Soaring Eagle

I visited the Soaring Eagle Casino for the first time in 1995. This was the original house chip, the new one is at the bottom of this post. The older one is a million times better than the new one. Back then, they had a Slots House (which is located across the street from the "new" casino/hotel) and a Card House, which was about 3/4 a mile down the road... really a glorified pole barn with blackjack, roulette and craps. With Glenn being at Central that year, he was able to give us directions to the casino by only using roads that had 27 foot deep ditches on either side of them. And it was always foggy when we went that way.

One of the first trips to the old Card House, we had to make a fake ID for Brandon to get in, who was only 17. We photocopied Joel's ID and Brandon's ID... and put Brandon's picture on Joel's information (thank you 1995 scanner technology) and Voila!!... he was 18. There were two entrances to the Card House, so Joel and Brandon had to go in different doors... lest the Cop ID'ing people recognized the same name on two licenses. It worked, but I had no idea how we would have explained it if Brandon had won big and needed to show ID again.

We also tried to get to the casino faster and faster each trip. Driving normally, it was about an hour trip. I think the record was in the 38 minute area... that one included a lot of "rolled" stops at stop signs. Not the smartest thing with the aforementioned ditches of death on either side of us, but we survived. I also can't believe we never hit a deer on any of those trips, but we were lucky in that regard as well.

Once, while at MSU, we were driving back from a casino trip and one of my roommates (who will remain nameless due to him becoming a police officer) spent a great majority of the time hanging out the passenger front seat window, throwing empty beer bottles at road signs as we sped past. Good times.

Another college trip saw me and Hop going up to Mt. Pleasant one afternoon. Usually we would call ahead and invite Joel and Glenn to come along, but this time, we just drove to Joel's apartment unannounced. He happened to be walking back from class, cutting across a parking lot when we saw him. He apparently didn't recognize the car. As he walked, we kind of stalked him, following him slowly in the car. After he finally figured out what was going on, he said something to the effect of "I had no idea who you were or what you wanted, but I wasn't eager to stick around and find out." I don't remember a rash of day-time parking lot beatings in Mt. Pleasant during that time... but I guess it could have happened. As it happened, the only beatings that day took place on the card table.

Of any non-Strip Casino, I have been to the Eagle the most. But not as much recently, what with their continuous shuffle machines and hour-long waits to play the incredibly exciting 3/6 Limit Hold 'em. But if they ever pump out a third chip, I'll be there in just over 38 minutes.