Considering I’ve lived in an area only a couple hours from Connecticut, you would think that I would have gone to CT more than twice. But, after this last trip, I might start going more.
Aside from the coastline, with the must-see Mystic Seaport, some of the largest casinos in the world are in this tiny state. And, lucky for us, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are less than an hour apart from each other.
The first night staying with friends in Connecticut, we went to check out Mohegan Sun. I wasn’t sure what to expect before we got there, but whatever was in my head, the casino surpassed it.
The parking was very easy, though it didn’t hurt having people with us who knew where they were going.
We followed the multi-colored carpet of Native American designs into a Vegas-like oasis. I loved how the casino followed in the Sin City path by picking a theme and sticking with it in the whole facility. There were large wooden canoes welcoming us followed by towering beautiful, colorful pillars. I never realized arrowheads could look so pretty on a gigantic chandelier either.
That first night we just walked around and took it all in, since there was a lot to see.
Along with elegant shops, there were waterfalls and a bar inside what looked like a rock lookout with a star-infused dome imitating a clear night sky. The bar had a good vibe and a great view of the casino floor.
There were also world-class restaurants and nightclubs, but we settled on a quaint-looking Irish pub in lieu of the club next door which I was told had scantily-clad dancers and a line down the corridor on weekends. The pub truly did remind me of an Irish establishment with a mock fire place, wooden benches and wrought iron decorating, though I do not remember ever visiting a place quite like it in the Emerald Isle.
The following day, my boyfriend had a hankering for good pizza and had seen a show on the Food Network about a local pizzeria called Frank Pepe’s. Luckily, there was a location at Mohegan Sun.
As I looked to the second level of the casino and saw inebriated youths dancing in line to a very loud bass that seemed to come from one of the bars, our group waited in a long line of our own at Pepe’s. The food was good though the pizza was cut in a way that I had never seen before with random lines throughout the pie instead of the traditional triangular pieces.
Before we left Connecticut, I wanted to go to what I had heard was the largest casino by square footage in the world – Foxwoods. The night before, was a long night of debauchery at a friend’s party so everyone was in the mood for hangover food, like burgers.
Along with being the largest casino at 4,700,000 square feet, Foxwoods is also home to the largest burger available for purchase at Fuddruckers’s. We didn’t order that particular burger, though my friends said they have before, but I did get a pretty awesome burger with avocado and a chocolate milkshake.
While waiting in line there too, we were surrounded by people carrying Snuggies. They asked us if we were there for the Snuggies too. I guess it was a giveaway day.
I was not as impressed with Foxwoods’ décor as I was with Mohegan Sun’s, but maybe that could change with another visit to the immense shopping mall or the nearby MGM Grand.