Sometimes the best weekend getaway doesn’t involve a packed itinerary. Just a little luck, good food, and uninterrupted time together.
When the kids are away, the parents will play!
And that’s exactly what we decided to do when all three of our kids were away at camp for the weekend.
Now, don’t get me wrong. We love traveling with our kids. Most of our adventures revolve around finding unique places to explore as a family.
But every once in a while?
It’s nice to pack a bag, climb into the car, and remember what it’s like to take a trip where nobody needs a snack, nobody is arguing over the music, and we don’t have to coordinate five different opinions about what to do next. 😂
So on Saturday morning, Sean and I loaded up the car and headed toward Cherokee, North Carolina, for a quick adults-only getaway.
Our destination?
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
And as it turns out, Lady Luck decided to tag along for the weekend.
A Scenic Drive Into the North Carolina Mountains 🌿
One of my favorite things about living in North Georgia is how many wonderful destinations are within a few hours of home.
Cherokee is roughly a two-hour drive for us, making it an easy weekend escape without the hassle of airports, complicated travel plans, or using a week of vacation time.
We visited during the summer, and the drive was absolutely beautiful.
Everything was lush and green, with mountain scenery stretching along the way.
I love a good road trip, especially when the drive itself feels like part of the vacation.
Before we knew it, we were pulling into Cherokee and getting ready to enjoy a weekend with absolutely no responsibilities beyond deciding where to eat and what game to play next.
My kind of vacation!
First Impressions of Harrah’s Cherokee 🎰
We stayed at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, located on the Qualla Boundary, the homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The resort has plenty to keep you entertained without ever needing to leave the property, which was exactly what we wanted for this trip.
But I have to tell you about my first impression.
The smell.
Y’all. 😂
Now, I’m used to casinos having a certain atmosphere, and cigarette smoke isn’t exactly unusual in a gaming environment.
But the unmistakable smell of marijuana caught me completely off guard.
I know cannabis laws and regulations are different on tribal land, but I hadn’t given that much thought before arriving.
And apparently, my nose was the first to notice!
No judgment toward anyone who enjoys it. It’s just not my thing, and I definitely wasn’t expecting it.
Thankfully, that little surprise didn’t put a damper on our weekend.
We arrived fairly early on Saturday, and the casino was still relatively quiet.
Which meant it was the perfect opportunity to explore the gaming floor and find a table.
Blackjack, Poker Chips & a Little Beginner’s Luck ♠️
Here’s something you should know about me.
If I’m going to a casino, I’m heading straight for the table games.
Slot machines and digital games just don’t have the same appeal to me.
I like sitting around a table, talking with other players, laughing with the dealer, and enjoying the social side of the experience.
There’s something fun about meeting a group of complete strangers, spending an hour playing cards together, wishing each other luck, and then going your separate ways knowing you’ll probably never see one another again.
For a little while, you’re all cheering each other on against the casino.
And I love that!
Blackjack is my favorite.
Now, neither Sean nor I would consider ourselves serious gamblers.
We know enough to have fun, but we’re certainly not professionals.
We do, however, love playing card games at home.
My dad has plenty of experience around a card table, and family poker nights have become some of our favorite evenings together.
Even the kids have enjoyed learning different card games.
Although, if I’m being completely honest, the family antics are usually far more entertaining than the cards themselves. 😂
Back at Harrah’s, Sean and I exchanged our gambling money for chips and settled in at a blackjack table.
And wouldn’t you know it?
We started winning!
Not every hand, of course. There were plenty of losses mixed in.
But we caught a surprisingly lucky streak, and within a couple of hours, we had won back the entire amount we’d originally set aside for gambling.
Wait a minute.
Did that mean we were now playing with the casino’s money?
Well, that’s certainly how we chose to look at it! 😂
Of course, winnings can disappear just as quickly as they arrive, but at that moment we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves.
Our dealer was fantastic, too.
He was playful, friendly, and offered a few helpful pointers along the way.
For two people who just wanted to enjoy a casual afternoon of cards, it was exactly the kind of experience we’d hoped for.
And eventually, we decided to take a break while we were ahead.
Because even lucky gamblers need lunch.
Lunch at Amici Italia: A Little Taste of Italy 🍝
One of the things I appreciated most about Harrah’s Cherokee was the number of dining options available right at the resort.
We weren’t interested in driving around looking for restaurants.
This weekend was all about relaxing and enjoying ourselves.
So for lunch, we decided to try Amici Italia.
Now, I have to admit something.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to Italian food.
My dad’s family is from Sicily, and growing up with homemade Italian cooking has made it difficult for restaurant versions to impress me.
Nothing quite compares to a good homemade Italian meal.
But Amici Italia?
It was pretty good!
We ordered the Mussels Diavolo and scallop risotto, and both were delicious.
The mussels had that wonderful flavor I love, and the risotto was rich and creamy.
I wouldn’t say I’m suddenly trading homemade Sicilian cooking for restaurant Italian food, but I’d absolutely consider eating here again.
And the best part?
We didn’t even have to leave the resort.
A Little Poolside Relaxation ☀️
After lunch, we decided to trade the casino floor for a few hours of sunshine.
We headed to the pool, found a place to relax, and soaked up some rays.
And honestly?
It was wonderful.
No rushing to the next attraction.
No checking the time because someone had a reservation or practice.
No elaborate itinerary.
Just the two of us enjoying a summer afternoon.
Sometimes I forget how nice it is to travel without feeling like we have to squeeze every possible experience into one trip.
And for this weekend, slowing down was exactly what we needed.
Eventually, we headed back to our room to freshen up before our evening adventures.
Because apparently, we weren’t quite finished testing our luck.
Round Two: The Casino Comes Alive After Dark 🎲
When we returned to the casino that evening, it was an entirely different atmosphere.
Remember those quiet tables we’d enjoyed earlier in the day?
Not anymore!
The gaming floor was packed.
People were everywhere, and we actually had to wait for seats at some of the tables.
It was definitely a livelier scene than we’d experienced that morning.
I decided to branch out and try my luck at roulette.
And let’s just say…
Roulette and I are not friends. 😂
I had absolutely no luck.
So after that brief experiment, we decided to return to the card tables where we’d had such a great afternoon.
And wouldn’t you know it?
Our luck continued!
We won several more hands and managed to add to our earlier winnings.
Now, I fully recognize that this is not how every casino weekend goes.
There are plenty of trips where the house wins, and it’s important to treat gambling as entertainment rather than a way to make money.
But on this particular weekend?
We were having a blast.
And when we realized we’d won enough to treat ourselves to a really nice dinner, we decided it was time to cash in some of that luck.
Dinner at Ruth’s Chris: Because I Love a Good Steakhouse 🥩
If you’ve followed our adventures for a while, you already know I love a good steakhouse.
A perfectly cooked steak, great service, and a relaxed dinner with my husband?
Yes, please.
We have several fantastic steakhouses near home in Georgia, and we typically gravitate toward locally owned restaurants rather than chains.
But since we wanted to stay at the resort, we decided to give Ruth’s Chris Steak House a try.
And I’m so glad we did.
Our steaks were cooked perfectly, and the service was excellent.
Everything about dinner felt like the perfect ending to an already wonderful day.
And the fact that we were paying for dinner with our casino winnings?
Well, that made it taste just a little bit better. 😂
Just good food, a little excitement, and time with my favorite travel companion.
Heading Home With More Than Memories 🚗
The next morning, it was time to pack up and head back to Georgia.
And as we said goodbye to Cherokee, we couldn’t help laughing about how the weekend had turned out.
We’d enjoyed a beautiful mountain drive, spent hours playing cards, relaxed by the pool, eaten two delicious meals, and enjoyed a wonderful adults-only getaway.
And thanks to an unusually lucky streak at the tables, our winnings had helped offset so much of what we’d spent that the weekend was practically free!
Now, before anyone starts planning their retirement around a blackjack table, let me be clear.
That was luck, not a vacation budgeting strategy. 😂
We went into the weekend with a set amount we were comfortable spending on gambling, and we would’ve enjoyed the trip even if we hadn’t won.
The winnings were simply a very welcome bonus.
And sometimes, a little bonus makes a good weekend even sweeter.
Tiny Trip Snapshot 🚆
Destination: Cherokee, North Carolina
Where we stayed: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
Trip type: Adults-only weekend getaway
When we visited: Summer
Drive from home: Approximately 2 hours
Length of stay: Saturday through Sunday, one night
What we enjoyed: Blackjack, a little roulette, poolside relaxation, resort dining, and a beautiful mountain drive
Where we ate: Amici Italia and Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Favorite part: The table games, the people we met, and spending uninterrupted time together
Would we return? Absolutely!
Tiny Tips for a Weekend at Harrah’s Cherokee 🚆
- Arrive early if you enjoy table games. The casino was noticeably quieter when we arrived Saturday morning. By evening, finding an open seat was much more difficult.
- Set your gambling budget before you play. Decide how much you’re comfortable spending and treat it as entertainment money. Don’t count on winning it back.
- Try the table games if you enjoy socializing. Blackjack was our favorite because of the interaction with other players and dealers.
- Take advantage of the resort restaurants. We enjoyed being able to have lunch and dinner without leaving the property.
- Leave time for the pool. Sometimes the best part of an adults-only getaway is simply slowing down.
- Be prepared for a casino atmosphere. Smoke and other strong odors may be noticeable in some areas, so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to smells.
- Don’t overplan. A one-night getaway can be just as refreshing as a weeklong vacation when you give yourself permission to relax.
Money Tucking 💰
Normally, this is where I’d break down our hotel, dining, and activity costs.
But this particular trip came with a rather unexpected twist.
We started with a set gambling budget of $300, and within our first few hours at the blackjack table, we’d won back the amount we’d planned to spend.
Then our luck continued that evening!
We even used some of our winnings to cover dinner at Ruth’s Chris.
By the time we headed home, the winnings had offset so much of our weekend spending that it felt like we’d enjoyed a practically free getaway.
Would I ever recommend counting on casino winnings to fund a vacation? Absolutely not.
The money we set aside for gambling was money we were prepared to lose.
Had we lost it, that would’ve been the cost of our entertainment for the weekend.
But every once in a while, things work out a little differently than expected.
And this was one of those weekends!
Save on the things that don’t matter much to you. Spend on the experiences that do.
Worth the Drive From Atlanta?
If you’re looking for a quick adults-only getaway with a little excitement, good dining options, and a chance to relax without an elaborate itinerary, Harrah’s Cherokee is worth considering.
It’s especially convenient for those of us in North Georgia who can make the drive in just a couple of hours.
And while we spent this particular weekend entirely at the resort, Cherokee and the surrounding mountains offer plenty of other opportunities to explore if you want to turn your trip into a longer adventure.
For us, though, the resort was the destination.
And that was exactly what we wanted.
Would We Do It Again? ❤️
In a heartbeat!
Would we be lucky enough to repeat our blackjack winnings?
Probably not. 😂
But we’d absolutely return for another adults-only weekend.
The resort had everything we needed, we enjoyed the restaurants, and it was so nice to have a little time away together.
Sometimes the best getaway isn’t about how many attractions you can fit into a weekend.
Sometimes it’s about how little you actually have to do.
Remember When We…? ❤️
Remember when the kids went to camp, we escaped to Cherokee for the weekend, and somehow our blackjack winnings paid for our little getaway?
Good food, a little luck, and a whole lot of uninterrupted time together.
I’d say the parents played pretty well. 😂❤️
Tiny traveler. Big adventures. No airplanes required. 🚂
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