No matter which side you choose, a getaway to stunning Lake Tahoe will not soon be forgotten.The Coushatta Tribe has now closed their casino in Kinder. The California side draws families and outdoor enthusiasts while the Nevada side beckons those looking for big name entertainment and casinos. Located between California and Nevada, different sides of the lake tend to attract different types of visitors. The winter season, which actually starts around Thanksgiving, brings throngs of skiers to area resorts. In the summer, hiking, windsurfing, golfing, fishing and swimming (usually in wet suits due to the lake's brisk year-round temperature) are all the rage. At 6,225 feet above sea level, Tahoe is the highest alpine lake in the United States and has long attracted vacationers from around the world. From the early Indians to authors such as Mark Twain, folks have tried to capture the beauty and mystique of the lake with nicknames like 'Big Blue' and 'Grasshopper Soup.' Others maintain that it's impossible to describe the magnificence in words. With the bluest of blue water and the greenest of green surrounding forest, Lake Tahoe, quite simply, transfixes.

A venerable family favorite activity is Frontier City Amusement Park in Oklahoma City, which has dozens of rides and shows. Heading the list are Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, featuring the world’s largest collection of art and artifacts from the American West the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, which tells the story of the American Cowboy and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which has a permanent collection of American and European art. While the state is known for its many outdoor activities like great fishing, golf, hiking, canoeing and boating, make sure you don’t overlook its fantastic museums. Some of the state’s most popular lakes include Broken Bow Lake located near the Quachita Mountains Grand Lake in the northeastern corner of the state at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and Lake Murray in the hills in the southern part of the state. The state is dotted with phenomenal lakes where swimming, boating and bass fishing are the most desired activities. With hundreds of man-made lakes, state parks, casinos, museums and nightlife and dining opportunities in revitalized downtown areas in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, there is a lot to see and do in the Sooner State.

Louisiana casinos