As a stay-at-home mom I don't get out and meet people much these days. When I do, it is usually a play date or other event involving my kids. So it is incredibly rare for me to go off and do something grownup on my own. I've been under a bit of "mom stress" in the last few months so when I saw that Project Purse Club was planning an event in my area I put it on the calendar and told my husband he was in charge that night. I didn't know where we were meeting at that point and I didn't even care! I was getting out of the house and that was the important part.
I admit to being a bit nervous when it was revealed that we would be meeting at the Indiana Grand Casino and also getting a tour of Indiana Downs. I had never been to a casino or horse track. I don't gamble a bit. (I've never even bought a lottery ticket although people tell me I should.) But it was a night out with grownups and I was going...
I had more fun that evening than I've had out in a long time! (In fact I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures.)I met seriously amazing women who each have their own stories of reaching out and lifting up others. We shared lots of laughter throughout the night but also serious conversations too. The VIP room of the steakhouse was an absolutely perfect meeting place. It was just the right size for our group and it was far enough away from the casino floor that I couldn't even hear the noise. We had wonderful service and fantastic food. I never felt rushed at any point during our meal even though we were all chatting so much that we forgot to look at our menus!
Our server, Kaitlin, made things easy to start with by bringing us some appetizer samplers. Everything on them was delicious! She also provided recommendations for our other dinner options. Everyone's soup, salad, and dinner looked fantastic. I had the Wild Mushroom Ravioli and a couple people had the Lobster Mac & Cheese. There were several steaks at the table as well. Unfortunately, we were all too full of food to even think about looking at the dessert options.
After dinner it was over to Indiana Downs where Nathan provided the "checkers version" of picking a winner and placing a bet on the horse races. Even the checkers version was a bit more than I could digest in one evening so I can't imagine how long it would take to get the hang of the "chess version." I love the options that are available at Indiana Downs. Although you have to be 21 or over to be in the casino, Indiana Downs has areas for all ages. There is a family friendly section on the lower level complete with an arcade and food court. The outside area has a small playground and they bring in a bounce house and face painting on special family weekends. I was also surprised that people can stand right by the rail to watch the race and walk back to an area where the jockeys and trainers are working with the horses before and after the race.
Overall the evening was even more than I could have anticipated it would be. While my fabulous new friends have much to do with that the level of service that we received from everyone we met at the Indiana Grand Casino and Indiana Downs far exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend the casino for a fun night out and the racetrack for an outing the whole family can enjoy.
Thank you to the Indiana Grand Casino and Indiana Downs for hosting our Project Purse Club Meetup! Thank you to these other sponsors of the event: Indianapolis Zoo, Dry Babe, Hugo the Happy Starfish, & Handi Hanger. Thank you to Project Purse Club for providing an environment for women to support one another in all aspects of our lives.
Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.
