When we headed out for our family trip to Bass Lake, up a little north of Fresno at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, my sister said she wanted to stop at the Indian casino along the way. She verbalized the name Chuck Chancey Casino and I thought, what a perfect name for a casino. Chancey is catchy and gives one hope of gambling and winning! It wasn’t until we drove by that I noticed it was the name of the Indian tribe…Chukchansi. Well, after I laughed at myself, I became curious about the tribe. Obviously, I had never heard of the Chukchansi Indians before.
As the trend goes on these days, you couldn’t help but wonder if the Chukchansi tribe had any involvement in the world of online sports betting. With the rise of digital technology, more and more people are turning to online platforms to place their bets on sporting events just like one of the popular online sports betting sites such as ufabet. Those sites are more reliable these days and are easy to play too as long you have correct entrance link for the site.
As we drove past Chuck Chancey Casino, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of games and slot machines they had to offer. I had heard about the new trend of high-paying rtp slot gacor machines that were becoming increasingly popular in the gambling world. Perhaps this casino had a few of those machines, which offered better odds of winning compared to other slots. The thought of hitting the jackpot and winning big was certainly tempting, but we decided to continue on our way to Bass Lake and enjoy the natural beauty of the Sierras instead.
But they have been around over 12,000 years living in the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierras very near the small historic towns of Coarsegold and Oakhurst. They were hunters, farmers and gatherers. In 1849 during the Gold Rush, anthropologists grouped them along with sixty tribes with similar cultures and languages, but with different dialects in what was called the tribes of the Central Valley. They were known as the Yokuts, but there is no one tribe that goes by that name. “Yokut simply means “people”.
Unfortunately, their plight was no different than many other tribes, whose population was decreased by disease and displacement. Our government provided them “Rancherias”, small parcels of land with which to live, but without the benefits of a reservation, thus many tribal members reside in the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi. After a class action suit in 1983 the Chukchansi became a federally recognized tribe. They remained landless until recently and have made great strides in keeping pride and stability to their heritage.
Today, the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino is celebrating their 10th anniversary.
From casinos to glamping, our trip had a bit of everything. Here’s a few pictures of Bass Lake, the patio boat we rented, the views and fun we had! We used to go to Bass Lake almost every summer when our kids were younger. It was a tradition to camp in tents and rough it a little. Now, we are reviving the old traditon with our expanded family, only this time in a glorious cabin with flat screen TV’s, dishwashers and full bathrooms. Twelve of us and two munchkins made the trip, and hopefully we can do it again next year.

What are your plans this summer? Are you a beach or mountain kind of vacationer? Do you have a favorite vacation spot? Post a comment to win a $10 Amazon Gift card! And be sure to check out my June release, Sunset Seduction.
Charlene Sands is a USA Today Bestselling Author of 35 novels, writing both western and contemporary romance. She's a lover of all things romantic, especially her bold, rugged, heartstopping "real good men" heroes! She's the recepient of the National Readers' Choice Award, the Bookseller's Best Award and the Cataromance Reviwer's Choice Award. When not writing, she spends time with her "hero" husband, enjoying Pacific Beaches and drinking iced mocha cappucinos!
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Summer has started off with two amazing long weekends for me. First one was at my cousins house, where we celebrated her oldest daughter’s 21st Birthday on our Canada Day July 1st. It was a great weekend.. And then this past weekend it was my annual Gal Pal weekend.. For the next few weeks it will be bbq’s with more family and my twin Niece and Nephews 12th birthday. This takes care of July. August will be a spontaneous month, I will let the wind and I hope sunshine take me where ever it blows…
The pictures look beautiful. I’m glad y’all had a great time on your trip and hope your family can do this every year. I enjoyed the history of the Chukchansi indian tribe. We don’t get vacations anymore since money has been so tight the last few years. Now, with my husband’s new job (working 6 days a week), we can’t even get away for a weekend. So, no plans for our summer again.
What a fun trip, Charlene! I’m heading to New York in August, then Kentucky for my baby’s wedding. Looks like your vacay was more relaxing than mine will be. 😉
I love the mountains but this year, me and the family plan on going to Florida to enjoy the beaches. One of my favorite vacation spots is the Ozark mountains in the winter. Very romantic when going with a mate 🙂
Beautiful scenery and weather! I’m jealous!
I am lucky enough to live on a small lake so I’m able to swim when the weather is warm and I do enjoy the peacefulness of the water lapping against the shore. A vacation for me would include the mountains! We did travel through Virginia and West Virginia over Memorial Day weekend to attend my son’s wedding. PRETTY!
Favorite vacation spot is my own backyard with a good book.
I do have your book SUNSET SURRENDER, Sophia and Logan’s love story. I will definitely check out SUNSET SEDUCTION too.
Love your photos. I am more of a beach girl. This year we are doing home improvement projects so no vacation plans.
The photos are wonderful. Such a special place to enjoy. My favorite place to vacation is a beach. We won’t be going this summer so I will relax and read on the patio.
I’m a mountain kinda girl! We love to just take spur of the moment trips! I’m always up for a road trip! Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi Kathleen O – Wonderful fun weekends for you. Congrats on your daughter’s 21st birthday!! Enjoy all the fun activities with your family!
I have never been on a vacation so I don’t know if I have a favorite spot.
HI Janine – When we were younger, hubby worked 6 days a week so I can relate. Hope you still have a good summer. For us, staying out of the heat is a biggee, though amazingly, I put the patio chair pads out yesterday and of course, we had unexpected rain. Glad for the rain, but the timing wasn’t good. Thanks for stopping by today!!
Hi Renee- Enjoy your trip and congrats on the wedding!! We will have to hear all about it after the BIG DAY!
Hi Sheila G – Have fun on the Florida beaches. I’ve been there a few times and know summer means some rain, along with sunshine. Enjoy!!
HI Laurie G – You have a lake on your property, how lovely!! Sometimes, I think the backyard with a good book, IS the best vacation, especially if reading time is limited. Congrats on your son’s wedding!!
HI Crystal B – I can relate to that too. Last year, we redecked our patio and covering. It’s gorgeous, but it was our vacation and we enjoyed it so much, it didn’t matter When we bought a shiny new car a few years ago, I would tell friends, I’m DRIVING my vacation.
HI Anne – I hope you have a good reading summer!!
The lake looks so appealing. What a perfect spot. If we go on a holiday it has to be at the shore. The ocean, and walking on the sand is ideal.
HI Kim – how fun. I wish we were a bit more spontaneous. We are both planners. Enjoy your trips!
Hi Diane – We live 30 min from the ocean but hubby isn’t a sand kind of guy. I go with friends to the beach often though. Enjoy your beach days!
Lake Vacations are what we used to take when I was very young with my family. We fished, swam, had picnics and this was a getaway from the city. Miss them and now we drive to the mountains for a cool weekend away.
We love to camp and there’s a little town about half an hour away that has great fishing and a sweet beach for when it gets too hot. But any getaway with my husband, our dogs and my kindle is wonderful!
Sounds like an awesome vacation, Char! I’d love to visit there and spend the rest of my life. LOL Just too beautiful. The water, the mountain, the trees, not to mention plenty of fresh air. I love the mountains and the beach equally. Both places provide food for my soul. Loved your blog.
Wow your vacation looks so relaxing! As of right now for the summer I only have 5 more weeks until I graduate college so after that my husband, children and I plan to take some beach trips and to go visit my dad and step mom who live on a great piece of land that’s right by the mountains! I cant wait to relax even more since our third little one will be here in Dec.
Sounds like a lovely trip, can I go with you guys next time? lol
My husband and I do plan to go visit family in So. California. There are also a few overnight trips we were planning.
We decided to do our vacation right at the beginning of summer! We went on our long-awaited trip to New York City for the first time! Our son and daughter-in-law live in Philadelphia which going to grad school and since we have never had a relative back East, we decided to take advantage and “see the sights”! What fun to visit the city that never sleeps! I wouldn’t want to live there but it was great to visit! Even my 17 month old granddaughter was great during the trip! We saw so much and had a great time but it was nice to return to Philly and see the historical sights there also. A once-in-a-lifetime trip for us! Usually we prefer a nice mountain or beach trip since we are from Oregon!
How beautiful. A lake always is my ultimate destination. Quiet, secluded and perfect.
What wonderful history, Charlene. The plight of America’s tribes always breaks my heart. And the pix are so fun, wish I was there. It’s a busy time for us, in addition to frequent visits to out of town grandbabies. I’m off to RWA in Atlanta next week, then we head to Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, and Reno. Next is a tour of the Canadian Rockies with friends, and finally, an exploration of the state of Colorado. Looking forward to every bit of it.
Best wishes on the release, Charlene. Love you…
Summer has been fantastic!! And to answer your question, yes, I am a beach kind of girl and a mountain kind of girl. I just plain love our country and never tire of traveling it! Earlier this year I was on South Padre Island for a wedding, soon we will be traveling to our daughter in the mountains of Colorado, and later we will celebrate our 50th anniversary camping with family in Minnesota.
live in oregon-drives in the woods and backroads-packing a picnic along the way!
I am a mountain person especially if they have snow deep enough to ski there. We vacation by going skiing every year. Since i live in Arizona, we also go to the beach a couple of times in San Diego in the summer.
Interesting about the casino and those particular Indians.
I love the beach so I go and visit my dad in Stuart fla. and spend most of my time at the beach and of course visit my dad and his girlfriend.
No vacation in forever either.
I absolutely love going to the beach. I love to sit on the balcony overlooking the ocean with a cool glass of lemonade and a good book. It’s so relaxing.
I am retired and live in Fl so I can vacation anytime of the year. So it is cheaper to vacation in Spring and Fall.
I have not vacationed much in the last few years… it used to be a tradition to go to the beach at the end of summer or an amusement park… love amusement parks…
HI Tanya – you do have a busy summer! But it sounds like so much fun. You guys are making wonderful memories!!
HI Linda – oh, I know. I enjoy the lake and beautiful scenery but I like beach going too. It’s a toss up, but I think it’s cooler at the lake, and lately I’m enjoying mid range weather, rather than really hot climates.
Sounds like fun, Pearl and Jennifer!!
Cori – Congrats on graduating college! Have a fun summer!
Hi Connie J- I have to say a big Congratulations on 50 years of marriage! Next year is our 40th!! I can’t believe it. We were high school sweethearts. Enjoy all of your plans this summer!!
Hi Valri – Wow, what a wonderful trip. And your little munchkin made it more special!
Hi Jackie – sounds great! I have never been to Oregon!
Hi Colleen – We used to do amusement parks too, back in the day. Now we’re all about being with family and little munchkins and they aren’t old enough for theme parks yet. We are looking forward to that day though.
Hi Kathleen – I love Florida…just not in the summer months 🙂
Katie J – sounds heavenly!!
Hi Carole – There’s so much to do in Florida and you have family there, which makes it so much nicer.
Hi Joye – A skier? How fun. I tried it once, but wasn’t very successful. Right now, sounds cool and refreshing.
Hi Charlene, It’s been hard getting used to him working 6 days a week. He’s always tired too, so usually just lays on the couch when he is home. We’ll definitely be staying inside a lot this summer. It gets way too hot here to do anything outside. I’ve been wishing for a little rain, but so none has come. I will have to get outside one day next week. One of my sisters and a niece is coming in town and want to go to the outlet mall. I sure hope they are up for early mornings. When I have to do something, it’s always earlier in the day. 🙂
Anon1001 and Cathy – Sometimes ‘staycations’ are nice too. If you can unwind and enjoy your home without usual chaos. My hubby really loves being at home.
Hi Janine – Have fun with your relatives and enjoy your girl day shopping!
I enjoyed hearing about tribes that I’ve never heard about. When my husband and I were first married we took some really wonderful vacations, then we had children and we did take some family trips but we don’t get away much anymore. A friend and I will make a day of it and go to a casino ever once in a while – I call them my little mini-vacations lol.
I love mountain vacations …not much of a beach person even though I live 10 miles from the San Diego beach areas. My thought has always been that “The beach would be nice if it wasn’t for the sand.” I don’t like getting sand all over me. Two of my favorite places to vacation are Sedona, AZ and Santa Fe, N Mex. Very interesting about the Chukchansi Indians…..when I think of Indians it is usually those that have been depicted in movies like the Apaches or the Iroquis. I forget that there are hundreds of native American tribes.
Hi Charlene, our vacation fund this year was spent on a new roof. As my husband said, the roof cost as much as our first house.
Still laughing about the “Chancey” Indians. Thanks for an interesting post!
Hugs
We love Chuckchansi Casino! We have been 3 times now and always win! In June we had a “BLAST FROM THE PAST” vacation. My hubby & I traveled on tour to the East Coast visiting all the spots we did as younger folks. Had a reunion party with family in Brooklyn, toured an Amish farm in Lancaster and shared dinner with them, watched the sun set over the Shenandoah Valley and oogled at the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian in D.C. Great memories that will last!
When we traveled more….in our younger days (lol), we enjoyed the beach AND the mountains.
Now, I mostly READ……love to read….so the GC would come in very handy! Thanks!
Char that is one gorgeous cover, girl! I love it!
I would love to take a vacation somewhere that I could pick rather than always having to go back to West Virginia where my husband is from. LOL We do it every year because the family reunion is over the 4th of July weekend, or the weekend before.
It’s pretty expensive, flying or driving, because the hotel costs are the same, and for some reason they are really high out there. I’m a beach person. Of course, WV is far from the beach. We go back every year for his family reunion. If I could pick a place to go it would be a beach somewhere. Anywhere. LOL I don’t like actually getting into the ocean that much–just like to hear it and watch it.
Good luck with your new release!
Cheryl