EPISODE 78: OUR 10 FAVORITE NATIVE AMERICAN CASINO RESORTS TO BE FOUND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

In this week's episode of Living in the Sprawl: Southern California's Most Adventurous Podcast, host Jon Steinberg shares his list of 10 Native American casinos to be found in Southern California. His list includes: Barona Valley Ranch in Lakeside, Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage, Morongo in Cabazon, Pala in Pala, Harrah's in Valley Center, Chumash in Santa Ynez, Viejas in Alpine, Yaamava in Highland, Fantasy Springs in Indio and Pechanga in Temecula.

Instagram: @livinginthesprawlpodcast
Email: livinginthesprawlpodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.livinginthesprawlpodcast.com

Check out our favorite CBD gummy company...it helps us get better sleep and stay chill. Use code "SPRAWL" for 20% off.  https://www.justcbdstore.com?aff=645

Check out Goldbelly for all your favorite US foods to satisfy those cravings or bring back some nostalgia. Our favorites include Junior's Chessecakes from New York, Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza from Chicago and a philly cheesesteak from Pat's. Use the link https://goldbelly.pxf.io/c/2974077/1032087/13451 to check out all of the options and let them know we sent you.

Use code "SPRAWL" for (2) free meals and free delivery on your first Everytable subscription.

Support the podcast and future exploration adventures. We are working on unique perks and will give you a shout out on the podcast to thank you for your contribution!
Living in the Sprawl: Southern California's Most Adventurous Podcast is on Podfan
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sprawl

Transcript

0:00

Hello listeners and fellow explorers. This is living in the sprawls lovely and talented producer slash wife, Lisa Steinberg. I wanted to thank all of you for your continuous support of the show. As a new podcast on the scene, John and I self-support the logistics and research that go into the show. The number one way to support the show is to rate, review and share this podcast with everyone, you know, Many of you have been doing this and it has helped immensely. I also invite you to check out our website and the show notes for other ways to support the show. We are currently working with companies. We currently use ourselves. To get discount codes for our listeners and support the show in the process. These companies include. Every table, just CBD store, gold belly cats, botanicals, and so much more. By using the links on our website, you are letting them know we sent you an intern, supporting the show. You can also support us on Patrion and pod fan. Please check out the website@livinginthesprawlpodcast.com. For updates on companies we are working with our testimonies links codes and new living in the sprawl merchandise Again thank you to all of you our lovely listeners for tuning in every week and allowing us to do what we love Without further ado you're humble correspondent John steinberg Hello. And welcome to another episode of living in the sprawl. So the California's most adventurous podcast. I am as always your humble host and correspondent. My name is John Steinberg and I am joined. In life love. And all things by my wonderfully talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises. Ready to bring you yet? Another exciting. Foray into the vast, expansive terrain that we have lovingly dub the sprawl. On today's program. Let's take a look at casinos. Specifically. Let's examine. Our selections. For the 10 best native American. Hotel casinos that you can visit. Within the bounds of. The Southern California sprawl. In 1986, the Cabazon band of Indians. Filed a lawsuit against the state of California. The native Americans. Had been. Hosting. Poker tournaments. Bingo tournaments. They've been operating a makeshift casino and the state of California objected Tibbits. The state shut down. Everything. That the Cabazon Indians were up to. Effectively telling them to get out of town. Except. This actually technically was their town. You see? They were operating on. The reservation. Awarded to the tribe. So. A basis for a justifiable lawsuit. Was mounted. The case went all the way to the us Supreme court. And in 1987. The court found. In favor of the Cabazon band of Indians. And this landmark case. Indirectly. Led to the proliferation. Of native American casinos. That currently grace 25 different American states from sea to shining. See. Whether you're driving on the 10. The 4 0 5. The 1 0 1. Any. Of the. Like the freeways in Southern California, you're bound to pass. A native American. Casino. Slash hotel. There are around 60. Of these operations. In the state of California. Going all the way up north into Crescent city. Down to Sacramento. Along the coast and Monterey. And as far down. As the very bottom. Of the state of California before it becomes the country of Mexico. Not all of these. Resort casinos are created equal. We've done the leg work. And let me tell you, it was a quite strenuous. In order to present to you, our selections for the 10 can't miss native American. Hotel casinos that you need to visit in the Southern California. Speral. Number 10. Berona. Resort and casino. This is located in San Diego county. Lakeside to be specific. It's been around for. Over 20 years at this point. I remember hearing about it. When I was in high school, because it was. One of the only casinos where you only had to be 18 in order to play. And another fascinating thing about Berona. Is that alcohol? Is not served. In the actual casino because of the 18 year old limit. This provides. Access to younger. Gamblers. Looking to enjoy. A good night of fun. Barona also. Includes state of the art amenities. Pools. Golf course. First rate dining. And over 2000 different slot machines. Where you will hopefully. Strike Uh, number 10. It's berona resort and casino I don't know. Agua Kelly Mt. Resort and casino. In Rancho Mirage. So now we find ourselves in the Coachella valley. Home to Palm Springs and the ultra famous music festival. But there are a number of native American. hotel casinos. Operational in the area, and this is one of the better ones. And it's not the only one of its kind even. There's a satellite campus, or I guess a satellite casino. That's pretty much in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. Uh, but the flagship location is located in. Rancho Mirage. A. Supremely wealthy desert enclave that makes. Some of the houses in Palm Springs look like. Second rate dwellings. Ethicacy Nino. Entertainment is first rate on a recent trip. We didn't actually go to the show, but I did note that Cedric, the entertainer. Was performing a set. At work, how the anti. There are the. Games and slot machines that you all know and love. First rate dining as is to be expected. And this casino. Has a 16 story. Tower. Where you can feast your eyes on. The breathtaking beauty inherent within the Coachella valley. And number nine it's Aqua Kelly, auntie casino. And hotel in rancho mirage And number eight, Morongo. Resort and casino. Located in Cabazon. So this is about 30 miles away from the Palm Springs area. A pretty short distance. If you do want to make it out to that city. And here. You have first rate dining. There's. A buffet known as the marketplace. Helmed by none other than top chefs, Fabio Viviani. Just a wonderful mixture of cuisines from all over the world that. Had everyone that we ran into on a recent stay, just raving about the food. Additionally. There's a penthouse restaurant called IL CLO. At the top of the property. Morocco has the. Tallest. Structure. To be found anywhere in Riverside county. Uh, at 27 stories, it is the biggest skyscraper. In the entire county. And this dynamic restaurant I'll see yellow is right there at the top with the unbelievable views that you expect and phenomenal food. That you would. Hope. To get your hands on. Also. There is. A ton of space for proper gaming. With frequent. Promotional giveaways. And fun kind of tie-ins whether they be too. College football games or other sporting events. It feels like a. Continuously. Churning party. At Morongo. And it's a stones throw from those totally bizarre and ultra fascinating cabazon dinosaurs that were covered on a prior episode of the podcast Number seven Paula resort and casino in the city of Paula. Which is. Near places like Julian and Ramona. Valley center. Think north Eastern San Diego county. And, uh, you're on the right track. The property. Is home to a world-class theater where they routinely book. Big time, musical acts. Comedians have the first order. There's always something fun going down at Paula. It's been around since 2003. Having set down roots right at the beginning. Of this. Period of vast. Native American gaming expansion. In Southern California. See, there were a bunch of casinos that were built around. The start of the 21st century. And this was one of them. And it has endured. It's gone through some renovations. It's routinely cited nationally as one of the best examples of. A native American run. Casino resort. And we are blessed to just have it. In our backyard there in Paula. Number six. Harrah's. Resort. Southern California. So the name Harrah's is most widely connected with. The Harris company, which was sold to a Caesar's. But that manages. A herd of properties in places like Las Vegas and Detroit. There are a lot of different Harrah's properties. But none quite like this. With their native American partners in tow. This massive compound. On the Northeastern side of San Diego county. We'll impress even the most cynical visitors. We're talking three spectacular towers over a thousand different guest rooms. Top shelf amenities. And a commitment to fun. In fact. They've actually had an official. Ambassador of fun for the last five or so years, or they actually call them a mayor. So there, the mayor of fun. Was once David Hasselhoff. And it's now Jane Lynch from glee. Just a cursory examination of the event calendar. Shows performances by luminaries like Chris Tucker, he's coming to Harris pretty soon. And the rest of the event, calendar is also flooded with extremely recognizable names. Harrah's has style class. Everything that one needs to enjoy a phenomenal. Weekend. At the casino. And number five Chumash. Resort and casino in Santa Ynez. So this is just outside Santa Barbara. In the gorgeous Santa Ynez valley. I remember. Attending. Basketball games at the staple center. Like 15 years ago. Where to mush. Resort and casino. Uh, happy to be the sponsor. And I remember thinking to myself, well, I wonder what goes on over there. Well, luckily I did find out. Fun is what traditionally takes place at the Chumash resort and casino in Santa Ynez. So there. Try one of their nine different restaurants. Swim in one of their multiple pools. Do your best tiger woods impression. By playing at their first rate golf course. It's like Las Vegas. Without the heat. The Chumash resort and casino in Santa Ynez. Is definitely worth a pit stop. Number four VA Haas resort and casino in San Diego One of the more recognizable names. VA Haas. Has been the principal sponsor. Of the San Diego state basketball arena for a number of years, they took over from Cox. And this resort. And casino. It's the type of place. That can appeal to anyone. In your traveling party. They have thousands of slot machines. Over a hundred different. Table games. The requisite pools. And golf course. That you anticipate. From. Your casino resort experience. They book legendary acts. To grace there stages at the theaters inside the property. VA Haas is an example. Of the great things that can happen. When an idea truly comes into fruition. Number four, the, a Haas. Number three. Yamaha. At Sandman well, resort and casino in Highland. This sprawling. Casino resort. Has undergone a dramatic make-over in recent times. Clearly. A hefty amount of money. Has been put into the property. Expanding. It's global footprint. And improving accommodations all across the board. We recently discussed George Lopez and his chin go and kitchen, which is located inside of the. Casino resort. And the Yamaha theater. Is really turning things up. In the last month. They've had performances from iconic musicians like pink. The black keys. Ice cube is coming pretty soon. Things are really looking up. For fans. Like my father-in-law of the goings on at Yamaha at Sandman. So, yes, it is sort of personal for our family. And after having visited. The resort and casino. I definitely see why. My father-in-law loves it so much. It is a special place. Where folks can let their hair down. Leave their worries at the doorstep. And have a bit of fun. Uh, number two. Fantasy Springs, resort and casino in India. So again, we find ourselves. Back in the confines of the Coachella valley. First time I ever. stopped at fantasy Springs. It was on the way back. From. A week of Superbowl parties in Arizona. My traveling group and I stopped to watch the Superbowl between. The Seahawks and the Patriots. The one that the Patriots stole in the waning moments of the game. And wall on hand. I surveyed the grounds and walked away completely impressed. Tony Bennett. Was coming into town. Everything was. As clean. As possible. The food and beverage programs. We're nothing short of first rate. A truly wonderful place to watch the Superbowl. I mean, we've got probably five or six different. Appetizers and while munching down on chicken wings and celery sticks. We got to see an unforgettable. Professional sporting event. Sometimes fantasy Springs gets overshadowed. By other casinos nearby. But after having been to all of them, I'm thoroughly convinced that this is one of the premier. Native American. Casino resorts. To be found anywhere in the Southern California sprawl. And that means that we've arrived at our number one spot. Number one. But Chenga resort and casino. In Temecula. The gaming here. His first rate. From. A comparisons point of view. Pachanga has more slot machines and gaming space. Then. What's in store at the MGM grand in Las Vegas, which I found pretty wild to know. Everything here is first-class and classy. Like some of the other. Establishment discussed over the course of this episode, they routinely bring in legitimate. Musical and comedic heavyweights to perform for their audiences. I would give the cleanliness. An a plus. Customer service also gets an a plus. They are one of, I believe, six different properties to receive the triple a four diamond. Rating. And if one. Only had a soul day to experience. What. A dynamic native American resort casino has to offer Pachanga in our opinion is the best place. To do And that's going to do it for another episode of the program, like to thank everyone for their continued support, couple of easy ways to demonstrate such support, hop on apple iTunes, leave us a kind. Review at a five star rating, that stuff really helps us out a great deal on the business end. Also like to remind you. To follow us on Instagram. The handle is living in the sprawl podcast. Or drop us a line. We love corresponding with you, our dear wonderful listeners. So write an email. To living in the sprawl podcast@gmail.com. We'd also like to draw your attention to our. Patrion apple subscription bonus content. We just put out a new episode. The best bakeries in Inglewood. So, if you want to hear that, the only way to do so is by becoming a Patrion or apple subscriptions member. And we'd also like to direct you to our phenomenal website and it's on that phenomenal website that you can get your hands on living in the sprawl merchant dice. Also the living in the sprawl guide. Very very helpful. It'll save you time. And it'll come in handy. So on behalf of myself, I am as always your humble hosted correspondent. My name is John Steinberg joined by my lovely and immensely talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises. Thanking you. From the bottom of our hearts for listening to yet another episode. Of living in the sprawl. So there California's most adventurous podcast until next time.