2017 OFFICIAL VISITOR GUIDE A Dramatically Different Side of Colorado You’ll Love How Everything is Different Here Grand Junction has everything that’s great about Colorado, yet it feels like nowhere else on earth. This is a land of contrasting landscapes, where the Rockies and the vibrant Grand Mesa give way to the stark red rock high desert of the Colorado National Monument, separated by two majestic rivers and a fertile valley. This is the only place where you can bike from a desert trail into an award-winning winery, or take in a vast outdoor public art exhibit in our beautiful downtown after you’ve taken the kids to dig for dinosaur fossils. This is Colorado’s Wine Country, Grand Junction. Welcome! 10 THINGS YOU CAN SCAN THE PAGE ONLY EXPERIENCE IN WITH LAYAR GRAND JUNCTION + WELCOME VIDEO What’s Inside Downtown, Events, Arts & Culture ............................................... 2-3 Adventure ......................................................................................... 4-7 Wine Country ................................................................................... 8-9 Farm-to-Table.................................................................................. 10-13 Colorado National Monument ...................................................... 14-15 Events Calendar ............................................................................... 16-17 Family Fun ........................................................................................ 18-19 Groups, Meetings, Weddings, Reunions ...................................... 20-21 Our Economy .................................................................................. 22-23 Business Listings ............................................................................... 24-31 Local Map ......................................................................................... 32-33 Get even more local tips and travel ideas from the Grand Junction Visitor Guide by using the Layar App. Follow these steps to view our interactive content on your mobile device. INTERACTIVE PRINT Scan to download Download the free Scan this page Discover Layar App interactive content Take in the Grand Mesa View of Lands End Road. DOWNTOWN, EVENTS, ARTS & CULTURE Art Makes our Downtown Something Special Discovering the difference of Grand Junction isn’t complete without an afternoon Downtown walking among the Art on the Corner exhibits, where more than 100 mixed-media works of art are stretched along pedestrian-friendly Main Street. Stop and grab a cup of coffee or a gelato as you explore. There are many restaurants so you can dine on anything from sushi to steak, plus locally-sourced seasonal food paired with local wines, beers and spirits. And every Thursday night throughout the summer, Downtown hosts a weekly farmers market. With over 100 businesses, the shopping is extraordinary with the largest collection of antique shops between Denver, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas; you can also find modern gifts, stylish clothing boutiques, sporting goods stores, and bike shops if you feel like speeding things up. At one end of Downtown is the historic Avalon Theatre and at the other is Two Rivers Convention Center. See what’s happening by visiting downtowngj.org. You can find it Downtown. SCAN THE PAGE EXPLORE OUR WITH LAYAR VIBRANT DOWNTOWN & AVALON VIDEO 2 Catch the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra or the High Desert Opera at The Avalon Theatre. Where else can you stroll and shop among art? Recharge at one of many great restaurants. Our Main Street will open your eyes. 3 ADVENTURE Adventure with a Difference Outdoor activities in Colorado are always world-class, but in our landscapes they take on a whole new feeling. Road cyclists, try riding the Colorado National Monument from one entrance to another, where you’ll pass by red stone monoliths unique to the desert southwest. Hikers and mountain bikers, the Lunch Loops/Tabeguache and Three Sisters Park trails are just minutes from downtown. Be sure to check the difficulty and direction of your desired single-track before you tackle the trail. Ride an OHV, ATV or dirt bike on extensive Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands, like the high desert landscape at the bottom of the Book Cliffs Mountain Range. Ski or ride at Powderhorn Mountain Resort and you’ll experience powder and views unmatched by any other resort. Water lovers, the Colorado River and 300+ lakes on the Grand Mesa give you a lifetime of rafting, stand up paddleboarding (SUP), jet boating, and fishing opportunities. And golfers, our 250+ days of sunshine a year mean you can golf on any of our five public courses almost year-round. For a complete list of trails, golf courses and more, please go to visitgrandjunction.com/things-to-do. So gear up and get to Grand Junction. VIEW A LIST OF SCAN THE PAGE AREA TRAILS + WITH LAYAR EXPLORE LOCAL RAFTING 4 Powderhorn is located on the Grand Mesa and Choose from many beautiful desert trails in Colorado National Monument. is less than an hour away from Grand Junction. Zoom through landscapes you’ve never experienced before. Run the rapids through the famed Ruby-Horsethief and Westwater sections of the Colorado River. 5 ADVENTURE Lace up and let our scenery take your breath away. Something for Everyone Whatever gets you outside, you’ll find it near adventure must-do list with suggestions and local Grand Junction. Our temperate climate and sunny recommendations at visitgrandjunction.com — days mean you can come here any time of year and and don’t forget the sunscreen. explore your passion. Before you arrive, start your EXPLORE OUR SCAN THE PAGE GOLF COURSES + WITH LAYAR GRAND DAY, CO VIDEO 6 Fun Facts: + There are 1.2 million acres of public land surrounding Grand Junction, much of it open to ATVs and OHVs. + One of the state’s top-rated public golf courses is in Grand Junction. + You can bike wine country year-round – just follow the Fruit & Byway map divided into 3 routes and look for the road markers. + Grand Junction makes a great central base for hunters, surrounded by thousands Discover trails for all experience levels. of acres teeming with large game. Find an itinerary! located 25-miles up the Colorado River, will definitely Water Lovers get your blood pumping! Feeling Extreme? Fishermen love the 300+ lakes on the Grand Mesa, and Corn Lake is stocked several times a year to Strap on your helmet and head to the many world- Family Fun keep the fish biting. Bring your SUP, or rent one, to class mountain bike regions surrounding Grand In town, the paved Colorado Riverfront Trail meanders explore our lakes and rivers. If you want rapids to raft, Junction. For a challenging ride, look no further than along the Colorado River for over 28 miles and offers the Westwater Canyon stretch of the Colorado River the Tabeguache/Lunch Loops trail network near the great bird watching, something grandparents and offers Class III and IV rapids, and the Ruby-Horsethief Colorado National Monument's East Entrance or try grandkids can enjoy together. Plenty of local shops Canyon section has Class I and II rapids. Be sure to the brand new lift-accessible downhill mountain rent bikes for a family cruise around town, and reserve your permits through the Bureau of Land bike park at Powderhorn Mountain Resort. For several rafting outfits can take your whole family Management or book your trip with one of our OHV enthusiasts, Bangs Canyon and Rabbit Valley on a relaxing float down the Colorado. The Grand experienced rafting companies. Recreation Area are don’t-miss areas. Jet boating, Mesa offers many great hikes. Tee off with a background like nowhere else. 7 WINE COUNTRY Colorado’s Wine Country Our expanding wine community is delicious proof that this really is a different side of Colorado. We are one of only two designated viticulture areas in the state, named the Grand Valley AVA, and are the most productive by far. Agriculture has been thriving here since the 1880s thanks to our unique climate and fertile growing conditions, and now that includes 23 wineries and counting. Our vintners produce many varieties of wines, both sweet and dry, and are renowned for unique wines that use local fruits in the recipes. Tasting Rooms are open all year, locations span the valley with a majority near Palisade, and can be toured on bicycle, horse-drawn carriage, or with a luxurious limo tour by appointment. It’s an incredible opportunity to relax near the base of the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flattop mountain, and enjoy the view to the west of Colorado National Monument. Join us every September for Colorado’s largest wine festival. SCAN THE PAGE TOUR COLORADO'S WITH LAYAR WINE COUNTRY 8 Grape growers’ paradise. It all starts here. Take a walking tour of a lush, fertile vineyard... …or grab a friend and a bike for a tour of several wineries. Cap off a day of adventure by tasting Colorado’s best. 9 FARM-TO-TABLE Savor the Difference The differences in our climate provide the perfect recipe for growing exceptional fruits and vegetables just minutes from area restaurants, making our farm-to-table scene truly extraordinary. At our altitude, our nights are cool, but our days are balmy. Combine this with fertile soils and snow-fed water for irrigation, and that’s why generations of our farmers have grown peaches, apples, tomatoes and peppers that are famous throughout Colorado for their delicious flavors. More recently, farmers are specializing in micro greens like arugula, cilantro and kale to provide a true feast from the fields for local restaurants. Chefs from around the area are using these fresh ingredients in new ways to create delicious dishes that surprise and delight. Find a list of local fruit stands to visit by going to visitgrandjunction.com/fruit-vegetable-stands. Pair with a glass of local wine, relax, and engage all of your senses. VIEW SCAN THE PAGE GRAND JUNCTION WITH LAYAR RESTAURANTS 10 Share some laughter, wine and a chef’s latest creation. Some consider our peaches the best in the world. Enjoy our warm days and cool nights—many crops sure do. You simply won’t find food this fresh in the big city.