During our years of doing the Vacation Omaha story, we’ve had some great adventures. However, we’ve found that we often have the most fun when we visit one of the area’s casinos. Not only do we enjoy the gambling aspect of the casinos, but we also like the ‘all in one’ feel of them—you can get your food, your entertainment and your accommodations all in one place without ever having to leave. That’s why we decided that our Vacation Omaha 2008 trip would revolve around Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs.
Our trip began by checking into our rooms, which turned out to be a Deluxe King room and the Octagon Suite. Both rooms featured a whirlpool and were very luxurious. The Octagon Suite had a separate living area and bedroom area with two flat screen televisions and a wet bar area complete with mini refrigerator. The view from the Octagon Suite was breathtaking—it overlooked the river and the walkway beside the river and provided a great backdrop for our stay. The King room had a mini bar and a huge bathroom with a large vanity area. We found both rooms to be quite inviting and roomy and almost wish we could have spent more time in them—but our busy agenda didn’t allow for it!
After checking in and getting ready on Friday evening, we all gathered at The Amerisports Bar & Cabaret, where we dined on appetizers like the Tuscan Hummus, Sliders and Pork Potstickers while listening to the great live cover band. We also tried out some of the bar’s signature drinks, which included a giant margarita that Paige and Angela Lee tried out. We also watched a little television on the enormous nine by twelve foot Mega-screen (the biggest TV within a 250 mile radius).
After munching on the wonderful appetizers, enjoying a few drinks and dancing to the band, we decided it was time to hit the casino. Ameristar offers three floors of gambling which includes a huge variety of slot machines and table games like Blackjack, Pai Gow (our favorite), craps and roulette. There’s certainly something for every level of gambler from the beginner to the seasoned ‘pro’. The best part was that when a few of our group got tired and wanted to go to bed, they simply had to walk to the elevators and go to our rooms and the rest of us could stay and gamble to our heart’s content!
The next day, we all relaxed in our spacious rooms and even got a little work done as we prepared for our second night at Ameristar. We kicked it off with a delicious dinner at The Waterfront Grill. Paige has been to restaurants all over the country and insists that The Waterfront is in the top ten of her all-time favorites. We dined on appetizers such as Beef Tenderloin Ravioli, Lobster Bisque for the soup course and main entrees like Lobster and Seafood Pot Pie, Slow-Roasted Prime Rib and Jumbo Sea Scallops with Smashed Sweet Potatoes. This elegant restaurant is the perfect combination of upscale and homey with rich woods and an open fire. The staff is very friendly and they know the menu inside and out—including which wine to choose to perfectly complement your meal. Our waitress, Cricket, was amazing and we want to send out a special thank you to her for making our meal extra special!
After dinner, we decided to take advantage of the casino’s convenient shuttle service. Their vans will take you anywhere you want to go in the area, which is an awesome perk of staying there. We decided to head across the river to the Old Market area of Omaha, which has always been a favorite of Paige’s. We had a great time and it was nice to know that if we weren’t ready for bed when we got back to the casino, we could still gamble!
The next morning before heading back to Lincoln, we got to experience a delicious, hearty breakfast at the Prairie Mill Café. Selections included omelets, skillets, crepes, pancakes and even a breakfast banana split! It was the perfect end to our weekend at Ameristar.
We highly encourage those who want a quick weekend trip to make your reservations at Ameristar. Whether you enjoy gambling or just want to get away to a wonderful hotel with beautiful rooms and plenty of entertainment, you can’t do better than this casino/hotel that’s only an hour away!