COME TO LIFE | Delta, Cedaredge, Crawford, Paonia, Hotchkiss, Orchard City Linger Longer Adventure and restful solitude rule days and nights in the towns of Delta, Cedaredge, Crawford, Paonia, Hotchkiss and Orchard City where lush farms, artful nooks and ancient canyons await discovery. Get Inspired to Paonia Sublime and active pursuits merge in Delta County, where an organic-food-and-wine region meets easy access to spectacular canyon lands for hiking and biking, including Escalante Canyon and Big and Little Dominguez canyons. Start with the West Elks Wine Trail, which meanders past 15 wineries. As you go, savor treats from restaurants that highlight local produce and meats, including Root & Vine Market in Paonia and 133 BRGR in Hotchkiss. Head to Paonia’s Town Park on summer Tuesdays for the Arbol Farmers Market’s fresh local eats and live music. Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford form a Certified Colorado Creative District, where artsy folk mix with the mesas. Delta’s historic Main Street is lined with colorful murals. For history, Fort Uncompahgre brings an 1820s fur-trading post to life, and 136 1-800-COLORADO the Delta County Museum’s big draw is a collection of dinosaur discoveries from the nearby Dry Mesa quarry site. Follow signs to the Eagle Rock Shelter Access from Hwy. 92, where the earliest humans known to inhabit North America found shelter on a ledge above the Gunnison River. Sweitzer Lake State Park is ideal for boating, birding and moonlight paddling, as are Paonia and Crawford state parks. Western Slope SUP can get you set up on the area’s calm waters. Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is popular with hikers, backpackers and trout fishers on the Gunnison River’s Gold Medal waters. Mountain bikers find uncrowded paradise on the challenging Sidewinder mountain-bike trail, the County Line trail system, Escalante Rim Loop and the North Rim Entrance to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. There’s also miles of singletrack and a skills and pump track in Delta’s Confluence Park. Antique shops in Delta and the old-school Tru Vu Drive In Theater should scratch an itch for nostalgic pursuits. Other must-see spots include the charming Cirque Boutique, Creamery Arts Center, Azura Cellars and Gallery, Paonia United Brewing Co., The Storm Cellar and Delicious Orchards & Big B’s Cidery. For a truly unique adventure, visit Western Culture Farmstead & Creamery to sample small-batch goat cheese, tour the farm and meet the goats themselves. LAURENCE PARENT. Stop into the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce for maps and advice about all the area has to offer.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2023: Page 136
