Meridian Star

April 28, 2009

Glittering pearls to be found in Choctaw

By Brian Livingston

A perfect weekend getaway can be found with a 45-minute drive to Choctaw. The drive may be short but the options are endless.

Some of the operation times have changed recently, but people can still look no further than the Pearl River Resort for the ultimate Mississippi casino, hotel and spa resort experience. Pearl River Resort offers everything anyone needs for the perfect getaway.

Earlier this year, the resort announced they would cut back weekday operations at the Golden Moon. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will keep the Golden Moon open on weekends, from 3 p.m. Friday until around 3 a.m. Monday morning, said Warren Strain, communications director for the Pearl River Resort. He said the Silver Star hotel and casino, which is also part of Pearl River Resort, would remain open 24/7.

Pearl River Resort offers two casino/hotel properties featuring Las Vegas-Style gaming at the Silver Star Hotel & Casino and Golden Moon Hotel & Casino. Together these two casino/hotels in Mississippi offer thousands of slot machines, hundreds of table games and 14 poker tables including the wildly popular Texas Hold'em.

There are more than 1,000 luxurious guest rooms between these two Mississippi casino/hotel properties, as well as 16 different restaurants featuring a wide variety from two great buffets to a Southern Style Barbeque and gourmet dining to counter-service.

For the total spa resort experience visit The Spa at Silver Star. At The Spa you can enjoy the steam bath and sauna or relax with a body treatment, massage or a visit to the whirlpool.

Of course there is an exciting nightlife with nightly live entertainment in one of the lounges and headlining acts in the Silver Star Convention Center. Trace Adkins, Willie Nelson and Natalie Cole are just a few of the world famous performers who put on excellent live shows at the resort throughout the year.

Test your golfing skills on one of the nation's highest rated courses, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club. With two award-winning 36-hole courses, you can enjoy a round of golf that you won't soon forget.

Pearl River Resort and Dancing Rabbit Golf Club received distinguished accolades as Golf Magazine placed it among the Best Casino Golf Courses in a recent issue.

Dancing Rabbit's Azaleas course designed by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate rolls out over 7,000 breathtaking yards. Secluded among ancient pines and hardwoods, this par 72 masterpiece embraces the gently rolling hills and valleys indigenous to the region.

In July of last year Pearl River Resort announced a deal to bring the Ground Zero Blues Club to its Golden Moon Hotel and Casino with a planned opening late 2008 or early 2009.

The new club will feature a performing space that will host nationally recognized and local favorites belting out traditional Delta Blues in addition to Texas, Chicago and Rock Blues. The restaurant will serve regional fare like fried or grilled Catfish sandwiches and the club's famous Highway 61 Burger. Co-owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club is Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman.

If you have a more Parisian palate then Pearl River Resort also has Remo's, a family-style Italian restaurant evoking a 1940s charm and mixing nostalgia with fine Italian cuisine. Remo's is currently open to the public.

Pearl River Resort, located in Choctaw, Mississippi, is the Southern United States' first comprehensive luxury gaming resort. The resort features nearly 5,000 slot machines, more than 100 table games, 1,074 hotel rooms, 16 restaurants, European spa facilities, shopping and live entertainment. Also featured is Geyser Falls Water Theme Park.

Pearl River Resort is a development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a federally recognized, self-governing tribe with approximately 9,600 members living on or near reservation land. For more information, go to www.pearlriverresort.com.