We were in the area a couple of months ago. Stay at least two days in the white sands area unless you are in a hurry. Cloudcroft area is much nicer than Roswell. Roswell is good for a couple of hours for lunch, not much else. It is crowded, dirty, and uninspiring. There are some 'aliens' (plastic statues) posted around town in different colors but it is all pretty lame. Heading south to Artesia, some days the smell will get to you - it is almost as bad as Elizabeth, NJ, but not quite. We spent four days in that area. Next time we'll skip it completely.
