Welcome to Grand Junction, Colorado
There is an old Ute Indian "curse" that says that once you live in the grand valley area, you can never leave for good. If you leave, you will always return. I believe it must be true, but I don't think it is a "curse", I consider it more of a "blessing".
After spending most of my adult life in Grand Junction, my husbands' work took us to the Denver and Phoenix areas for a few years. Now we are back in Grand Junction. This time for good.
Here are just a few things I love about the area:
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
There is a wide variety of places to go and things to do in the valley. The natural beauty
of the surrounding area still enchants me after all these years.
THE GRAND MESA NATIONAL FOREST
This is a view of the Grand Mesa from my back yard in Palisade,
If your having a bad day, just stop and look up. To the east, you see the the Grand Mesa, towering 11,000 feet over the valley. You can drive to the top in less than an hour. In the summer, relax under a pine tree beside one of over 200 beautiful alpine lakes. Take a walk through a meadow filled with wild flowers or just take a drive and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in Colorado.
In the winter, you can decide on a moments notice to spend a half day at Powderhorn, skiing some of the best trails in the state. Or just take the family up for a day of sledding and playing in the snow.
One of the best things about this little trip to Paradise? You probably won't meet more than a dozen cars on the way up or down.
THE COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
To the west of Grand Junction sits the Colorado National Monument. Standing at over 7000 ft. above the valley, this lovely "mini grand canyon" can also be seen from almost any where in town. A drive across "the monument" takes about an hour. If you pull off at one of the many "view stops" for a breath taking view of the canyons, it will take a bit longer.
The Monument offers a totally different, but equally amazing, experience than the Grand Mesa. Here you see steep walled, red rock canyons and huge rock formations, some towering to 450 feet from the canyon floors. This is the high desert country of pinion pines and junipers.Ravens and eagles soar the skies, and you might catch a glimpse of big horn sheep or coyote.
I often take a few hours to just sit on a rock over looking the valley, contemplating life and the glorious views of the valley.
THE BOOKCLIFFS
The North rim of the valley is dominated by the Bookcliffs, a sheer wall of rugged rock formations, topping out as a mesa that runs the entire length of the valley and on out into Utah. The top of these mesas is home to herds of wild horses that are federally protected by the Bureau of Land Management.
THE SOUTH RIM
To the south are hills covered with orchards of peaches, cherries, and apricots. This lush agricultural area provides fruits and vegetable to the farmer's markets throughout the area.
THE COLORADO RIVER
The Colorado River flows down from the Rockies and right through the middle of the valley. Here the river is wide and slow enough for relaxing float trips in rafts or canoes. The many riverside parks provide areas for picnicking, fishing, camping, biking, and hiking. There are many handicapped accessible areas in the parks, so everyone can enjoy the areas.
THE CITY SCENE
Historic downtown Grand Junction is a delightful place to spend the day. You can lunch at one of the many fine restaurants where many offer outdoor sitting with views of the tree lined and flower filled areas of main street.
You can stroll down Main Street and enjoy the "Art on the Corner", sidewalk sculptures created by local and national artists. You can also browse a wonderful variety of boutiques, art galleries, and unique specialty stores.
There is also plenty of night life available in the area. From live dinner theatres to clubs featuring live music and entertainment, there is always something going on for every taste.
Outdoor concerts attract thousands from around the state every summer. Country Jam and Rock Jam are both 3 day concerts where music lovers can camp out overnight and enjoy music from nationally known country and rock stars and groups.
At the downtown Lincoln park, you can enjoy an evening under the stars while listening to the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, the Centennial Band, and other local groups.
The Grand Junction Botanical Gardens offer "Summer Music at the Gardens" where you can relax among the beautiful flowers and enjoy everything from Blues to Rock music on Wednesday nights.
There's also the Art and Jazz Festival, the Bluegrass Festival,the Palisade Peach Festival, and the Wine Festival in September.
QUICK FACTS:
Location:
The Grand Junction valley is located 250 miles west of Denver in Mesa County, in what is locally called the "Western Slope area". Grand Junction is only 28 miles east of the Utah border. Grand Junction is the largest city between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Population:
Grand Junction - Close to 50,000
About 120,000 if you include the surrounding cities of Palisade, Clifton, and Fruita.
Climate:
Temperate, high desert climate. Winters here are milder than other areas of
Colorado. Average temperatures:
January High 35.5 Low 14.5 Precipitation .56"
April High 65.8 Low 38.5 Precipitation .75"
July High 93.6 Low 63.9 Precipitation .65"
October High 67.7 Low 41.6 Precipitation .98"
History:
Grand Junction recently celebrated it's 125th anniversary. During the 1800's the valley was home to the Northern Ute Indians. During this period, gold and silver were discovered in the area and many prospectors were drawn to the area in search of their fortunes. Grand Junction was first called Ute, then West Denver. It was finally named Grand Junction because of its location at the confluence of the Gunnison River and the Grand River. (now called the Colorado River)
For More Pictures and Information on Grand Junction, visit my website at: www.JudyBowes.com
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