There’s No Place Like the Casino for the Holidays

This year on Thanksgiving day, we broke with our family traditions for the first time in decades. My sister and her family moved across the country in June, so now it’s just my parents, Gene, and I. We all have been exhausted and busy. Dad’s health hasn’t been the greatest this year either. We planned to drive down to Milwaukee from the UP on Wednesday, stay overnight for a very lowkey day at home with them, and drive home Thursday night. My parents were going to make a ham, and my sister had already made one.

We were having a family facetime session with them Wednesday night and my niece admitted she really hates ham. To try and show her she wasn’t alone, I admitted that I secretly hate it too, but will eat it with a smile when required by holidays and special occasions because it’s not as bad as onions. All 7 of us discussed it and had wildly different opinions. The next day, we decided to go to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee and see which of their many awesome restaurants were open instead of making the ham.

We decided on the brand new Rock & Brews restaurant. The chain was co-founded by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and their 3 business partners. This beautifully decorated music-themed space has excellent service. The food was delicious too. There are TVs on every wall, so Gene was able to watch the Packers game while we ate. Winning! 10/10, would recommend. I told my parents that maybe we should make going to Potawatomi for dinner on Thanksgiving our new tradition. It was so nice to not have to do any prep or clean up, and I really do love it there for so many reasons. Not the least of which is the absolutely stunning decor, including digital screens that constantly change and shift. It’s incredibly cool. And the best part? Holidays are probably the least crowded days of the year to go to the Casino.

We hung out at the casino for a few hours. The Buffalo machines were kind to me, and I even won a little something. Chi Miigwetch!!!! On the way home we hit up a taco truck outside of El Rey, so the next morning I got to eat street tacos for breakfast. Perfection.

Friday on our way back up to the UP, we stopped at The Farmacy in Green Bay and used some of the casino winnings to have a super healthy organic dinner.

Sometimes it’s nice to make a new tradition. But I sure do miss my sister, niece, and brother-in-law, and being together for the holidays.

What holiday traditions does your family have? Tell us in the comments below!