Skies are blue and the clouds are far behind me as I slowly navigate the numerous, stomach-churning hairpin turns along Beech Mountain Parkway. I was born five years after the last pair of ruby slippers skipped over the shiny yellow brick road perched high atop Beech Mountain, but this September, I finally got to realize my dream of visiting Land of Oz. As I grew older, I knew, of course, that Oz was not a real place-even in the movie, it’s all ultimately revealed to be an elaborate fever dream.

When I was a kid, I watched The Wizard of Oz so many times that our VHS tape gave out one day due to sheer exhaustion. The Scarecrow walks on the yellow brick road. The YBR also underwent a total game-floor renovation this past year and opened a new dining option called Burgers of Madison County, featuring “scratch-made homestyle specialties,” as stated on their website.Land of Oz, which first opened its emerald gates in 1970 and closed only 10 years later, now reopens several times a year: in early summer for the interactive event Journey with Dorothy, and on September afternoons and evenings for Autumn at Oz and Dining with Dorothy. Starting the renovations on a high note, The Lounge became the largest sportsbook in New York, offering year-round, multi-sport viewing and Vegas-style sports betting, according to their website. YBR has seen massive changes and updates in the last year, undergoing a multi-phase 10 million dollar renovation that first began with the addition of The Lounge with Caesar Sports.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era of fun and excitement at YBR Casino and Sports Book, and for the entire region as well,” Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said. The new 19,400-square-foot space features “The Lanes,” a six-lane luxury Brunswick Bowling center two high-tech Topgolf Swing Suite bays multiple pool tables shuffleboard sports betting stations more than 65 additional slot machines more than 20 LED screens and an expansive full-service bar and dining area. – The Yellow Brick Road (YBR) Casino unveiled its newest addition in entertainment on Tuesday.

Yellow brick road casino photos