Grand Junction Area Spotlight

Live Your Vacation in Grand Junction!
Follow us on Facebook:

https://facebook.com/LiveYourVacationinGrandJunction

There are lots of cool places in and around the Grand Junction area that I wanted to share. In this post I put the spotlight on a few of our favorite places or experiences, in no particular order. The main image on this post was taken on the Waterfowl Trail in the Connected Lakes State Park near downtown Grand Junction. I have a video about it on my Live Your Vacation Facebook Page.

Send me an email if you have any suggestions of places you think we should check out or you are curious about.

Parade of Lights (December)

Parade of Lights in Fruita

Our first Parade of Lights was officially in Fruita when we were staying there for 3 weeks during our Living in Grand Junction Experiment. It’s way too cold in Minnesota to attend a parade like this so it’s something we look forward to each December. Before the Grand Junction Parade of Lights starts, we head over to Mainstreet Bagels to get some authentic hot chocolate. Typically, we are joined by our daughter and son-in-law to enjoy the floats. It’s not too cold but you do want to wear a hat and gloves. Hot cocoa helps too!

Fruita Visitor Center

There is a Visitor Center in Grand Junction off Horizon Drive near the airport, but it’s just not as good as the Fruita Visitor Center. The GJ location went through a transition recently so they didn’t have as many brochures during that time. But the Fruita Visitor Center is always well stocked with information and volunteers to share their experiences. On one visit, we met a gentleman who lived just a couple of miles from where we grew up in Deephaven, MN. I sometimes stop in there to pick up guides, maps, and brochures for my visiting clients. I encourage you to go there yourself. We discover something new every time. They have information about all of Colorado, not just the Grand Junction area.

Colorado River Bridge

We often find ourselves visiting the bridge over the Colorado River in Las Colonias near Camp Eddy. We visit in the spring to see the rush of the winter snow melt. We go in the summer and fall to check on the water levels and watch the people float by. Sometimes we walk around the nearby Butterfly Pond. Michelle’s sister and brother-in-law stayed at Camp Eddy for 3 weeks in October. They loved being so close to the river and the Colorado Riverfront Trail. Read my post about the cons of living in the Grand Junction area where I mention the goat heads on the Riverfront Trail and how to avoid a flat tire on our bike.

Downtown Grand Junction

Realty ONE Group Western Slope office on Colorado Ave in Grand Junction

We enjoy walking downtown Grand Junction from end to end. We have many favorite shops and restaurants downtown and would be happy to meet you in any location downtown! Sometimes when we are running errands, we just drive through downtown to see what’s going on. We like the Sunday Farmers Market in Palisade the best, but we attend the Thursday evening Farmers Market in Grand Junction several times a year. Parking is easy, drive to Colorado Avenue, just a block off main street. We primarily park in the lot behind the Rockslide Brewery. The lot is free after 4pm and on weekends. Keep a couple of quarters in your vehicle in case you need to pay for parking. It’s very reasonable. My Realty One Group Western Slope Real Estate Office is on Colorado Avenue, and I frequently pay to park in the area. Let me know if you have question about the parking apps.

Mesa County Libraries

We are constantly researching the area and we read business and marketing books as a hobby. We’ve been to the Fruita, Grand Junction, Clifton, Orchard Mesa, and Palisade Libraries. Libraries are a great resource for the community. Read my post about Mesa County Libraries and the Friends of the Mesa County Libraries. I even started a Little Free Library in Las Colonias. We visit it often to make sure it’s still filled with books, and Michelle usually finds one for herself.

Colorado National Monument Favorite Stops

Paul Aspelin standing near the top of the Serpent’s Trail in the Monument

Take the Fruita (west) entrance into the Colorado National Monument. Just before the Visitor Center, turn left at the Saddlehorn Campground. At the “Y” in the road, veer left and follow the loop around to the parking spaces in front of the Book Cliffs View. Walk out about 50 feet for some incredible views. There are a few short trails nearby, one leads to the Visitor Center. It’s one of our favorite spots to bring guests and it’s typically not crowded.

Another favorite is Otto’s Trail. It gives visitors a chance to stretch their legs and get emersed in the canyons of the Monument. A stop at the top of Serpent’s Trail is another great spot but there are only 4 parking spaces so it’s not always available when you drive by. If you can stop, walk for about 50 yards down the trail and enjoy the view! Serpents Trail is the original road to get to the top of the Monument. It’s a great hike, but a lot of elevation gain. Watch for big horn sheep, mostly along the western side of Rimrock Drive through the Monument.

Palisade Sweet Spots

Clark’s Distillery at Sunset looking at Mt. Garfield

Outside of Grand Junction, we visit Palisade the most. We always enjoy the Sunday Farmers Market, and we have some favorite restaurants if you are looking for recommendations. One of our favorite spots is to sit outside in the Adirondack chairs at Clark’s Distillery and watch the sun set over the Colorado River. The setting sun makes the Book Cliffs glow. They have great food and a variety of beverages. Another spot to sit and soak up the view is at the Colterris Winery. The winery is at the far eastern edge of Palisade on N. River Road. You are at the base of the Book Cliffs and the Grand Mesa, peering into the De Beque Canyon. Most days there is a gentle breeze due to the micro-climate of this area. It’s very peaceful.

I’ve got a few more favorite spots. I usually mention them when I give clients a tour. If they are interested, I add them to the itinerary. Some are quick stops, overlooks, high points, special views, and unique features to point out. As a CMU alumni parent, we always enjoy pulling into the parking lot at the Outdoor Program building and watching the students walk about campus. You can get breakfast at the CMU Library building nearby. I have a post with some tips for CMU parents if your child is considering attending this fabulous Western Slope University.

Do you have a favorite spot in Grand Junction, Fruita, or Palisade? Send me an email and we will check it out!

Move to Grand Junction and Live Your Vacation Every Day!

Text/Call 612-306-9558 with your questions about living in Grand Junction.

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE
Learn more about me and how I serve my clients.
Serving Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade and all of Mesa County.
Licensed in Colorado.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR®

Summer Weather in Grand Junction

The summer weather in Grand Junction can get hot, but not too hot!

I wrote a post called Grand Junction Weather that summarizes the seasons we experience. It outlines the varying temperatures in the Grand Valley (which includes Fruita, Grand Junction and Palisade). I also wrote one called Winter Weather in Grand Junction. Now it’s time to give you some insight on summer weather in Grand Junction.

Before we came to Grand Junction the first time, we didn’t even know Colorado had high desert. We thought it was all about that great “Rocky Mountain high” that John Denver sang about. (You can connect with nature in the John Denver Sanctuary in downtown Aspen, CO. Cool place!)

How Does Summer Weather in Grand Junction Compare to Other Cities?

If you live in Phoenix, it’s hot. Temps well over 100°F during the long summer, sometimes 115°F or higher! Phoenix is significantly warmer with temperatures rarely dropping below 80°. Summer weather in Grand Junction is hot, but it’s not too hot. Because of the lack of humidity 95°F feels like 88°F to us. It’s not so hot that you want to stay indoors all day during the summer. And we don’t get dust storms or monsoons like Phoenix, AZ.

What about Texas? Texas is hot too. Austin, has a humid subtropical climate with long, hot summers, and mild winters. Texas gets a lot more rain than we do. Severe thunderstorms and flooding occur. A temp like 95° in Austin, TX feels like 106° because of the humidity. Florida and the southeast in general are similar, with lots of humidity.

How about St. Louis? Summers are also hot, with highs in the lower 90’s, but the humidity makes it feel even hotter (heat index values can reach up to 102°F). And the Midwest gets tornados. We don’t get a lot of severe weather here. The risk of a tornado in Grand Junction is much lower than in the rest of the state of Colorado and elsewhere. I had to research to see if there ever has been a tornado here. I found an article written in 2023 that said there have been a total of 10 tornados in Mesa County. That’s very, very low!

No hurricanes or extremely volatile storms. I rarely hear thunder or see lightening. We do get some wind, occasional hail, and we need to be mindful about fire restrictions during the summer to avoid forest fires.

It’s a Dry Heat

Peach Street Distillers Corn Dip and Chips and Drinks

Peach Street Distillers Corn Dip and Margaritas

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “but it’s a dry heat” from those of us who live in a high desert environment. I understood what people were saying before we visited but I didn’t really appreciate it until we spent more time in Grand Junction and western Colorado. We would do an activity outside during the summer and I wondered why I wasn’t sweating. I was, it was just evaporating so quickly that I didn’t notice. That’s why everyone here says to drink plenty of water. You don’t realize you are losing water because you don’t get sweaty just walking around like you do in more humid environments.

Because the summer temperatures are comfortable, we like to dine outside whenever possible. Many of the local establishments have outdoor patios or rooftop decks. Some are in the sun while others offer shade. Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade are all very dog friendly. You’ll often see water bowls for dogs along the sidewalk and on restaurant patios.

If you feel warm, try some outdoor water activities like floating down the Colorado River, boating at Highline Lake State Park, or fishing up on the Mesa.

Overnight Temps Drop

Because Grand Junction is in the desert, it cools off at night. For example, in August it might get to 95°F during the day but that’s from about 2pm to 5pm. In the morning, we start out in the 70’s between 7am to 9am. A great time to have your morning tea or coffee outdoors. And after the sun sets our overnight lows are in the 60’s. We often sit outside after dark comfortably. We don’t wake up and say it’s hot right away, because it’s not. Mornings and evenings are very different than midday because we are in the desert. And if you are in the shade vs the sun makes a big difference too. We really do enjoy the summer weather in Grand Junction, day and night.

Bugs, what bugs?

Island Lake on the Grand Mesa taken near the boat launch and campgrounds

If you live in the Midwest, when you read the line above about us sitting outside comfortably after dark you probably laughed, right? You thought the mosquitos would carry us away! We don’t really have mosquitoes in Grand Junction. Maybe there are some by the Colorado River or other small creeks and streams. But in general, we don’t see them. Now, if you go up on the Grand Mesa, they have mosquitoes there because they also have 300+ lakes in the forest. That’s 45 minutes southeast of us. So we do bring our bug spray when we go up there during the summer until about mid-September. After the first frost, no bugs up there either.

My point is, if you are searching for a new place to live, keep reading about Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade and Mesa County here on the western slope of Colorado. Consider moving to Colorado.

If you want a mild climate and all four seasons, move to Grand Junction. If you want to downhill ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon, move to Grand Junction. If you want to sell your snow shovel and snow blower and be done with icy conditions, move to Grand Junction. If you want to experience around 300 days of sunshine per year, move to Grand Junction. If you want to live in a place that offers outdoor activities and recreation year round, you guessed it, move to Grand Junction! And that goes for Fruita and Palisade too!

Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients. If you are 50+ you might also like my post called Retire in Grand Junction: Your grandkids and kids will thank you, and my post about not waiting, semi-retire in Grand Junction. We will welcome you with open arms.

Ready to look for homes in Grand Junction, Palisade or Fruita, here’s how you get started!