It has been a couple of weeks now since the temporary casino tent facility opened up in Danville, Virginia and it is still attracting thousands of visitors a week, many of whom are coming from North Carolina. This temporary tent facility is about 40,000 square feet in size and if you go to it you’ll see the construction going on at the property site for the coming Caesars Virginia gaming and entertainment complex set to open in the second half of 2024. Danville is right on the Virginia/North Carolina border and is drawing people from the Piedmont and RDU regions of North Carolina.
A friendly Facebook group has formed for fans and those interested in the casino called Caesars Danville VA Casino. In the group several people living in the RDU area asked people in it what is the best way to drive to the casino for them.
One person asked last week:
“Question for the people who go up through Raleigh. We’re driving up tomorrow morning from south of Raleigh (taking I-40 west), and Google maps is giving me two routes that are about the same distance. One is to take the Hillsboro exit and pick up 86 there, and the other is the Efland exit and pick up 86 a little past Efland. Any recommendations on which is the best?”
A group member answered:
“Efland. I drove from Danville to Durham or Danville to Raleigh 5 days a week. By the mileage, it’s about the same. Much safer and more comfortable driving through Efland. Trust me.”
And another chimed in to say:
“Efland is the way to go for sure. A lot faster. And you can stop at Missy’s Grill for a BLT and a hot dog! Bring cash.”
Someone replied:
“We came from Fuquay Varina and did 86/Efland. It was an enjoyable drive.”
The person who asked a few days later then came back to say:
“Thanks! It’s almost four hours one way for us, but the man fell in love with the area (it is beautiful and a very scenic drive once you get off 40) and we liked the casino, so he’s decided that it will be a nice day date when we want something to do on my days off.”
Now I live in Danville and I’d say that both roads take about the same amount of time. So, I actually like to mix it up when I come back from the Raleigh area, even though there is no doubt that the Elfand way is much more scenic.
One person from Raleigh gave this report after they took the drive and made their visit:
“Went up this morning to check it out. Thanks everyone for the recommendations on the drive. We did Hillsboro on the way up and doing Efland on the way back to see which we prefer. We got there about 8:30 and there was hardly anyone there. Stayed until about 12:30. It was starting to get a little busy and the tables that were open were packed, but there were still plenty of machines open when we left, even the popular ones like Dragon Links. Review: It’s a nice space, all the employees were friendly and helpful if we had any questions, the machines aren’t crowded up on each other, and the restrooms are clean. We lost a little but not much, about $150 between us. We were both actually up at one time, but you know how that goes. But we had fun and played for four hours, so I’m not complaining. The only bad thing was that the servers were few and far between (yes I tip well, there just weren’t many of them on the floor and they were busy) and there was nowhere you could just walk up and get a soda or coffee yourself without paying. A self-service soda/coffee station would be nice. But I know they are just getting started and probably short handed, so…Edited: I stand corrected, someone commented there is a small stand at the end of the casino if you turn right at the entrance that serves soda and water at no charge. We will definitely be making a day trip at least once every month or two.”
Another visitor had this to say:
“Visited yesterday around noon, now I am visiting the area from PA, where casinos are plentiful. I was highly impressed, roomy, clean, friendly staff from your entrance to food court to games and security. I came out with quite a bit more $ than I entered so that was a plus. I could get on any slot I wanted. If this level of service continues I will make this a part of my quarterly visits. Cannot wait for the brick and mortar building but cannot say enough positive things about the temp location.”
I wrote an article about what you can expect in the casino, with more reviews from more visitors, and a few nice spots to eat near it you can find here.
Every single morning I send out an email with the top news headlines impacting the region.
To subscribe to this free news digest click here.
-Mike
