We were awake fairly early. I think we headed for breakfast over in the lobby restaurant area around 7. We were definitely not the only ones there. Service was a bit slow, but it didn’t take long for us to realize it was because there was one server on, and she was also cooking the breakfasts. Woah.
The Classic Desert Aire has a menu with several options on it. For about half the menu, you pay nothing. For the other half of the menu you pay half price if you’re staying there. We all got food from the free side of the menu. Kim and I had pancakes. I don’t remember what the boys had. It’s been awhile. The server was lovely and was busting her rear. The pancakes were delicious.
Fueled up for the time being, we snagged some sleds from the loaner pile, because this motel also lets you borrow sleds for sand dune sledding for free (they’re sold in the national park for about $25 a sled, which is definitely more than we pay for the same type of sled at home), and went back to pack up our car.
Car packed, we headed for the visitors center. We parked the Prius there and all of us piled into Kim and John’s rental. John drove and I got to play passenger princess, taking pictures along the way. It was a nice change of pace! We stopped at various lots, marveled at the dunes, went sledding (or attempted to anyway…waxed sleds would have been more successful, but we sure had fun trying!), and just generally felt like we were on another planet.
Once we’d driven all of the scenic drive, we returned to the visitor center, which was now open. Souvenirs were acquired, exhibits were explored, and then it was time to part ways. Kim and John were spending one more night in Alamogordo. And it was time for Nick and me to head back to Albuquerque to fly home the next morning.
Nick and I headed out, stopping for lunch before we really left town. Blake’s Lotaburger is a chain that’s just about exclusive to New Mexico, so we stopped here for lunch. Nick had a burger and I had chicken tenders. We both had milkshakes. For fast food, this was excellent.
After lunch, it was straight on to Albuquerque, with just a stop or two along the way for scenery. I’d thought about stopping at another pueblo or petroglyph site, but in the end decided to just keep moving. I was TIRED.
Nick and I headed out, stopping for lunch before we really left town. Blake’s Lotaburger is a chain that’s just about exclusive to New Mexico, so we stopped here for lunch. Nick had a burger and I had chicken tenders. We both had milkshakes. For fast food, this was excellent.
After lunch, it was straight on to Albuquerque, with just a stop or two along the way for scenery. I’d thought about stopping at another pueblo or petroglyph site, but in the end decided to just keep moving. I was TIRED.
We made it to Albuquerque, filled up with gas for the last time this trip, and then went to check in at our fifth and final hotel of the trip: Hotel Chaco. Check in was easy, and…this is a top notch hotel. All of the staff were wonderful, and the place was beautiful and sparkling clean. We left the car at check in, brought the stuff up to the room, and then I went back out to park, basically exactly where I had parked the weekend before. Hotel Albuquerque and Hotel Chaco have the same ownership and share the same parking lot.
Our room was 234, a standard room. I’d gotten this on Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, after I had decided I didn’t love the newer reviews of the Hilton properties by the airport, where I’d originally planned to stay (on points), so all I had to pay here was the “amenity fee”. When I returned from parking the car, Nick jokingly complained about the fact that we always seem to stay at the nicest places on our last night, when we are leaving early the next morning. I’m not sure that’s true, but point noted!
After a busy week, this room (and hotel in general) was perfect. It was SO QUIET. Nick settled in and I did some picture taking around the hotel.
When it was time for dinner, we headed across the street to the Sawmill Market. Given the amount of advertising for Sawmill Market in both Hotel Albuquerque and Hotel Chaco, I think they’re also owned by the same group as the hotels. Sawmill Market is a food hall (upscale food court). This worked perfectly for us. We could each get exactly what we wanted. I honestly have no idea what Nick got. I got a frito pie baked potato, where they forgot the fritos so it really was a baked potato with chili and cheese on it, but it was delicious. We sat outside in a bit of a courtyard, where there was live music and lawn games for people to play. Then Nick got Japanese ice cream for dessert after. I forgot to take a picture. The overall experience of Sawmill Market was great. I wouldn’t hesitate to go here again.
Dinner eaten, we headed back to the hotel. We’d hoped to get drinks at the rooftop bar but the outside patio was closed (it was pretty cold, like in the mid 50s), so they were totally full. So we had drinks at the lobby bar. Classy bar, old school bartender. It was a good way to wrap up the trip.
Back in the room we finished packing as much as we could and took long showers in the gloriously large shower with a rainfall shower head. I could get used to this luxury!
And then we crashed in the incredibly comfortable bed, marveling at just how quiet this room was.
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