   Current Temp: 68° F |
|
|
|
|
 EXPERIENCE SUMMER IN GRAND JUNCTION AND COLORADO’S GRAND VALLEY Summer in Colorado’s Grand Valley is truly grand, in every sense of the word. The sky is bigger, the weather is perfect, the fruit is sweeter, the scenery is magnificent, and the choices myriad – all great reasons to choose Grand Junction for your grand summer experience!• “Island in the sky": In a state known for the rugged Rocky Mountains, here's the place to explore something truly different: one of the world's largest flat-top mountains. Stretching some 40 miles across, the Grand Mesa is often called the "island in the sky" for its expanse of aspen forest and more than 200 sparkling, stream-fed lakes. The 246,000-acre Grand Mesa National Forest, which sits atop the mesa, boasts 200 miles of trails providing year-round access by foot, mountain bike, snowshoes, cross-country skis, ATV, horseback or snowmobile. Although the trails traverse the mostly flat mesa, its 10,000-foot-plus altitude provides something a challenge in itself. • Colorado National Monument: A 23,000-acre landscape of towering rock spires and majestic canyons offering spectacular views of the Grand Valley. Visitors can get a glimpse of its splendor by taking the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive that climbs 2,000 feet above the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. Along the route, several roadside overlooks provide opportunities to stop and savor the sights. A spectacular view of the Grand Valley may be enjoyed form the top of Serpent’s Trail, a vigorous hike with more than 50 switchbacks. The more gently sloping Otto’s Trail leads to an overlook for a panoramic view of the population of monoliths. For more adventurous hikers, the Monument offers backcountry routes from 4 to 8.5 miles in length and 11 canyons to explore. • Step in to the past: Grand Junction is a great place to explore the prehistoric past. At the Museum of Western Colorado’s Dinosaur Journey, visitors can get up close and personal with dinosaur skeletons, a working paleontology lab, and realistic robotic dinosaurs. For those who want to see dinosaur tracks and bones in the wild, hike the Trail through Time in the nearby Colorado Canyons Conservation Area, an easy 1.5-mile hike that takes hikers past an active dinosaur quarry. The Fruita Paleontological Area Trail also offers a short interpretive tour of the landscape of the area 150 million years ago and the animals that lived there. For a taste of the more recent past, the Cross Orchards Historic Farm incorporates preserved and reconstructed buildings and the farm’s original orchards, allowing you to step back in time, experiencing life in Grand Junction as it was during the early 1900’s. • Time to Play: Grand Junction is home to five unique and outstanding golf courses. As well as a variety of challenging holes and excellent facilities, the courses of Grand Junction offer some of the most spectacular scenery and challenging greens available on a golf course. • Trails for everyone: From short jaunts to all-day tours to overnight treks, there’s a trail out here for everybody. Some examples include: the 18-mile, relatively flat Colorado Riverfront Trail takes hikers and bikers through the City of Grand Junction past picnic grounds, a botanical gardens, protected wetlands, and fishing. For more of a challenge, from here you can branch out to the Grand Junction-to-Moab Kokopelli Trail (142 miles) or one of its more challenging side loops. • Seven Raftable Rivers: The Grand Valley offers access to seven raftable rivers, from mild float trips to exciting whitewater. Outfitters offer both single and multi-day trips with opportunities to hike the canyons, visit Indian ruins and spot bald eagles, deer and other wildlife. Two fun programs include the River & Ranch Adventure and Yoga & Life Coaching Retreats. • Four-wheeled and Four-footed: There are also four-wheeled and four-footed ways to explore the outdoors. The Grand Junction area offers four-wheeling terrain that rivals that of better-known Moab; local operators offer rentals, tours, and specialized off-road 4x4 training. Prefer non motorized, exploring on horseback offers a truly Western experience and a unique way to go off-trail. Local outfitters offer everything from one-hour trail rides to the chance to spend time on a real working ranch. • Fishing and Hunting: Outdoor sportsmen will be interested to know that the BLM has approximately 1.2 million acres of public lands open to hunting in the Grand Junction area. Approximately 10,000 hunters come to west-central Colorado each year to hunt mule deer and elk as well as waterfowl and small game. Fishing is plentiful, in the Colorado River as well as lakes and streams in the Grand Valley and Grand Mesa, for trout, catfish, northern pike and smallmouthed bass. • Colorado’s Wine Country: the Grand Junction and Palisade area boasts over 17 wineries producing award-winning wines of all types, from Riesling to Cabernet to exotic honey wines. Most of the wineries offer tours and tastings on a daily basis or by appointment – for a truly unique experience you can even organize your tour by bicycle, or be chauffeured in style by a local limousine services or touring company. • Festivals and food: Summer and early fall is festival time, so a well-planned visit can coincide with the Mesa County Fair, Palisade Peach Festival, Country Jam USA Music Festival, or Colorado Mountain Winefest. The Downtown Farmers Market takes place Thursday evenings starting from June through September and features produce from local farms and orchards. Summer and fall visitors to the Grand Junction and Palisade area of western Colorado can easily see why the area is celebrated as Colorado’s fruit basket. • Harvest: From June through October, orchards in the area are laden with some of the sweetest harvests around. Starting with June’s sweet cherries and running through October’s crisp apples, you’ll always find something in season: * Cherries (sweet varieties) - mid-June through mid-July * Cherries (sour varieties) – mid- to late-July * Apricots – late June through early July * Peaches – late July through mid-September * Plums – late August through mid-September * Pears – mid-August through mid-September * Apple (summer varieties) – mid-July through late August * Grapes – all during September * Apple (winter varieties) – mid-September through late October • For the cultural minded: numerous theatre venues are available with world class talent from college productions to sit down dinner theatres. • Rock Climbing: One of the many “best kept secrets" of this area is the unlimited opportunities for rock climbing. Two of the most popular climbing areas are the Colorado National Monument and Unaweep Canyon. • Horseback Riding: Experience magnificent views of the Grand Junction area. Riding is permitted on several of the hiking and mountain bike trails. Guided trips are available through stables in the area. • Scenic Byway drives: Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway’s canyons boast granite walls rising from lush green fields, slick rock canyons and high desert landscape. Once the home of the Ute Indians and a hideout for Butch Cassidy. The Grand Mesa National Scenic Byway is a 150 miles roundtrip drive with stunning views at every turn. • Shop: You’ll have your choice of shopping experiences. Stroll down Main Street’s shopping park, where you’ll find historical buildings, fountains, art galleries, antique shops, restaurants, and retail shops specializing in a variety of gifts. Our “Art on the Corner" is the first Main Street sidewalk sculpture exhibit in Colorado and the largest anywhere in the west featuring over 100 sculptures. Check out North Avenue for big-name discount stores. Mesa Mall, Western Colorado’s largest indoor shopping mall, offers typical mall shopping with large anchor stores and smaller chain stores. Grand Junction also features popular stores like Sportsman’s Warehouse, Old Navy, Ross Dress for Less, Michaels, Borders, Kohl’s, Herbergers and Bed, Bath and Beyond. At an altitude of 4,507 feet, Grand Junction is warm in the summer and moderate in spring, fall and winter with more than 275 days of sunshine each year. For more information, call the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau at (800) 962-2547 or log on to www.visitgrandjunction.com. |
|
