Southern and Louisiana journey, Paragon stop

Reposting this after pulling it because of incessant spam.  Now that I have blocked the ability to comment  anonymously on my blog, the spammers are no more...and I can repost the ones they seemed to target.  So tiresome...

So today Feb 2012,  we drove a mere 88 miles to Marksville, Louisiana  enroute to New Orleans and  visiting friends in Alexandria.  That has become another story for another time.  On our way into town we stumbled into the preparation for another small community Mardi Gras gathering; if we keep this up we will be in a Mardi Gras parade yet!

We plan to stay  here at the Paragon Casino RV Park  for a couple days  taking advantage of the cheap cheap RV rates, $15 per night with our Good Sam discount and full hook ups.  This RV site at the Paragon Casino run by the Tunica and Biloxi  Indian Tribes is first class, resembles the RV resort we pay top dollar for in Tucson.  The Spa at the Casino is beckoning me for  tomorrow.  Entertainment and restaurants are top notch.  Now if the casino itself does not stink from cigarette smoke, I might even  drop a few coins in some slots or find a card table, my preference for any rare gambling.

Several big motor coaches like ours are starting to pull in but there is plenty of space.

I"ll be taking advantage of their spa tomorrow for a pedicure, manicure and facial....maybe a massage too.  Now this is the life....

 Check out their website http://www.paragoncasinoresort.com/Home.aspx    



Tribe logo which I find intriguing. 

Godfrey, Jerry's latest and soon to be replaced again Garmin GPS did not recognize this place and would not direct us until we put in the co-ordinates.  It is a hard place to miss a massive structure near the tribal headquarters and reservation  off  Hwy.1 so we had no difficulty.  Nevertheless, there is no excuse for Godfrey Percival Stallworth this time as he was updated fine tuned online  before we left on this trip; the Paragon has been here since 1994.

Since the casino's opening, unemployment in Avoyelles Parish has steadily declined. The casino employs over 1,780 employees and offers training and educational opportunities that enable them to advance their careers and improve their quality of life.  The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe maintains a cooperative relationship with the community and looks for ways to strengthen those ties. Since 1994, they have donated a considerable amount of money to various nonprofit organizations on the local, regional and national level. In addition to monetary contributions, many associates at Paragon Casino Resort have volunteered their time and talents to local community organizations.  Marksville's transformation into a resort destination will continue as the Tribe dedicates itself to developing amenities

Ever interested in history, I learned the following about these Indians:  The Tunica and Biloxi Indians have lived on their reservation near Marksville for over two centuries, during which the tribes, though speaking completely different languages, intermarried. The Tunica exercised influence over a wide territory, encompassing present-day Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and even Florida. They were traders and entrepreneurs of the first order. Under severe pressure from European diseases, famine, and warfare, the Tunica steadily moved southward, following the Mississippi River.   The Biloxi were a tribe on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at present-day Biloxi, Mississippi. They were the first people encountered by French colonizers Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1669. The Biloxi, like the Tunica, formed a strong alliance with the French, which for a while brought them important economic and political benefits. Later, after the French were expelled, they allied themselves with the Spanish, rulers of Florida.

The shuttle is cruising which picks up RV'ers and transports them to the Casino.  We are about to depart for a browse at the big casino and a meal.