In Palisade, Colorado’s premier fruit and wine country in the Grand Valley out west, high season is harvest season. The buzz begins in late June, starting with sweet cherries, followed by sour cherries in late July. Apricots are up next, and finally Palisade’s famous tree-ripened peaches appear on the scene in early August. Plums and pluots join … Read more
The year 2011 was a big year for the Colorado National Monument, and a big year for us. My husband and I celebrated 5 years while we visited Colorado National Monument, and Colorado National Monument celebrated 100 years thanks to John Otto, who was the first custodian of Colorado National Monument. In 1907, Otto wrote, … Read more
It may take a leap of imagination to see the arid, rocky environment of western Colorado as the humid, swampy home to dozens of dinosaur species, but Fruita’s Dinosaur Journey will make it all seem real. Well worth the stop if you are on the Western Slope, this hands-on, interactive museum is perfect for kids … Read more
Colorado’s warm sunny days and cool summer nights are the perfect combination when it comes to growing peaches, apples, grapes — and lavender. The climate in the Grand Junction area provides excellent conditions for farming the fragrant herb, according to the Lavender Association of Western Colorado. English lavender and lavandin grow particularly well on Colorado’s … Read more
You’ve hiked wickedly steep terrain through the Colorado National Monument’s remote canyons. You’ve rewarded yourself with visits to a dozen wineries, drinking enough tastes to fill a few bottles. It’s Sunday and you’re still in Grand Junction. Now what? Though many downtown businesses are closed on Sundays, Main Street can still be the perfect spot … Read more
Steven Sherer and his wife Pat moved to Colorado’s Western Slope from Hawaii in 2008 with the intention of buying a small acreage in the Palisade area so they could have a few horses. Instead, they bought a peach orchard, and now operate a nine-acre orchard with 3,600 trees. Palisade, with its favorable 182-day growing … Read more
In western Colorado, the Grand Mesa towers more than a mile above the landscape. Aspens paint thick dark forests with streaks of gold, while some 300 lakes mirror the changing sky. The Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway climbs up and over this massive plateau, cresting at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. The … Read more