Gary,
You mentioned food ... if you're a fan of New Mexican food, you can go wrong anywhere in the northern half of the state, whether "red or green".
The scenery 'tween Durango and Espanola is pretty neat, most of it anyway.
The casino & hotel? Never been inside, just seen from the outside. Seems OK for a small town Indian casino ... not quite like Sandia Resort or Buffalo Thunder (which is actually pretty close to Espanola), let alone Las Vegas (NV, that is).
If you could get some wheels, there's some nice stuff to see in the general area ... Santa Fe is close by, and there's some nice outdoor stuff to see too, including Bandelier & the Jemez Mountains (Jemez Springs is kinda neat too).
Not bad for a weekend trip.
Enjoy yourself, Merry Christmas!
Duane