I appreciate it!

RICHARD

 

Happy anniversary. It sounds like you had fun.

 

Thank you, @pebbles! We had a great time!
(The minions had fun with their grandparents, too!)

RICHARD

 

I've been to the Grand Casino in Hinckley a few times. Haven't been to the Mille Lacs one yet. I'll have to check it out sometime.