This resort sits up on a mountain surrounded by pines. Great location, nice balcony, cozy fireplace, updated unit. But we were downstairs, and the upstairs floor had TERRIBLE soundproofing. Every step, drawer open, etc we could hear. It was especially bad because the person upstairs was up late (past midnight) and seemed to pace around a lot. We went to Walmart and got a humidifier to help drown out the noise. If you go, request an upstairs unit if you can. Better to be the hammer than the nail.

No onsite restaurant, no room wifi but they offer it in the clubhouse. A mixed blessing. It kept me off the internet a lot, but when I needed it I wished for more convenience.

Also, there are only about 15 satellite channels, so bring some DVDs or go to the Walmart lobby and do the $1 rental machines.

DO go to White Sands National Monument. We did a little sledding down the dunes, which will whip you into shape quicker than the best stairmaster. We hiked into Alkaili Flats and off the trail for the true seclusion experience. One of those rare times when I experienced complete silence--not even the wind. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing and take lots of water, a good hat and sunglasses.

Hiked around Bonita Lake, which still had patches of snow on the ground. Too late in the season to catch snowmobiling, iceskating, etc. We aren't downhill skiiers, but it seemed like that was still being offered.

The resort is in a good spot to visit other little places, like Capitan (Smokey Bear Museum and grave) but we were there more to relax, which for us, included GOOD EATING (and a little shopping.) We found some nice places, including: Log Cabin for breakfast (hearty and lots of variety); Casa Blanca for Mexican (nice fireplace, Dustin the waiter was super and had good restaurant recommendations); Pena's Place for breakfast--great green chile salsa; Sacred Grounds for espresso drinks; Cafe Rio for pizza (their Greek salad was also delish). We are not snooty eaters, like fine dining and little dives--as long as the food and service is good, we're happy.

That said, places I would avoid: Michealena's Italian--one of the worst meals I've had in a very long time. The sauce was terrible, and the food was drowned in it. Most entrees are at least $15, so it's not a cheap place to be disappointed. Also, the Hummingbird Tea Room serves boxed tea you can buy at the store, and I heard a nearby table whispering that the tuna was bad and didn't like their meal. I went with some soup and it was just ho-hum. The male waiter kept calling me "girl"--so unprofessional and NOT endearing at all. They had nothing special to offer that I could see.

Having worked at a major health resort for 10 years, I've had lots of great services and avoid "day spas". We found a great massage therapist named Shiva who owns Presence Massage and operates from a little home studio in Alto. She was fabulous and added to our relaxation tremendously. If you care more about the service itself than the facility, check her out.

The best part of the trip was being able to jump in the hot tub, go back and make a fire, relax with a DVD or book and glass of wine, and just chill. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you wish. For us, it was just what we were looking for. If we could have eliminated the upstairs noise, that is.

Crown Point Condominiums is up in the mountains with an elevated view of Ruidoso and the surrounding area. It is peaceful, rustic, and comfortable; and has ample activities such as racquetball, tennis, exercise, swimming (indoor even). We had accommodations for up to six - two bedrooms downstairs, a full kitchen, fireplace, balconies. The staff was friendly and helpful, even willing to make arrangements for us when it appeared we might arrive after their office closed. While being remote, it is easily accessible to the main roads and highways, food eateries and stores, and shops. We had quite an enjoyable family time the Thanksgiving week we stayed there and were able to do some sightseeing as well. The facilities aren't new, but they have a warm woodsy ambiance. The outside appearance is very appealing. My daughter and husband, my young son, my husband, and I had a wonderful time.

Crownpoint Condominiums is a timeshare in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Maintenance has really been neglected. A new management company took over about a year ago and they are doing a lot of work to try to catch up. They are replacing boards on the exterior siding and have completely replaced some decks. We were in building #8 and it doesn’t appear that have done much except paint the walls. The carpet was filthy! The manager told us that they have no weeks when the units are empty so it is very difficult to schedule the units for maintenance. The week in October we were there was the first week in several months that they have had any vacancies. On the plus side, housekeeping did a great job keeping the unit as clean as possible and everybody at the resort was friendly. We had two maintenance issues (inoperative AC outlet & broken microwave) which were immediately fixed. The views from buildings #1-6 were very nice, looking over downtown Ruidoso. Our building had a nice view of the mountains with beautiful sunrises, but we did look over the roofs of another building which kind of took away a little bit.
The pool and hot tub were OK, but the building temperature was a little cool. The weight room consisted of an elliptical, a stationary bike, a treadmill and a Bowflex in a tiny room. The pool table was lying on its side up against the wall. They had one computer to access the internet (never had trouble getting on, but the resort wasn’t crowded). They had wireless internet access at the reception center, but not in your room.
We were in Ruidoso during the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium at the horse track and had a ball watching some shooting, cooking and cow milking demonstrations. There was great entertainment (if you happen to like country music like we do) and fantastic shopping.
Ruidoso is about 1.5 hours from Roswell which has the UFO tourist stuff and a very pretty drive around Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Preserve. Alamogordo and White Sands National Monument is also about 1.5 hours away to the south and is definitely worth the drive. The white gypsum dunes are an incredible sight.
We drove an easy half-day loop from Ruidoso to Tularosa to Three Rivers Petroglyphs National Monument to Valley of Fires National Recreation Area near Carrizzo and back to Ruidoso. The petrogylphs were very interesting, but could be a tough walk if you have any trouble walking. The Valley of Fires was an awesome display of a 5,000 year old lava field. The ¾ mile walk is completely paved so it is an easy walk wheelchair accessible.
To summarize, the location surrounding attractions were outstanding. In a couple of years, the resort will really be nice if they continue to keep at the maintenance.