Sun Spots

Hello World, And so here we are, back safe and sound from another adventure, still in one piece and none the worse for wear, which is always the very best way to travel. It all began months ago, when one of Bill's favorite performers, Vienna Teng (and please do feel free to go ahead and visit her web site at www.viennateng.com and see for yourself) went on tour in support of her new album, "AIMS," in various towns and cities over a wide area. One of the dates fell right in our backyard, as it were, at the Mohegan Sun casino on the Indian reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut, and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Now that we had already been to Foxwoods, the other Indian casino in The Nutmeg State, we thought it would be especially interesting to see the differences and similarities between the two, and how they stack up against each other in assorted categories. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets. So off we went on Thursday morning, into the wilds, where the trees were just starting to turn, and the highway skirts the lovely Thames River, with views that were delightful to behold. It takes under 2 hours to get there, and although the traffic was heavier than we expected, it rarely got bogged down. When we arrived, we were too early to check into the hotel, and it was past our lunchtime, so we scouted around for meal options, and immediately discovered the first of many differences between the two locations. Foxwoods is bigger, and has a walkway around the perimeter - with many attractions, such as shops, restaurants and entertainment venues - while the actual gambling takes place in separate areas with restricted access to keep out minors or troublemakers. By contrast, Mohegan Sun is a whole mish-mash of everything all thrown together in one sort of lumpy area, and you basically have to walk right through the middle of all the gaming activities, in order to get anywhere. You could spend an entire day at Foxwoods and never know it was a casino, except for some slot machines here and there, while at Mohegan Sun, all of their games are right in front of your face, and around you on every side, no matter where you go. Also, because of their walkway, after you've been at Foxwoods for a while, you have enough of a feel for it that you can pretty much find your way around on your own, by remembering landmarks and paying attention to the signs. That's out of the question at Mohegan Sun, where after 2 days, and in spite of their brochure's map and numerous directories on the floor, we could never get a handle on where we were, or how to get from one place to another. Personally, I couldn't understand why they didn't assign Sherpas to all of the guests upon their arrival, to keep them from aimlessly wandering around in a stupor, but Bill said that was the wrong kind of Indians anyway. By some miracle, we managed to find our way to the hotel, which was a good thing, because unlike Foxwoods with its choice of hotels, at Mohegan Sun, there is only the one, and you either find it somehow, or sleep on the floor. Our room on the 18th floor had a gorgeous view, and while I won't describe it as palatial, it was easily one of the nicest rooms we've ever stayed in anywhere, and the bathroom was worth it all by its (enormous) self, believe me. Our evening's entertainment was taking place in the Wolf Den, one of several big and small venues at the place (Foxwoods also has several, very similar in that regard) and we decided that we should go find our way there ahead of time, so we would know how to get there and not be late. This was important because shows in the Wolf Den are free, but seating is limited, so we had our work cut out for us. After exhausting our own resources, and much outside help (they actually have booths called "Lost Guest," instead of "Information," which should tell you something right there) we nailed it down, and left a trail of breadcrumbs back to the hotel lobby, just in case. Then it was off to check out the pool and spa, and ever more differences cropping up along the way. At Mohegan Sun, all hotel guests can use the indoor pool and hot tub, with inviting outdoor patio, with a charge for spa services such as sauna, massage or beauty treatments. There is no indoor pool at Foxwoods, but you can pay for the spa, which is well worth it as one of the most indulgent experiences you will ever have in your whole life. The spa at Mohegan Sun was Spartan in comparison, and we were disappointed that they were already booked up for the entire afternoon and evening, so our pampering was going to have to wait for the next day. After that, we turned our attention to dinner options, but became so hopelessly engulfed in the labyrinthine chaos that we finally gave it up as a lost cause, and just went back to the Wolf Den to wait for the show to start. Next time, I would definitely bring my own Sherpas and be done with it. Bill gave the concert high marks, and the intimate setting was much more appealing than their cavernous 10,000 seat arena - although it must be said that the slot machines going off on all sides created a distraction that in no way enhanced the performances, I can tell you that. The meet-and-greet afterwards was a special treat for fans, and Bill has the pictures to prove it. We left the Wolf Den at a different spot than we had entered, and stumbled right into Bobby's Burger Palace (this is a casual dining adjunct to Bobby Flay's Bar Americain, its pricier counterpart upstairs) and their griddled cheese sandwiches, milkshakes and onion rings are not to be missed, if you find one in your area. After a long and hectic day, we were ready to turn in, and while I'm happy to say that the hotel was nice and quiet, I can assure you that it would not have made one bit of difference to me, that's for sure. I don't know what it would have taken to keep me awake, but if the hotel was still standing, I certainly would have slept right through it. In the morning we ordered room service, as we had also at Foxwoods, and it arrived promptly and piping hot, although not exactly the nectar of the gods that we might have hoped. Then we jumped into our swimsuits for a splash in the pool, and even better the hot tub, which was a relaxing interlude that was just what the doctor ordered. We went our separate ways at the spa, with Bill signing up for a massage, and I settled in for a mani-pedi - which was so badly overdue that I expected the manicurist to flee in terror at the sight of my forlorn and raggedy nails, but fortunately she was made of sterner stuff, and soon had them whipped into shape. Then we hit the food court for a light lunch (an innovation that would be an improvement at Foxwoods) and set off to help the local economy buying souvenirs in the shops, or know the reason why. This is really where you separate the men from the boys, and on the retail side of things, Foxwoods is full of upscale names like Rolex, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, while Mohegan Sun has some of that (Coach, Swarovski, Tiffany) but also many regular stores like Yankee Candle, Brookstone, Farmer's Almanac General Store and Dylan's Candy Bar, where ordinary people could buy stuff without breaking the bank or hitting it big at the slots. We're not exactly high rollers, so I guess I can't count on a commendation from the Mohegan Tribal Authority, but they certainly made up in shopping what they didn't get from us gambling, and that's not just the fire water talking, kemo sabe. By the time we packed it in and hit the road, it was getting dark and sprinkling a bit, but we managed to reach Denny's in West Haven without any trouble or traffic along the way. We made it home without incident, and even better, it was only Friday night, and we still had the weekend in front of us to relax and unwind after our adventures. In retrospect, I thought the two resorts would be more alike, or that one would be significantly better than the other, but that turned out not to be the case. They were more dissimilar than I expected, and both have their good points (the spa and food at Foxwoods, the room and shopping at Mohegan Sun) as well as areas for improvement, and no clear winner overall. I'm betting that if anybody builds a third casino out there, combining the best elements of both, it's going to be a killer - but I'm going to call ahead and make sure they have Sherpas, just to be on the safe side. Elle