Silver City, New Mexico

At last count, the downtown historic district housed 25 art galleries. Frankly, I thought fine art came from a fluorescent spray can. In a blind taste test, I couldn’t tell a van Gogh from a van Elvis. But if you are an art aficionado, this town is a must. While the downtown commerce district is lovely, the rest of the town is not-so-nice. Plenty of outdoor recreation is available in nearby Bear Canyon Lake, Bill Evans Lake, the Boston Hill Open Space Trail System and the Gila National Forest. Annual Silver City events include the Gem and Mineral Show and the Gila River Festival. Silver City is the county seat of Grant County.