I drove up Highway 50 today and the sign that has announced the Foothill Oaks Casino was coming soon has now changed to the "Redhawk Casino". They are still planning on opening this fall as far as I know. The new off ramps on Highway 50 are coming along but still have a long way to go. The new casino site is further from the highway than the old tent used for the Crystal Mountain and isn't visible so I have no idea how the construction is going. The big problem with the Crystal Mountain operation was that it was the restricted access through a residential neighborhood. The new off ramps - paid for by the tribe - solve that problem. The cars will come off the freeway directly onto the tribal property. It is a great location just above the small town of Shingle Springs where customers can have year around snow free access - unlike the clubs at Tahoe and Reno.

In other local news Thunder Valley has started construction of a large 14 story hotel. If they would just add poker they could be real winners....