Mountain air isn’t all the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort has to offer. Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains in Chester, West Virginia, the Mountaineer may keep you indoors during your entire visit.
The blackjack, craps and roulette tables in the casino go 24/7 and a 40-table poker room keeps devotees inside with Omaha and 7-Card Stud. Novices can take a chance, as it were, on $2–$4 Texas Hold ’em or warm up to gaming at the penny and dime slots.
The rooms and suites at Mountaineer’s Grande Hotel also tempt travelers to stay in, and the refreshment at the hotel’s luxurious spa is particularly inviting.
Try the Mimosa Bliss body treatment. This indulgence starts with a mandarin orange exfoliation, followed with a mineral mask hydration and an orange blossom massage.
Dining at Gatsby is equally comforting with mountaineer chili and coconut shrimp salad on the bill. Breakfast, seafood and prime rib buffets keep the tables groaning at Riverfront Buffet.
Evenings may well be spent at the casino’s racetrack, where purses have grown steadily since the passage of the Racetrack Video Lottery in 1994. The Clubhouse Terrace and Dining Room, open during live racing, affords wide-angle views of the track and close-up coverage via individual tableside TV monitors. Evening entertainment also plays out at the Mahogany Sports Bar and The Harv, home to big-name acts and concerts.
And, oh yes, remember that fresh mountain air? Try an 18-hole, par 72 round at the resort’s Woodview Golf Course, which edges up to the rolling Appalachians.