ARTICLE 1: DAYS 1-3

 

I Didn’t Want to Give Her a Vacation. I Wanted to Give Her a Glimpse of Life on The Western Slope

When Megan accepted my offer for the 10-Day Grand Junction Challenge, I had a challenge of my own: Give her both sides of Grand Junction, from the spectacular to the mundane.

I deliberately didn’t want to create a typical “I’m on vacation” visitor itinerary. I wanted Megan to experience Grand Junction the way someone considering a move here might experience it, by seeing the places that make people fall in love with the area, but also getting a glimpse of what everyday life actually looks like.

Day 1 – Tuesday: First Impression

Megan arrived in Grand Junction in the late morning, and I had a couple of goals for our first day. First, I wanted to give her some time to get acclimated to the elevation, and I didn’t want to overwhelm her like this was the first day of a typical vacation. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel miserable starting the challenge, so we were going to ease into things.

After picking her up at the Grand Junction airport, getting settled at our home and having some lunch, we headed to Colorado Mesa University (CMU) for a campus tour. I thought this was the perfect Day One activity for a few reasons. Coming from the Midwest, small college towns have a certain stigma attached to them. CMU in Grand Junction is the farthest thing from the stereotypical Midwestern small town college experience where the focus seems to be on drinking beer every weekend. Read my post about Parent Tips for CMU Families.

I wanted Megan to see how much CMU contributes to the Grand Junction community. It’s more than a college campus. It’s a source of community pride, whether that’s rallying behind the Mavs, allowing the public to take advantage of the resources provided by the Outdoor Program, or even offering college classes for retirement aged adults at reduced rates. CMU is woven into the fabric of the community in ways that go well beyond its students.

From there, we took a quick tour of Los Colonias and the riverfront redevelopment that had taken place there a few years earlier. The butterfly pond. The amphitheater. The dog park. The swimming hole at the end of the lazy river. The open green space. The riverfront trail.

It’s one of those places where you don’t necessarily go because you have something you need to accomplish. You go to hang out. You can soak in the Colorado sun, spend time along the river, let the kids or dogs burn off some energy, walk or bike the riverfront trail, or simply find a patch of grass and do absolutely nothing.

That was intentional, too. I wanted Megan to start this journey by seeing Grand Junction as more than a collection of attractions. I wanted her to start seeing how people actually use the community.

We continued easing into the valley by heading to Palisade for a glass of wine at Carboy Winery before driving back across the valley to Fruita to meet another local couple for dinner at The Hot Tomato.

By the end of Day One, Megan had already experienced three distinctly different parts of the Grand Valley: Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita.

And that was exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to overwhelm her with one big “WOW” experience on the first day. I wanted her to begin absorbing the valley as a whole.

And the Colorado National Monument? That could wait.

Because taking her up there immediately would have been the obvious thing to do if this were simply a vacation. I wanted Megan to discover Grand Junction gradually. To see what was spectacular, what was ordinary, and, eventually, to decide for herself whether she could imagine building a life here.

She now had her first glance of the Grand Valley. But seeing a place and understanding a place are two very different things.

Megan’s Take:  The first day in Grand Junction was an entire concoction of feelings. I was slightly overwhelmed by the newness of it all, but the newness sparked a lot of curiosity. I recall being in awe of the new space around me, but also feeling unable to develop any certain opinions as I was digesting so much at one time. But looking back on the experience, I have realized that even though on day one I felt like we were going nonstop, the reality is that it was one of the most relaxed days of the entire challenge!

Day 2 – Wednesday: The Landscape

As we awoke early on Day 2, I had some reservations about starting the day with a big hike that had some serious elevation gain. Megan, however, was feeling great. We decided we could always turn around if we needed to, so four of us met at the Liberty Cap trailhead in the Colorado National Monument.

I knew Megan had never really “hiked” in the Colorado sense of the word. I also knew this was an important part of the challenge. This was her first opportunity to experience the physical landscape of the Grand Valley. Not from the window of a car, but with her own two feet.

By the time we reached the top of Liberty Cap, I could see the amazement on her face. Standing above the valley, Megan was looking out over a place she was actually evaluating as a potential home. From that vantage point, you begin to understand how the Grand Valley can feel both incredibly large and surprisingly small at the same time. You can see the transition from the city of Grand Junction to the orchards of Palisade, the ranches around Fruita, and the landscape stretching beyond.

But there was something else I wanted Megan to notice.

World class hiking isn’t something you have to drive out of the valley to experience. 

Many of the trailheads around Grand Junction are literally tucked into or next to neighborhoods. The outdoors isn’t necessarily a weekend destination. It can simply become part of how you live. I felt that distinction was important for her to experience firsthand and early in this challenge.

After hiking back down in the rain, we headed home for lunch while taking some time to regroup and work from home before heading back out later in the afternoon.

Our next stop was the Colorado National Monument.

The Monument is one of the Grand Valley’s undeniable gems, and one of the things that makes it so remarkable is how close it is to everyday life. We decided to enter through the Fruita entrance and make our way through the Monument back toward Grand Junction.

Within minutes, Megan had her first wildlife encounter of the day when she spotted a herd of about 20 bighorn sheep along the side of the road. The wildlife sightings never get old around here. 

We stopped at several overlooks, took a few short hikes, and made our way to the Visitor Center, which is worth the stop for the interactive displays and the opportunity to learn about the history of the area.

And then there were more bighorn sheep.

And more incredible views.

The Colorado National Monument is obviously high on the list for anyone visiting Grand Junction. It’s one of those places you almost always have to show someone when they come to town. But that wasn’t really the point of taking Megan there.

I wanted her to experience the difference between visiting a place once and imagining living next to it.

For the rest of her visit, I hoped that she would look at the red rock cliffs of the Monument from anywhere in the valley and be reminded:

“This is literally in my backyard. I could go back there whenever I want.”

That’s a very different way of experiencing a place. And that was exactly what I wanted Megan to start thinking about.

After an incredible afternoon exploring the Monument, we met friends for dinner at Trail Life Brewing in Downtown Grand Junction. Then we walked Main Street, explored some of the shops, and took in the evening.

It had been a very Colorado kind of day.

But, this wasn’t just a vacation day.

It was another glimpse at what an ordinary day in Grand Junction could look like if this became home.

Megan’s Take: Day two was a big day for me. I’m not typically an early riser so leaving as the sun came up to go for not just any ordinary hike, but my very first REAL hike was both exciting and nerve racking. I vividly remember walking to the beginning of the actual mountain, already sweating and controlling my breathing, thinking oh boy… We haven’t even touched rock yet and I’m already burning calories! Slowly but surly, I was able to get into the swing of things and the adrenaline and endorphins running through me not only made the experience unforgettable, but already rewarding in the moment. 

Once we made it to the top, the only word that left my mouth was, “Wow.” I think it was starting to hit me that Grand Junction was not a city that just happens to have outdoor recreation nearby. The recreational landscape is part of the identity of this place. And that statement stood to be true as we later on drove from Fruita back to Grand Junction observing the Colorado National Monument. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was the CMU mountain biking team zooming past us multiple times. It was truly incredible seeing their talent, but even more astounding to realize this place is likely one of their regular routes. I’m on one side of the road freaking out over the big horn sheep trotting around without a care in the world, while the bikers are probably hoping and praying for one ride where they’re not interrupted by a road block! The clear distinction between my perspective and what one of the locals may be was eye opening to say the least.

Day 3 – Thursday: People and Community

After a couple of days, it was time to settle into some ordinary life.

Megan, my wife Michelle and I started the day by meeting a local resident and colleague for coffee at Kopeka Coffee in Grand Junction.

This was just one of numerous conversations I had planned for Megan throughout the 10-day challenge. I wanted her to speak directly with people who had relocated here, people who went to college here and never left, people who grew up here, and people who eventually retired here.

I wanted her to hear a variety of perspectives straight from the source: the people who actually live here. Megan was incredibly inquisitive, asking about everything from daily life, work and schools to quality of life and what it’s like to raise a family in the Grand Valley.

After our morning coffee meeting, it was time for some real estate work. Megan shadowed me as we visited a home I had listed for sale, drove through some neighborhoods, ran some errands and eventually headed back home for some work-from-home time for both of us.

That’s when Megan said something that made me realize she was beginning to experience Grand Junction differently. Not just as a visitor, but as someone trying to imagine what it might be like to actually live here.

“I know we’re playing things by ear to some extent, but could you give me some idea of what might be on the agenda for the next few days?”

It was the first time I realized how difficult it must be to simply show up somewhere you know nothing about and take each day as it comes without knowing what’s next.

And maybe that was the point.

When you’re on vacation, you usually have a plan. You research the restaurants, book the activities, map out the sightseeing and make a list of the things you don’t want to miss. You try to make every minute count.

That’s not how real life works.

When you actually live somewhere, you work. You run errands. You sit on the deck. You change your plans. You decide at the last minute to go somewhere for an hour. You come home and have friends over for dinner.

Initially, we had intentionally kept the agenda quiet. I didn’t want Megan to research what was coming or form expectations before experiencing it.

For this challenge to stay unbiased, fresh, raw and as un-vacation-like as possible, I wanted her to simply go with the flow. I did give in a little and give her a glimpse of a few things that were coming up, mostly so she could prepare, but I didn’t want her knowing exactly what was around every corner.

After an afternoon of working from home, we realized we had enough time to sneak over to Palisade for a visit to the Colterris Winery before two couples arrived for an early dinner at our home.

This was mostly a spur-of-the-moment decision, and that was the beauty of it.

We could simply hop over to Palisade, have a glass of wine, enjoy the views and be back home in time to entertain guests. We didn’t need to dedicate an entire afternoon or evening to the experience.

On the way home, we took the Fruit and Wine Byway so Megan could get a firsthand look at just how much agriculture surrounds Palisade, along with a glimpse of the area’s 30-plus wineries.

It literally made the day.

We scheduled dinner early because we also wanted to make it downtown for Thursday night’s Market on Main. Dinner was filled with wonderful conversations about living in the Grand Valley. Everyone had a different story about how they ended up here.

Talk about a melting pot. But there we all were, sitting around the same table.

After dinner, we made our way back downtown to stroll Main Street and take in the vendors, live music and strong sense of community.

This wasn’t a one-time event created for tourists. The Grand Junction Market on Main happens every Thursday night during the summer and early fall. It’s a place where people gather. And the vibe is hard to describe until you’re standing in the middle of it.

For Megan, I was hoping this day provided another important distinction.

She wasn’t just being shown what Grand Junction has to offer.

She was getting a glimpse of how people actually live here.

It was another perfect ending to an ordinary Thursday in Grand Junction.

Megan’s Take:  Truthfully, I enjoyed every day for different reasons but if I were forced to make a top three list, day three would be up there! Day three was full of, for a lack of better words, experiencing the mundane. Although, I don’t even think mundane is the correct term but rather experiencing a real example of routine. I had the pleasure of meeting a local and picking their brain on life in GJ, followed by getting to shadow Paul through what a real day on the job calls for. 

For some reason, doing the most ordinary things sparked curiosity to know what was in store for me in the days to come. Not because I wanted to prepare for anything but because I was finally feeling settled and wanted to know more about the place I was calling home for the next week. 

I experienced my first Grand Junction dinner party which was wonderful to meet even more locals, ask questions and hear honest truths about the people who know the place best. This dinner in particular gave me a plentiful list of things to think about. Not a projection of opinion I was going to identify with, but important questions to ask myself during and after this journey in order to help me develop and understand my own perspective. We then ended the night with a quick drive to Market on Main where I get yet another glimpse of the kind of community GJ has to offer. 

The Challenge Continues

By the end of Day 3, Megan had experienced the landscape, explored different communities around the Grand Valley, met people with very different stories, and gotten a glimpse of what an ordinary workday could look like here.

But we were just getting started.

Over the next several days, she’d discover just how much of the Western Slope was within reach of Grand Junction, and experienced some adventures that would push her well outside her comfort zone.

CONTINUE TO…
the 10-Day Grand Junction Challenge: Days 4–7 — Discovering the Western Slope and Beyond

Want to understand Grand Junction from Megan’s perspective? Read her entire independent account of the challenge, including what surprised her, what questions she was left asking, and whether she could imagine building a life here.

CONTINUE TO…
Could I Actually Build a Life in Grand Junction? A 10-Day Challenge

 

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Series: 10-Day Grand Junction Challenge

View the all of the posts and videos on the 10-Day Grand Junction Challenge page.

PAUL ASPELIN
Your Grand Junction Relocation and Listing Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE

Call or Text (612) 306-9558 (locally based)
Connect with Paul on LinkedIn or send Paul an email

MEGAN JIRELE
Independent Journalist & Writer
Digital Storytelling & Content Creation
Connect with Megan on LinkedIn

 

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