Silver City, New Mexico

Many times we have driven through Deming, NM on I-10 wishing we could make the detour to Silver City. Something always stopped us, not wanting to use the gas to drive the motorhome up to 6000 feet, the weather or not having the time. Today we had no motorhome, the weather was perfect and we had the time or at least could make the time. No excuses!

So off we went on NM 180. Uphill. We got to Silver City and stopped at the Visitor's Center where we got a quick but thorough talk on the city. We asked about hotels and she told us the historic hotels were the same price as the chains and were right in the heart of town, walking distance from everywhere. That sold us so we checked into the Palace Hotel, a small, almost European 18 room hotel at $56 plus tax. The room is small but quaint with the sink, the shower and the toilet in three different rooms.


Built in 1882 the Palace opened as a hotel in 1900. The town itself was founded in 1870 as the center of silver mining. It prospered as such until 1893 when the silver markets crashed. While nearby cities became ghost towns and crumbled away, Silver City hung on, becoming the charming tourist center it is today.