First thing's first: Gambling can be dangerous.
Casinos, on the other hand, are fascinating.
Think about it: Top-notch restaurants, well-appointed hotel suites, luxurious spa services, live entertainment, boutique retail outlets, free-flowing alcohol and, of course, gaming galore -- in most cases, at all hours. Minus the whole "experience nature" thing, casinos essentially provide all the major amenities of a luxury vacation under one neon-clad roof.
They're also not without their annoyances: that steady hum of ringing slot machines tuned to the pleasant key of C major, which can get stuck in your head for days; and, despite advanced air filtration systems, the lingering stench of smoke.
But it's all part of the experience. Staying at a casino -- even just for a weekend (I wouldn't recommend any longer) -- means immersing yourself in a culture that may be foreign from your own. Which, when you think about it, is the whole point.
So, where to go? The obvious destination for experiencing casino culture is Las Vegas.
And then there's New Buffalo.
About 2 miles from downtown New Buffalo (population 2,200) lies the brand-new $180 million Four Winds Casino Resort, which opened its doors Aug. 2. The place is huge. It boasts 130,000 square feet of "gaming positions" (actual seats at slot machines or gaming tables) which, were it located in Las Vegas, would make it the second-largest casino on the Strip; plus a half-dozen restaurants and a modest 165-room hotel.
And, when I visited two weeks ago, all of its grandeur seemed absolutely necessary, due to the sheer volume of visitors. As I approached the long, winding drive leading to the casino nestled in the woods, I encountered something I've never before experienced in New Buffalo: traffic. People were lined up in their cars, waiting to park in one of the 2,120 spots in the heated, four-level parking garage and commence spending money. And after hanging out for a few days, it's easy to see why: The place is beautiful -- and, perhaps more importantly, resembles nothing of the gaudy glam of Vegas.
Designed by Urban Design Group (which counts Disney among its clients) and owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Four Winds has the look and feel of a regal North Woods lodge, situated far enough back from Interstate Highway 94 that the "woodland retreat" facade is believable.
Just inside the entrance, a grand rotunda (on which a local Pokagon artist will soon begin a mural project) is flanked by two ridiculously huge fireplaces; the beams lining the arcades (leading to shops and a bus terminal at one end, the hotel at the other) were carved from dead standing cedar and birch trees, which are often used in tribal ceremonies for the Pokagon band.
At the heart of it all is the gaming floor itself, which, despite the refreshing lack of neon, looks like a casino (darkly lit, maze-like carpet, banks and bars at every turn), but the restaurants tucked within could stand alone -- even in Chicago.
There are six of them, ranging from high-end steakhouse (Copper Rock Steakhouse), to upscale sushi (SWIMM) and down-to-earth deli (Timbers). There are white tablecloths. There are wine lists 300 bottles strong. There is a buffet that looks, feels and tastes too good to be a buffet. And there is a 24-hour comfort food cafe whose decor rivals sit-down luncheon spots in the Loop.
And then there's the hotel. Although void of typical luxury hotel amenities -- no spa, no pool, no concierge (when I unwittingly inquired at the front desk about changing a dinner reservation with the concierge, I was met with a blank, almost apologetic stare) -- the rooms, and their flawlessly vacant views of the surrounding woods ripe with fall color, more than make up for it.
Mine, a 500-square-foot Junior Suite (from $269 per night), featured a king-size bed, two flat-screen TVs, a full living room and wet bar.
The place was big enough to justify a tiny hallway between the main suite and the equally huge bathroom, where a soaking tub and a large shower took up barely half the chamber. (Apparently, Junior Suites are the norm: there are 72 of them versus 67 standard rooms -- themselves, a hardly modest 400 square feet; more upscale yet are two dozen 800-square-foot Deluxe Suites and a handful of 1,000-square-foot Celebrity Suites.)
As a foreigner to the land of casinos, these elements -- the architecture, the cuisine, the accommodations -- are the most enjoyable things about dipping into casino culture, possibly -- no, definitely -- because they have nothing to do with gambling.
Here in Harbor Country, there are lingering reminders of Sin City stereotypes: ashtrays everywhere (literally -- including bathroom stalls), cocktail waitresses donning outfits that could pass as leftover Halloween costumes, oxygen tanks being dragged along to craps tables.
But it's also easily escapable. Downtown New Buffalo, which brings a healthy dose of weekender retreat, is a five-minute drive west; the southern tip of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is a 10-minute drive; Warren Dunes State Park is 15. There is the lake; there are antique stores; there are quaint cafes at which to sip coffee. And none of them is smoky or ringing with slot machines (see 5 More Reasons to Go).
Unlike Vegas, when you've had enough, home is just an hour's drive away -- and as the old saying goes, what happens in New Buffalo stays in New Buffalo.
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