Set high in the mountains of southeastern New Mexico on the sprawling Mescalero Apache reservation, the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino recently opened after a two-year, $200 million reconstruction. Like Indian gambling sites in California, the casino is bringing new levels of sophistication to areas that were once little more than glorified bingo halls.
They also are incorporating native history and art into spots once solely devoted to gambling.
The inn, designed by the Denver office of Worth Group Architects, replaces a 1970s-era lodge. The new building features contemporary Rocky Mountain architecture, expansive views and open spaces with traditional art by Apache artists. Visitors enter the resort through a soaring grand lobby. Most of its 273 hotel rooms and suites face Lake Mescalero and Sierra Blanca, the 12,300-foot peak beyond the lake, which is a mountain sacred in Apache lore. The lobby features flute music and sculptures by renowned Indian artist Allan Houser.
The 38,000-square-foot casino does offer nonstop gaming: 1,000 slot machines and 34 table games, including poker, baccarat, blackjack, craps and roulette. Other highlights and additions include four restaurants and several lounges. Sure you can have a hamburger, but lobster tacos and Asian slaw are on menus, too.
The Mescalero Apaches' history includes such famous warriors as Geronimo and Cochise. The tribe didn't surrender to the U.S. Army until 1886. It was one of the first to achieve economic success through the guidance of their charismatic and controversial leader Wendell Chino.
The late Mr. Chino helped raise national awareness of American Indian issues in the 1960s and obtained many rights for the tribe to govern itself. He often liked to say "the Zuni make jewelry, the Navajo make blankets and the Apaches make money." Even now, the tribe is working with the town of Ruidoso to promote the entire region as a destination.
In addition to an 18-hole golf course, the area offers many outdoor activities: skeet shooting, camping, horseback riding, guided big-game hunting, hiking, and fishing at two of the tribal lakes. Ski Apache, in the Sacramento Mountains near Ruidoso, welcomes skiers and snowboarders from Thanksgiving to Easter.