So much to see ... So little time ...
A Day in Roswell with a Local
Based on 25 years of entertaining guests — this is exactly where I'd take you. Staying overnight or longer? Scroll to the bottom and let me know when you are coming; I'll tell you what you are doing.
— Guy Malone, author & Roswell resident since 1999
I've been meeting visitors at Ancients of Days downtown — or at Monterey Plaza where I work from most days — for over two decades. I'll autograph a book for you, point you toward what's real, and skip what isn't worth your time.
Here's my honest "short list." No affiliate deals, no paid placements (some feed me occasionally, for this!). Below is just what I actually do with guests who and when they actually do visit me in Roswell! This quick list aside, please watch this site for events for local theater and music, etc, when planning ahead. Attractions and themed merchants open daily in Roswell.
Roswell, NM, Day Trip Itinerary
Morning — Coffee or a Full Breakfast
Coffee & Conversation
We have three good independent coffee shops — Stellar Coffee Co, Hot Bev, or Degenerate Coffee — or if you want a full sit-down breakfast, Martin's Capitol Café and Cowboy Cafe are both the real deal which locals got to and send others. Here's just five great options, all locally owned, none of them chains. These are just the ones I know; more are linked.
- Stellar Coffee Co — 315 N Main St
- Hot Bev — 1810 S Main St
- Degenerate Coffee — 304 N Richardson Ave
- Martin's Capitol Café — 110 W 4th St
- Cowboy Cafe — 1120 E 2nd St (full breakfast)
Mid-Morning — The Real Roswell
Ancients of Days or Monterey Plaza
This is where I'm usually found. Ancients of Days carries crystals, fossils, and books — including mine and is walking distance from all the downtown shops. Monterey Plaza is the indoor market 1.5 miles west of downtown where the tourists usually aren't, and where I offer movie nights upstairs and rare, collectible Bibles downstairs.
- Ancients of Days — 127 N Main St
- Monterey Plaza — 1400 W Second St #23 #34
Lunch
Two Honest Lunch Picks
Both are locally owned, both are the real deal. Martin's and Cowboy from breakfast hours work well here, depending upon appetites, but for more lunch fare plus a mildly more upscale, professional feel than much of Roswell offers, Pecos Flavors is where I'm taking a pretty girl for a lunch date and/or Portofino's Italian!
- Pecos Flavors Winery & Bistro — 412 W Second St
- Portofino — 1203 W Second St
Afternoon — Don't Rush This
Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art
Budget no less than an hour here, I mean it. This is one of the most underrated art museums in the American Southwest — world-class work, free admission, and almost no one knows about it because it's not on Main Street and they don't sell alien T-shirts. It's the best-kept secret in Roswell; you'd expect to find this only in Santa Fe, New York City, etc. Also make an appointment with the Southeastern New Mexico Historical Society for a tour of their fantastic building downtown as well, if you have another hour-plus.
- Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art — 409 E College Blvd
- Free admission · Allow 2.5+ hours
- Southeastern New Mexico Historical Society — 200 N Lea Ave
Dinner
Two Dinner picks worth staying for
Pecos Flavors and Portofino both make great dinner options as well. Those aside, Cattle Baron for a proper steak dinner, seafood, prime rib or just salad bar with sauteed mushrooms if you're vegetarian. CB has been the local special-occasion restaurant for decades, open lunch with burgers and sandwiches and such as well. From local prom night to our mayor entertaining corporate guests to open a factory here or something, this is where you bring someone. Your boy worked there for 15 years, so I'm biased, by the way. Full bar, beer and wine service too. My locally owned Mexican/New Mexican options for lunch and dinner are also below.
- Cattle Baron Steak & Seafood — 1113 N Main St
- Portofino — 1203 W Second St
- Los Cerritos — 2103 N Main St (get the tableside guacamole — don't skip it)
- Geli's — 3601 N Main St
- Taqueria Jalisco — 1622 S Main St
- Margarita's — 409 E 2nd St (dive bar · Chinese/Mexican buffet mix)
- Tia Sophia's — 401 N Richardson Ave
Personal · Free · I'll reply myself
Want a Custom Itinerary Built Around Your Dates?
That short list is what I'd do with anyone. But if you want something built around your actual schedule — how many hours you have, what you're most interested in, whether you still need a hotel — fill this out and I'll get back to you personally. I've been doing this for 25 years. I know what's worth your time.
Are you here for more than a few hours? Let me know your dates and I'll put together something specific. Need a hotel recommendation? Tell me your budget and I'll point you to the right one — and maybe earn a small referral for my trouble, deal?