Vegas-Style Hotel and Casino on the Banks of the Mississippi River

"We used to plow past the lofty hill-city, Vicksburg, down-stream; but we cannot do that now," wrote Mark Twain about his route as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. He noted that Vicksburg had become "a country town" because of its cutoff from the main Mississippi passage. Today, Twain would do a double take if he saw the bright lights of Ameristar Casino Vicksburg twinkling on the riverbank. A modern hotel sits across the street from a giant, white and red casino shaped like an old-style riverboat.

The deluxe rooms and jacuzzi spa suites feature contemporary cream and brown furnishings and granite countertops in the bathrooms. In the spa suites, an oversize jacuzzi bathtub sits next to the bed, so you’ll have a springy platform for the perfect cannonball.

Across the street from the hotel, the Ameristar Casino glitters with more than 1,500 slot machines and dozens of gaming tables. You can parlay your $25 gambling credit up to the $2,000-limit blackjack tables or play slow and steady at the penny slots. When its time for a bite, head over to one of the hotel's three restaurants, including Bourbon's BBQ & Steaks, which puts a creative twist on southern fare with dishes such as the crab martini.

Vicksburg, Mississippi: Civil War History on the Riverfront

Perched on the banks of the Mississippi River in southern Mississippi, Vicksburg is a little city with outsize historical significance. In the summer if 1863, Union troops bombarded the fortressed Confederate city in what became known as the Siege of Vicksburg. After six weeks of relentless shelling, Vicksburg fell to the Union Army, which gained total control of the Mississippi River in a major turning point of the Civil War. Not surprisingly, Vicksburg is home to many historic military sites, such as the Vicksburg National Military Park, where rebuilt trenches and forts tell the story of the siege.

Vicksburg's historical downtown waterfront is worth the 3-mile trip from the hotel. Large murals painted by local artists stretch the length of the riverfront and depict the city's past. The quaint, red-brick buildings of Vicksburg's downtown house upscale restaurant, antique stores, and museums dedicated to the old riverboat days and the Civil War.

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