I think you'd enjoy Silver City located in the Southwest corner of the state. It's a two-hour drive from Las Cruces. You'll take US-180 W out of Deming off I-10 W. Silver City borders on the three-million acre Gila National Forest.
As you depart, you can either backtrack to Deming and take NM-26 N to I-25 N via Hatch (Chile Capital of the World) or take scenic NM-152 N to catch I-25 N to Albuquerque, Sante Fe, and beyond.
General InformationVisit Silver City
Town of Silver City
LodgingNot sure about your budget, but the Bear Mountain Lodge is beautiful,
Bear Mountain Lodge
There are a couple of historic hotels right in downtown Silver City including the Palace Hotel and the Murray Hotel,
Murray Hotel
RestaurantsGiven that "food" was on your list, here's my ARFCOM Silver City Restaurants thread,
Silver City Restaurants
The following restaurants should be considered a must,
The Jalisco Cafe
The Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House
Revel
There are several other very good restaurants including,
Adobe Springs Cafe (breakfast / lunch)
Corner Kitchen
Diane's Bakery & Deli
Diane's Restaurant
Forrest's Pizza (take out)
Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery
Mick's 33 Lounge
All of the restaurants are within walking distance of the downtown hotels with the exception of The Buckhorn (which is well worth the drive).
Skim through my Silver City Restaurants thread for a complete list of recommendations.
EventsTour of the Gila, April 27 – May 1, 2022
Silver City Blues Festival, Memorial Day Weekend 2022
Clay Festival, July 11 - 17, 2022
Hatch Chile Festival, September 3 - 4, 2022
Other EventsSilver City Events
Note: You'll be at 6,000' of elevation (minimum). Train accordingly.
Wherever your travels may take you, I hope you enjoy the Land of Enchantment.