To Cripple Creek and Beyond

We spent 4 nights at Bronco Billy's in Cripple Creek, from Thursday, July 11 until Monday, July 15. Donna had a good time, but then, Donna has a good time anywhere the booze flows and there are slot machines. And the old girl did well this time. She came home with more money than she went with. I didn't have much luck, so I didn't play much. If the cards aren't falling right, then I know to find something else to do. I had 2 good Tony Hillerman books with me, so I was able to do quite a bit of reading.

The weather in Cripple Creek during our stay was delightful. Nightly lows were in the 50s, and I think they dipped into the 40s a couple of nights. Daily highs were in the 70s. It rained almost everyday while we were there, usually in the late afternoon. The rains were brief, but they cooled off any chance of rising temps. It was quite nice.

Bronco Billy's recently acquired an old shop at the end of the block, so they now own almost that entire block. There are still 2 stores, I believe, that they don't own. The new property has been turned into what they called the Christmas Casino. We enjoyed our time there, and Donna did most of her playing there. It is decorated in a Christmas theme 365 days a year. They play a mix of Christmas music and other music, and the scent of cinnamon fills the air. Rooms are located upstairs, and we think if we go back, we will try to stay there. If you want to experience Christmas in July, then Bronco Billy's Christmas Casino is the place to be.

We usually play a bit at the Double Eagle while in Cripple Creek. We strolled down there the second day we were in town, but we were disappointed to see that they had removed all the good video poker games. Well, they won't be getting any more of my money.

I won't show any pictures of the place; I've done that in previous posts. For those who are interested, you can look back at these entries:

• "Cripple Creek, Colorado" (May 2017)
• "Cripple Creek, Second Time Around" (September 2017)
• "Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad" (October 2017)
• "Cripple Creek, September 2018"

We don't know at this time if we will go back. It is a long trip to Cripple Creek, and the altitude really bothered both of us this time. We miss our trips to Nevada, so we might plan a trip out there soon. We'll see.