Anxious to leave our so called “luxurious escape” at The Backyard RV Park in Montgomery, we headed to our next destination, Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, AL, a comfortable drive of approximately 115 miles.  Arriving at the casino shortly after the check in time of noon, our arrival didn’t exactly go smoothly. When we pulled up next to the office, there was a sign on the door stating that it was closed. Luckily they provided a number to call but when we called there was no answer. Jeesh!

Fortunately within a few minutes, a woman did call back, explaining that she was at lunch and would be back in the office in an hour. Seems stupid that you would have a check in time of noon but shut down the office at that very same time for lunch! She told us we would be on pull thru site #1. Great, we thought, at least until we realized that there was a car parked in the middle of the site so she told us we could pick out another site, just stop by the office later to let her know which one. As soon as we hung up, a man who was staying on site #3 came out, apologized and quickly moved his car. Finally we were able to move into our site!

Immersed in the midst of the scenic Alabama countryside, dotted with cotton fields, this park is very clean, well maintained park with long 75 foot, full hook up, pull thru sites, offering free wifi, full bath and laundry facilities, a fenced outdoor playground, 24 hour security and shuttle service to the casino.

Once settled on our site, our very friendly next door neighbor came over and immediately started a conversation with Rob. Explaining that he was from KY, he quickly confessed to being an avid bourbon lover (as is Rob)! And lo and behold, he explained that the guy staying on the other side of him in site #3 was also a bourbon lover from KY. Oh, oh, a bourbon tasting party was on the horizon! I shuddered remembering a previous bourbon sampling party at Topsail Hills State Park with our friends, Betsy and Nancy, when Rob had one too many samples!

Once settled in, off we went in the car to explore all that this place had to offer. Now we’ve stayed overnight in a number of casinos before but wow, this place was huge, offering something for everyone!!

Owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in the state of Alabama, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel is a massive 240,000 square foot facility, with 57,000 square feet of gaming floor and over 1,600 electronic gaming machines.

In addition to the RV Park, for lodging, there is a 17 story, 160,000 square foot hotel offering 236-rooms. Several restaurants, a bowling alley, a cinema theater, an arcade, an infinity pool, a spa and concerts are just a few of the many amenities. And of course, being just before Christmas, there were a lot of beautiful Christmas decorations. We spent a few hours wandering around.

On our second day, we headed into the small town of Atmore, stopping for breakfast at The Anchor Cafe where we both enjoyed a Bacon and Cheese Omelet ($9) served with grits (Rob) or hash browns (me). Okay breakfast, nothing special.

After breakfast, we drove around the downtown area for a bit.

Except for a bit of a New Orleans flair in the downtown area and the nearby cotton fields, not much else to see.

Returning back to the coach, we were quickly invited to that evening’s bourbon tasting party by our neighbor next door (sorry don’t remember his name). Wow, lots of bottles of bourbon stashed on their outside portable table – 16 to be exact, some of them costing in the hundreds of dollars! Yikes! While I sipped my wine and chatted with the other two wives, at the eager request of our host, Rob started to sample a few of the recommended spirits!

In the midst of the tastings, suddenly Rob and the other two guys disappeared, destined for the Winnebago on the next site over, Site #3! Apparently the rig’s owner, Doug Broughton, not only had a special cabinet made to house his collection but also stored the burb in special bottles, each engraved with his name. Now that’s a serious bourbon connoisseur! Fun time!

Good thing Rob survived all the sampling since the next day we would be heading to our next destination. Bella Terra Motorcoach Resort in Foley, AL where we would be staying for three months.