Saturday

Visits to Harrah's and AVI Resorts

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This page last updated on 04/16/2018
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Laughlin itself is less than two hours away and can easily be a daytrip. However, whenever we go there we usually have comped nights at more than one casino and always stay a minimum of 2-3 nights. We have stayed at several casinos including the Riverside, Edgewater, Colorado Belle, Avi and Harrah’s, with Avi and Harrah’s being our favorites. I have highlighted these two casinos below by providing some information and a few pictures from our numerous visits to these properties over the past ten years.
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Destination: Laughlin, Nevada
Distance from Point of Origin: 95 miles
Estimated (One Way) Travel Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Directions: From the Stratosphere Casino head northeast on Las Vegas Blvd about 3 miles and turn right onto I-515/US-93/US-95 south towards Boulder City. Follow US-93/95 for 17 miles and then merge right onto US-95 South (Veterans Memorial Hwy) toward Searchlight/ Laughlin/Needles and travel for 55.5 miles. Turn left onto NV-163 (Laughlin Hwy) east and travel for 20 miles and turn right onto Casino Drive.

General Description: Named in 1968 after founder Don Laughlin, owner of the Riverside Resort, Laughlin is known in the Southwest as a preferred alternative to Las Vegas. It delivers a picturesque riverside setting at an enjoyable, relaxed pace. Located just an hour and a half from Las Vegas, Laughlin is a small gambling oasis that was built along the Colorado River valley. Except for the summers, when it can get rather hot, it has a relatively a nice year round temperature. It offers walking along or boating on the Colorado River to enjoying your favorite game in one of eleven resort casinos. 
Special Attraction or Points of Interest: Harrah’s and Avi have the best beaches of any casino along the Colorado River and Avi has the best pool area.There are river taxis that provide rides up and down the river. In the main section of town, there is a ‘river-walk’ that runs along the river behind several of the casinos. There are several interesting towns within an hours drive – Kingman, AZ, Oatman, AZ, and Lake Havasu, AZ – each providing various points of interest and attractions. Less than 15 minutes away are the Davis Dam and Grapevine Canyon, the location of hundreds of ancient Indian petroglyphs.
Primary Activity: Gambling and relaxing by the pool
Secondary Activities: Hiking, walking and picture taking.

Elevation: The main thoroughfare is roughly 550 feet, or about fifty-feet above the Colorado River, which is about 150 feet below the reservoir behind the Davis Dam, just a few miles upstream from Bullhead City and Laughlin’s casino row.
Best Time To Visit: During the summer months, the temperatures in Laughlin can average over 112 degrees, making the best times to visit during the spring and fall. As it can often be windy along the river, it can get quite cool during the winter months.
Difficulty: N/A
Facilities: Restroom and dining establishments throughout the property
Estimated Round-trip Time: Note that this page is listed under both the Daytrip and Road Trip categories. Though this can be an easy daytrip, we almost always spend anywhere from 2 to 5 days even though it is only a 3-1/2 hours round-trip travel time.
More Info On Laughlin: http://www.visitlaughlin.com/
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Roadtrip to Harrah’s Resort and Casino:

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With its ‘monastery’ like architecture, Harrah's Laughlin has a very nice south-of-the-boarder feel. It has more than 1,500 rooms, many with with beautiful views of the Colorado River. It has a beautiful private, soft sand beach as well as two outdoor swimming pools and spas, one being for adults only, overlooking the Colorado River. Access to the beach and pools is reserved for hotel guests only. In addition to swimming and sunning along the sandy shores of its cove-like beach area, boating and jet skiing can add to an afternoon of fun and sun.

There are numerous fountains, flowers, tropical-like landscaping and benches located throughout the property for just sitting, reading, sunning and for enjoying the great outdoor weather. Whether it’s breakfast by the pool or lunch overlooking the Colorado River, or sunning and reading a book on the beach, we always seem to enjoy our stays here. They also have one of the best buffets on the river.
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Roadtrip to Avi Resort and Casino
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With a slightly more modern style of architecture, the AVI resort is located on the Indian reservation of the Fort Mojave Tribe on the banks of the Colorado River about 10 miles south of Laughlin’s main drag. The Avi is an all encompassing destination Resort with a very nice beach, boat launch, RV park, six restaurants, 8-plex movie theatre, and a beautiful pool with two waterfalls, Jacuzzi, and separate kiddie pool. It is easily the best pool in Laughlin. The adjacent Mojave Resort Golf Club is Laughlin’s newest championship golf course. Its wind swept dunes, native vegetation, and undulating greens, all with beautiful mountain backdrops, provide a scenic and challenging course to players of all levels.

Much new than the pool at Harrah’s, we just love spending time sitting and reading by the pool here. With it wonderful Jacuzzi and two waterfalls, it’s like being in the tropics. The fact that you can go to the movies without leaving the premises is another great feature we like. Although their buffet is nowhere as good as Harrah’s, the Moonshadow Grill restaurant is first class, offering affordable casual fine dining specializing in mesquite-grilled steaks and fresh seafood. The .99 breakfast at the Feather’s Café is the best deal in Laughlin.
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