The Gila Cliff Dwellings were much,
much less touristy than the similar artifacts in Mesa Verde and we were
allowed to visit as individuals rather than being herded through in a group.
Silver City NM is a small town and at first glance doesn't have
much to recommend it but we spent a couple of nights and found it friendly.

It's nominally a year-round place, though guided tours and other
activities are harder to come by in the winter, and frontal weather
could throw a monkey wrench into your plans (albeit fairly predictably
on a few days' notice). http://www.nps.gov/gicl/planyourvisit/hours.htm

It's a grueling day's drive from San Diego -- better to do an
overnighter and see something in southern or central Arizona (there's
no shortage of candidates) en route.

http://www.desertexposure.com gives you an idea of what else there is
to see and do, including where you might stay, in the general
vicinity of Silver City. (Alas, I just found out that Faywood Hot
Springs is closed to guests and for sale, for unfortunate reasons; but
I think there are non-motel places to stay in Silver.)

The western and eastern sides of the Gila both offer chances to gape
at a stupendous mining pit if you're into that. Note: that stretch
of US 191 (nee 666) up the western side can be quite sporty in winter.

There are options in New Mexico depending on time, interests, and
weather, ranging from a drive up I-25 through Truth or Consequences
and Socorro, then westering up US 60 to get a glimpse of the Very
Large Array, and after that, either turning for home or going to the
Petrified Forest / Painted Desert (http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm)
and Meteor Crater (http://www.meteorcrater.com/ ; http://www.barringercrater.com/)
area, then Sunset Crater (http://www.nps.gov/sucr/index.htm) and
either back down or up into the Utah canyonlands. Or you could keep
going up I-25 and see Santa Fe, then maybe Taos -- perhaps up through
_Milagro Beanfield War_ country (http://www.newmexico.org/scenicbyways/
high_road.php) or the Rio Grande Gorge (http://
www.enchantedcircle.org/ ). If weather makes you want a southern
route, consider White Sands -- perhaps for a Friday evening or Full
Moon astronomy program (http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm ;
http://www.desertusa.com/wsand/) or even Carlsbad Caverns (http://
www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm).

With only a week, you might want to have a plan for maximal extent of
the trip and a fallback position in case you find yourself running out
of time. (I alone, never mind the other posters, have outlined a lot
more than a week's possibilities.) There's always next year!

--Joe