Re-branding Caesars

New name, but the same casino.

The former Caesars Indiana casino has been re-branded. It is now called Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino. The 5,000-passenger riverboat -- permanently docked on the Ohio River in Elizabeth, IN -- still features more than 2,000 slots and over 100 pit/gaming tables. It is open 24/7.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana remains RV-Friendly. They have a designated lot for RVs and overnight parking is permitted. To get to the casino take I-64 exit 123 (New Albany) and follow Hwy-111 south for 8 miles. Drive past the parking garages and hotel complex and turn right onto Stuckey Road to the RV parking lot. It is walking distance to the casino.

Caesars and Horseshoe are just two of the many casino brands owned and operated by the Harrah's gaming company. In addition to the original Harrah's brand name, other brands in the Harrah's family of casinos include, Grand, Bally's, Harvey's, Paris, Rio, Showboat, Imperial Palace and Flamingo. The Harrah's Total Rewards Players Club is unique in that points earned at any of the Harrah's casinos (anywhere in the country) accumulate in a single account and the points can be redeemed for meals or other comps at any Harrah's-owned casino. Total Rewards accounts are maintained on a national computerized database and that's quite an advantage for RV travelers!

New "racinos" popular with RVers

It didn't take RVers in Indiana long to discover the state's two newest "racinos" (casinos at racetracks.) I called one of them this afternoon to find out if RV parking is available and the person who answered the phone said, "Of course, there are four or five motor homes out there already." The two new casinos at Indiana's race tracks are definitely RV-Friendly and both permit free overnight parking. They are open 24 hours daily and security is good.

The best news for travelers is that both facilities are located within a mile of the interstate exit, so you won't burn too much fuel to get to the free overnight stop:

--Indiana Downs, opened last week, is just off I-74 at exit 109.

-- Hoosier Park, opened on June 2nd, is just off I-69 at exit 26.

New casinos to see this summer

The Midwest has added new casinos in Iowa, Indiana and Michigan:

In Iowa, The long-awaited second Wild Rose land-based casino -- a replacement for the old Mississippi Belle II in Clinton, IA -- is scheduled to open in mid-July. It will be situated on 29-acres just off US-30 in Clinton. It will have a casino within a 60-room hotel, buffet restaurant, sports bar & grille and an indoor/outdoor event center. The new resort joins its sister Wild Rose Casino Resort located on US-18 in Emmitsburg. The Emmitsburg facility has a reasonably-priced RV Park; the Clinton resort will not have an RV Park when it opens. But there is plenty of room for RV parking.

In Indiana, two racinos, casinos at race tracks, open this month. Each racino will have 2,000 slots and electronic versions of the most popular table games. The racino at Hoosier Park opened this week. Its location is just off I-69 at exit 26. The racino at Indiana Downs is expected to open later this month. It will be located just off I-74 at exit 109.

In Michigan, the Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino opened in January in Standish, MI. The new casino is owned by the Saginaw Chippawa Indian Tribe, the same organization that owns the popular Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant. It is open 24/7 and features 700 slots and 58 gaming tables, including 18 in the poker room. The casino is RV-Friendly.

Traveling to Maine this summer?
You may want to check out the all-new Hollywood Casino in Bangor. It had been operating as a temporary slots parlor since November 2006 while the new casino was under construction. The Hollywood Casino has a 1,000 slots and the Epic Buffet. It is located near the Bangor Raceway and OTB in historic Bass Park in downtown Bangor just a mile from I-95.

New "racino" coming to Indiana

Central Indiana residents looking to play at gaming machines, without spending half their winnings on gasoline to drive to riverboats on Lake Michigan or on the Ohio River, will soon have another choice. On June 2nd, Hoosier Park in Anderson, IN will open a "racino" (casino at a race track.) The new facility will have 2,000 slots and electronic table games (including video poker, blackjack, 3-card poker and roulette.) It will be open 24/7. Anderson is located about 40 miles northeast of Indianapolis just off I-69 at exit 26.

Glory of Rome

Caesars "Glory of Rome" riverboat casino in Elizabeth, IN (just across the river from Louisville, KY) is hospitable to RVs. It has a good-sized outdoor lot designated for large vehicles and free overnight parking is permitted. Open 24 hours, the casino features over 100 pit/table games and 2,800 slots. The riverboat itself is crowded on weekends, but there's always sufficient space for RVs in the lot. Caesars Indiana is about eight miles from I-64 exit 123 on Hwy-111. When coming in from the interstate, drive past the parking garage and the boat and turn right onto Stucky Road.

Casino Fits In At Historic Landmark

If you like to visit historic sites, you'll really enjoy Indiana's newest casino -- French Lick Resort. Two resort hotels in the heart of the Hoosier National Forest area (French Lick and West Baden) date back to the 1850's when people flocked to the area because of its mineral springs waters. Listed as National Historic Landmarks, the hotels have been meticulously restored to their original turn-of-the-20th Century opulence. Historic tours ($) are given twice a day.

Gambling was a popular activity at West Baden until it closed in 1932. The 21st Century version of the historic resort's gaming is a brand new boat that sits on a body of water specifically built for the casino. It is connected by walkway to the historic French Lick Hotel, and it is just across the road from the buffet restaurant. Also fully restored is the 1920 Donald Ross-designed golf course.

The resort is somewhat off the beaten path -- about 40 miles from the nearest interstate, but it makes for an interesting stop if your summer travels take you to the Midwest. There is no RV Park at the resort, but you'll find free overnight parking in the level paved parking lot behind the casino boat.