High rollin'

We are at the Sandia Casino Resort, just north of Albuquerque, near Sandia Peak (map).

This turns out to be one of the nicest casino properties that we've encountered. Modern, clean, and chock full of amenities such as a spa. We actually stopped in at the spa last night to see if we could make massage appointments for today -- silly us: we forgot it was Mothers' Day weekend, and everything is booked solid. We were lucky to get a reservation last night at the high-zoot top-floor restaurant.

The restaurant was fabulous, though pricey. Making a reservation landed us a window table with a spectacular view of Sandia Peak. The pace was relaxed, the service was attentive if a bit casual for such an upscale venue, and the food was perfect. We even enjoyed the bottle of Syrah from New Mexico vintner Lescombes.

In addition to the upscale venue, there is a more moderate full-service steak house on the ground floor, as well as a buffet, a deli, and a coffee bar, along with several lounges, including the poolside one, where snacks are served.

If we were here mid-week, wherein we could take advantage of the spa and perhaps enjoy one of the other restaurants, we'd think about staying a second night. But with the place jam-packed for the special weekend, we'll just move along today.

We've received several suggestions and queries regarding our route in the comments. Thanks, everyone. We actually have a specific plan, since we are scheduled to be in the area of Hotchkiss, Colorado in a few days to visit a friend there. So our route from here will be to turn north on US550, which will take us all the way to Delta, Colorado by way of Counselors, Bloomfield, and Aztec, New Mexico, and Durango, Silverton, Ouray, and Montrose, Colorado.