With the health issues of today, airline travel and travel at all has pretty much come to a complete stop. Since some things in our state have started to open up, we were itching to take a little car trip to get out of the house/town for a few days.
We had some close friends who recently moved to Grand Junction, so we accepted their invitation to go visit them. I had NO idea what was to come!
Today, this Holliday (me!) is stepping out of our home to take you on holiday in case you are not ready to travel yet! This is NOT a sponsored post (I just fell in love with the area).
So many of our trips have been canceled and so many people are not ready to travel yet. I thought I would “take you away” to this beautiful place to experience the beauty we saw on our quick trip. And, then maybe, you will add it to your bucket list.
Grand Junction is such a hidden jewel that most people just pass through on their way to Utah, further west or back to the front range. Hopefully, after this post, you will either make it a destination stop or take an extra day to see some of the sites when you happen to be passing through the western part of our state. You will not regret it!
Grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and join me for this stunning tour!
I had vacationed in this area several years ago for a girl’s trip. We stayed in Fruita, CO in a cozy, historical Bed & Breakfast, and spent the weekend visiting the wineries in Palisade, Colorado (only about 20 minutes east of Grand Junction).
We also spent time mountain biking on several spectacular trails. A great trip, but I still had no idea what was behind the mesas and rock formations you see when you just drive through the area on I70.
Here is a tour of some of the things we saw and then I will be sharing a list of things to do around Grand Junction, Colorado. You can spend days there and be fully entertained by the scenic vistas and activites.
Visiting the Colorado National Monument is a must do! There are so many amazing views. You can learn more about the monument HERE.
The area boasts canyons as deep as 500 feet and rock formations as tall as 450 feet. Absolutely stunning!
There are over 14 hiking trails just in the Colorado National Monument area!
The Coke Ovens Formations is a definite must to stop and see (and photograph!). You can learn more about the Coke Ovens and the trails in this area HERE.
The unique shapes created by the natural erosion is facinating!
Things to do around Grand Junction, CO
Now, you can see why this area is such a jewel! This is a list of some of the many things to do around Grand Junction:
Visit the Colorado National Monument and the many overlooks in the park.
This is an obvious must-do after seeing some of the images above! Proclaimed to be one of the top 10 best places for solitude in the US by Outside Magazine and USA Today, you just must go! This Grand Valley has so much to see and experience.
Get on a bike!
Whether you prefer mountain biking or road biking, this area has it all! It is considered one of the best biking towns in American. You can read more about that HERE. There are trails for every skill level. Whether from the top of the Powderhorn Mountain Resort or from the hills of the state parks, the mountain bike adventures are too many to count!
Courtesy of Powderhorn Mountain Resort
Courtesy of Powderhorn Mountain Resort
Visit the Grand Mesa
We drove about halfway up the hill to get to the top of the Grand Mesa but had to turn around because I was having a little problem with the quick elevation changes (elevation 11,332 feet). The Mesa is in the far background in this photo I took from the Colorado National Monument.
We will make it back up there on our next visit for sure. There are over 300 lakes atop the mesa which is the largest flat-top mountain in the world! You can ski, bike, fish, hike…you name it!
Courtesy of Elisabeth Nutting (@shevashoppe)
Head out for some wine tastings
The Grand Junction area (including Palisade, CO) is brimming with gorgeous vineyards and tasty wineries. On my girl’s trip there several years ago, I think we visited more than ten lovely wineries. Several award-winning wines have been produced out of the dry soils of the Grand Valley. Isn’t this so charming?!
Courtesy of Mesa Park Vineyards
For a list of the top ten wineries and vineyards in Palisade, CO, click HERE.
Bring your clubs and play some golf
There are 5 gorgeous public courses in the Grand Junction area, including the #1 Public Golf Course in Colorado (ranked by Golf Digest), The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa. Bring your sunscreen!!
Courtesy of The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa
Can you believe how gorgeous this is?!
Courtesy of The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa
Enjoy the hopping downtown area
This quaint area has undergone a transformation into a destination spot with boutiques, restaurants, fun shops for the kiddos, galleries, candy stores, etc. With 300 days of sun each year, there are plenty of things to keep your family entertained.
Maybe now, you understand why I think this area is such a jewel! Here are a few more my favorite images and views from our trip.
I have asked so many local friends if they knew about the bounty in Grand Junction and they had no idea. That is why I decided to do this post. Now, they do!
We felt so fortunate and surprised to see so many beautiful scenes on this quick overnight trip. It was so great that we had friends who live there to show us some of the extravagant views and things to do around Grand Junction, Colorado. This was only the beginning of many more visits there, or at least until we wear out our welcome!
With the exception of the linked photos, all of the images are my own (taken with my phone, believe it or not!) and are subject to copyright laws.
Such gorgeous photos Holly! No wonder you love it! Thanks for sharing – I didn’t even know Grand Junction existed, and now I want to go there! 🙂 💗
Most people just drive through it and they are missing so much! You must plan for a visit! You would love the wineries!! Thanks for stopping by!