Ok guys, here is the thing....
If you want a casino the choices are slim when you get into Michigan.
There are several casino's in the Traverse City area (northwest in the lower peninsula). There is also Soaring Eagle in Mount Pleasant (the middle of the Lower Peninsula). The only other one close that I know of is the Blue Chip which is in Michigan City, Indiana (close to both MI & IL borders).
For all of you coming from the UP and Wisconsin, the Blue Chip would be a lot closer or so would the casino's in Joliet, etc.
If you guys have your heart set on a casino, I would suggest the Blue Chip or Joliet . Since there really isn't anything close to a D&B's -- maybe just a Chuck E Cheese's.....maybe we can eat at the Essenhaus and cruise to the casino.
If you guys have your heart set on Kalamazoo, then we would could eat there and cruise to Soaring Eagle which is about 2.5 hours from Kalamazoo or the Blue Chip which is about 2 hrs. from Kalamazoo.
I know if we go to Soaring Eagle that would be a long haul for some (6.5 hours from jnspur's one way) If we go to the Blue Chip it would be about 3 hours one way from jen's.
Or as a third option we could plan a separate casino trip and make this cruise either a Kalamazoo cruise or we can cruise through Saugatuck/Holland/South Haven/St. Joseph.....and of course eat at Clementine's.....
Does anybody else have any other ideas?
How about you arrival blue -- any suggestions?