Grand Junction Official Visitor Guide - Grand Junction Colorado Adventure Guide
Your Perfect Day In Grand Junction
2019-05-03 03:30:41
With more than our fair share of natural and cultural resources, we’ve curated five specialized day trips to pique your interest and stimulate your senses — plan your perfect day!
CULINARY CRAFT
Grand Junction offers trendy food with substance, providing you with local farm-to-table nourishment and wine-tasting adventures.
MORNING:
Start strong with a hearty breakfast at Spoons Bistro & Bakery — we especially love the Florentine Benedict, which swaps the traditional ham for spinach, avocado and feta cheese. Next, you’re off to Belli Fiori Lavender Farm for a stroll through the fragrant purple fields. The Proietti family has been farming lavender in California and Colorado since 1945; be sure to stop at the Farmhouse Shop to sample Lisa Proietti’s heavenly small-batch aromatherapy, bath and culinary products.
AFTERNOON:
Grab a light lunch of seasonal local fare at Bin 707 Foodbar, where Chef Josh Niernberg, a James Beard-nominated chef, serves up seasonal Colorado cuisine. You can’t go wrong with their popular Tempura Artichoke Hearts or Brussels Sprouts Caesar. Get rolling again on a rented eBike or cruiser at Colorado E Bikes to experience the One Riverfront Trail System, 24.5 miles of scenic paved and packed trails connected to Downtown Grand Junction.
Or pedal the Fruit & Wine Byway, a 25-mile system of paved backcountry roads connecting 25 different points of interest — including more than a dozen wineries, fruit stands and farms. Don’t miss High Country Orchards, Colterris Winery, Carlson Vineyards, Alida’s Fruits or Aloha Organic Fruit.
EVENING:
End your wining-and-dining day with a relaxing dinner at 626 on Rood, where locally grown produce is perfectly paired with responsibly raised seafood, poultry and game. We’re big fans of the Roasted Palisade Plums and Scallops. After your meal, adjourn to MX Tapas/Tacos/Tequila for Watermelon-Jalapeño Margaritas and a host of other intriguing libations.
Learn more about Grand Junction-made delights on page 34.
GIRLFRIENDS’ GETAWAY
Your main squeeze is great and all, but your BFFs have a much higher capacity for Beaujolais and baby goat videos. This itinerary is for them … and you.
MORNING:
Rise and shine with a light breakfast at Cafe Sol — not because you’re cutting carbs, but because a full tummy may slow your asana down. Your next stop is Rooted Gypsy Farms, where you’ll enjoy an energizing all-levels yoga class to a soundtrack of bleating goats and sheep. Afterwards feel free to stroll around the farm; you may see owners Mark and Sara doin’ their thing as they harvest produce, herbs, spices, honey and cheeses for their Artisan Farm Box.
AFTERNOON:
Worked up an appetite on your mat? That’s good, because Taco Party offers six appetizers and six tacos, rotating weekly — and you’ll probably want to try them all. Next, you’re headed for SunCrest Orchard Alpacas and Fiber Works, where you’ll take a Trekking Tour with your own alpaca through the farm’s shadedappled orchards (comfy shoes required). On your way out, visit the Farm Store for a souvenir spun from 100 percent alpaca fiber.
Speaking of souvenirs, nothing says “girls’ trip” like a boutique crawl. Get your retail therapy at My Generation (flirty/edgy), Pollux (vibrant/trendy) and Zephyr (upscale/designer). Then wrap up your afternoon with a wine tasting and tour; both Two Rivers Winery and Ptarmigan Vineyards are wonderfully unpretentious, with a wide range of awardwinning varietals to try.
EVENING:
Tonight, you’re destined for Le Rouge Restaurant and Piano Bar, where upscale French-inspired cuisine (savory crepes and Courvoisier Terrine, ma jolie amie?) is accompanied by an impressive list of artisan cocktails and high-quality live jazz. It’s the perfect way to wind down after your whirlwind “chic” day.
FAM JAM
The key to a truly memorable family day is balancing variety and adrenaline with just enough down time. Try this itinerary on for size.
MORNING:
The day’s journey begins at Main Street Bagels, where the whole family can fuel up on house-made treats — including bagels, artisan bread, handcrafted granola and a variety of other baked goodies. Hot Tip: take a bag of their Peanut Butter Crunch granola for later, after the adrenaline rush of your morning with Jet Boat Colorado wears off.
Yes, you’re about to embark upon the ride of a lifetime, on a New Zealand-style jet-boat ride through the twists and turns of the Colorado River. The scenery of Colorado’s canyon country is decidedly breathtaking … but it’s your expert driver’s thrilling moves, including fishtails, power slides and speed runs, that will leave your little ones gasping with supercharged delight.
AFTERNOON:
After your midday meal selected from Rockslide Restaurant & Brewery’s expansive, something-for-everyone menu, let the kids choose their own adventure! Experience an earthquake and uncover Jurassic-era bones at the interactive, hands-on Dinosaur Journey. Meet Bruce the Tortoise and 150 of his exotic animal friends at the Children’s Nature Center. Watch a real beehive in action at the EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, along with more than 100 other exhibits designed to make the wonders of science accessible to all ages.
Need a sweet afternoon pick-me-up? Gelato Junction boasts nearly 80 flavors of the creamy confection, with unique ones like apple pie and the traditional Italian flavors of Zabajone — as well as soda-fountain classics like sundaes and shakes.
EVENING:
Perk up your little peeps with dinner at Enzo’s, where delights like The Meat-Baller Calzone and Oregano Orange Brandy Chicken Scaloppini are made from scratch while you enjoy a mouth-watering Asiago Artichoke Dip. Then scoot down to the Grand Junction Motor Speedway, where kids as young as 5 can pilot karts around the world-class sprint track. You’ll squeal with excitement as they zoom across the finish line.
HISTORY HOUND
From disco-era muscle cars to dinosaur bones and beyond, this educational yet exhilarating itinerary looks to both earth and sky in its search for enlightenment.
MORNING:
Start your journey into the past at Dream Cafe, where the owners promise to help you “dine on Cloud 9.” Order their daily specialty: fluffy, house-made cinnamon rolls roughly the size of your head.
This sugary sustenance will energize you through an informative morning in Fruita, where you’ll walk the Dinosaur Hill Interpretive Trail, a mile-long selfguided hike that hits 10 points of geological and paleontological interest. For a more unstructured exploration, visit the nearby Fruita Paleontological Area; this half-mile patch of scrubby bentonite cradles a perfectly preserved slice of the Jurassic Period. Keep your eyes peeled for real-life fossil hunters.
AFTERNOON:
Break for lunch in historic Downtown Grand Junction at one of the longestoperating businesses in the downtown area, Blue Moon Bar & Grille, where the globally inspired menu feels like a journey in and of itself. Then head over to the Museum of the West, where the interdisciplinary Western Investigations Team works to solve enduring mysteries of local heritage — including the gruesome tale of Colorado’s infamous prospector turned cannibal, Alfred Packer. Learn about their latest project before striking out for Gateway Canyons, an exclusive resort owned by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks. His Auto Museum is home to more than 60 mintcondition automobiles dating from 1906–1971. We promise you can’t imagine how amazing this collection is, so be sure to visit.
EVENING:
For a crash course in Italian culinary history, you’ll dine at il Bistro Italiano, where owner and Chef Brunella puts a Colorado-style spin on traditional dishes from her native land, Bibbiano, Italy. Then, it’s time for the ultimate nightcap: stargazing at the Colorado National Monument.
GRAND GETAWAY
Using Grand Junction as your home base, take your daytime explorations farther afield in surrounding towns to unpack all the Western Slope has to offer.
MORNING:
If there’s a better way to kick off a day of cycling than a Biker’s Burrito from Camilla’s Kaffe in Fruita, we haven’t found it. This morning feast of two eggs and golden hash browns wrapped in a flour tortilla, then smothered with house-made pork green chili and topped with cheddar cheese will get you ready to roll.
And that’s welcome news, because Fruita’s iconic 18 Road Trails Area offers thrilling mountain biking trails amid the dips and ridges of the vast desert valley floor. Loops, 2 to 28 miles long, range from moderate to difficult.
AFTERNOON:
The Palisade Cafe 11.0 has been nourishing locals and visitors with locally sourced fare since 1930. Current owners John and Marisol both have Spanish heritage, so the menu’s international influences are the real deal. If you happen to be there for lunch on a Thursday, the paella is mandatory.
After your meal, take a picturesque float trip through wine country from Palisade to Corn Lake State Park. Palisade River Trips offers guided trips and self-guided rentals. You’ll work up a thirst out there on the water, so your next stop is the Peach Street Distillers tasting room for sips of your favorite spirits — with emphasis on expert infusions made with Palisade’s famous fruit, including peaches, apricots and pears.
If a crisp hard cider’s more your speed, hit up Talbott’s Farm Market and Taproom for fruity flavors forged over five generations.
Then walk off your buzz amid the creative musings of Palisade Art Vision, a rotating collection of public sculpture installations from local and regional artists.
EVENING:
Your night in Fruita starts with an early dinner at Hot Tomato Café & Pizzeria, where daily house-made dough is topped with the freshest ingredients. While the entire menu is mouthwatering, go straight to the seasonal pies, and pick anything topped with Palisade peaches. Then get ready for a brief return to the Old West at the Rimrock Rodeo, where local cowpokes compete in events like barrel racing, bull riding, calf roping, mutton bustin’ and more (Tuesday evenings, June–August).
Follow the Locals
“Hop on an eBike and coast the Fruit and Wine Byway surrounded by fruit-bearing orchards while you visit several of the 27 wineries in the valley.” — Rondo Buecheler, Rapid Creek Cycles
Some Like It Hot
Book a stay at one of these hotels, where hot tubs and heated pools are your crew’s ticket to relaxation.
■ Courtyard by Marriott
■ DoubleTree by Hilton
■ Fairfield Inn & Suites
■ Gateway Canyons Resort (Rent a private casita with a hot tub or mingle pool-side)
■ Grand Vista Hotel
■ Hampton Inn
■ Holiday Inn Express & Suites
■ Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Grand Junction-Airport
■ Residence Inn
■ Springhill Suites
* Many vacation homes offer hot tubs
New in GJ
Test your puzzle-solving skills at Solve It Escape Games or Epic Escape Game, a unique way to unplug.
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