COME TO LIFE / Grand Junction, Palisade, Fruita COLORADO WINE & ADVENTURE COUNTRY Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita are the heart of Colorado’s wine country, but delicious adult beverages are just one of the region’s great assets. COLORADO MOUNTAINS & MESAS T WINTER FUN Family-friendly Powder-horn Mountain Resort is located on the Grand Mesa near Grand Junc-tion, where skiers, riders and snowtubers see something more like the Grand Canyon than the typical alpine view. The resort recently added an amazing new service: Ski Patrol Ski Along, your own personal guide to the mountain! Also, the Grand Mesa Nordic Council maintains 50 km of cross-country trails. Several trailheads have warming huts. spy the Bookcliffs , named for their shape and one of the only east– west ranges in the U.S. For dinner, The Palisade Café 11.0 offers fresh local produce and locally raised beef and pork. Peach Street Distillers , a manufacturer of locally made spirits, is a great place to taste some truly original spirits. Or have dinner at Grand Junction’s wildly popular Bin 707 Foodbar (2) , where chef Josh Niernberg serves up a menu crafted from the Grand Valley’s best farmers, winemakers and brewers. 626 on Rood , Café Sol and Taco Party are a couple of other must-eats for local flavors. Find Colorado crops at their source: Get your hands dirty with Sage Creations Organic Laven-der Farm ’s u-pick experience. And several orchards also offer pick-your-own ops, including Fruit Basket Orchards , Green Barn Fruit Company , Palisade Peach Ranch and Bolton’s Orchards & Farm Market (call ahead to confirm availability), in addition to the fresh-produce stands found throughout the region. R SUMMER AT SKI RESORTS Powderhorn is now open during the summer with scenic lift rides, hiking trails, concerts and lift-assisted downhill mountain biking, including rentals, lessons and an expanding trail system. 1 DAY 1 The largest flat-topped mountain in the world, Grand Mesa is a 10,000-foot-high plateau topped by forest and more than 300 lakes. Mountain-bike trails lace the area. Pick up a map at the entrance to town to discover all that’s within reach of Palisade . The Colorado River is accessible to kayaks, canoes, rafters and paddleboards. There’s also the Riverfront Trail ’s Monument View section, which runs 28 miles along the river from Fruita to Grand Junction. The trail’s Connected Lakes section has four lakes strung together for great SUP-ing, fishing and kayaking. The surrounding Audubon area is home to more than 200 different species of birds, just minutes from the city. The Palisade Fruit & Wine Byway is another way to see the area, routing through orchards, lavender gardens, vineyards, fruit stands and river views. Along the way, you’ll DAY 2 Start your morning in downtown Grand Junction , where locally owned brunch hotspots’ outdoor seating areas let you bask in the morning air. Work off the hash @skipowderhorn 2 QUICK TIP 162 / Grand Junction is known for its “second fall.” When fall color in the rest of the state has faded, it’s just started here, giving fall-foliage fans an extra chance to catch the display later in September/early October. 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, ETHAN WELTY; BIN707 FOODBAR; POWDERHORN MOUNTAIN RESORT, @SKIPOWDERHORN.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 162
