A Weekend Itinerary for Your First Stay

First-time guests tend to make the same mistake: they plan every hour and end up seeing less of the resort than if they'd left more open. Here's the loose structure our front desk suggests most often for a Friday-to-Sunday first stay.

Friday: Arrival & Settling In

Check-in opens at 4:00 PM, and valet at the main entrance makes the first fifteen minutes painless. If you're arriving hungry, Harvest Table's dinner buffet runs Thursday through Sunday and doesn't require a reservation. Save the gaming floor for after dinner — it's genuinely a different atmosphere once the evening crowd settles in.

Saturday Morning: Slow Down

Resist the urge to start the day at the tables. The indoor pool and spa relaxation lounge are quietest before 10 AM, and a spa treatment booked the night before means you're not competing for a Saturday afternoon slot. If your dates fall in outdoor season, the sundeck fills in gradually through the morning — arriving by 9 or 10 AM gets you a lounge chair without a wait.

Saturday Afternoon: Pick One Thing Off-Property

If it's your first visit to the area, this is the window to drive the short stretch to the Lewis & Clark Monument overlook or walk Bayliss Park downtown. It's close enough that it doesn't eat your whole afternoon, and it breaks up a weekend that would otherwise be entirely on-property.

The guests who report the best first stays are almost always the ones who left Saturday afternoon open rather than scheduling it solid.

Saturday Evening: Dinner, Then the Floor

Ironwood Chophouse takes reservations and books up by early evening on Saturdays, so call ahead rather than walking in. After dinner, the gaming floor and Ace High Lounge run late — there's no need to rush either one.

Sunday: Check Out Without Rushing

Check-out is 11:00 AM, but a late check-out request the night before is usually approved if the room isn't needed for a same-day arrival. Harvest Table's breakfast buffet is a good last stop before you head out, and it's typically quieter than Saturday morning.

The Takeaway

Two nights is enough to cover suites, dining, the pool, the spa, and the gaming floor — as long as you don't try to schedule all five into one tight itinerary. Leave at least one block of time unplanned.