Grand Junction and the Grand Mesa

Wednesday, August 17th thru Friday, August 19th-  Grand Junction is a nice little city, about 60,000 in population,  located about 30 miles east of the Utah border.  It is named for the conjunction of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers.  The surrounding Grand Valley has become an agricultural center, growing lots of fruits and vegetables.  In addition, many wineries have grown up in the Valley, and a wine tour is definitely on the list for a visit. Other than the wineries, Grand Junction has a lot to recommend it as a "tour" stop, as the Colorado National Monument is located just outside of town to the west, as is the Grand Mesa in the east.  The Monument is a 32 square mile section of red rocks, cliffs, fascinating rock sculptures, and one of the best scenic drives in the West.
      Linda and Larry suggested a trip up on the Grand Mesa, a large flat-topped mountain not far from their home.  In fact, it is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, rising 11,332 feet high at its highest point.  It boasts over 300 lakes and covers over 500 square miles.  We had been up before, but not for a long time.  Plus, Linda and Larry had discovered the old road to the top and thought it would be a pretty, different way to go up.
      We drove up the usual access, then located the old back road, which is gravel.  We were happy Larry was driving his truck and not our car!  The road turned out to be rougher than anticipated, with areas of washboarding.  To make matters worse, as we neared the high point of the road it began to rain, then a short time later, to hail!  The hail was heavy enough to gather on the ground, looking very much like snow.  We continued our drive, stopping at he Visitor Center and adding fleeces to our outfits- thank goodness we brought them, as it was only in the 50's.  The picnic lunch we brought was tabled, and we stopped for lunch at a lodge, instead.
     Linda and Larry wanted to take us out to Lands End, which is a beautiful viewpoint from the top of the Mesa.  We began the 12 mile drive out (again on gravel road), and after a mile or so, we began to notice accumulated hail on the road, and soon after, the truck wheels began to slide.  We knew we would not make it out the rest of the way, so turned around.   Our good deed for the day was accomplished when we waved down 2 trucks towing recreational trailers starting down the road.  They were able to turn around before the hail area.
     The next day, we did a little shopping, went to a park out in Palisades that was very nice, had a quiet afternoon, then set out for the Farmers Market.  Downtown Grand Junction is a very vibrant area, with a Farmers Market held every Thursday evening.  We enjoyed walking the street, inspecting vendors, and purchasing a delicious cantaloupe and some peaches.  Peaches were just coming in season, and the Peach Festival was scheduled for the weekend in Palisades.
     After a great visit, we set off on Friday morning for St. George, Utah, with plans to meet up with my nephew Tim and his family for dinner Friday night.  It took us a little longer to get there than planned- who knew the trip over on Rt. I-70 and I-15 was so beautiful!  We make numerous stops at overlooks along the way, marveling at the canyons, buttes, and ravines along the highway.
     By the way, just learned the difference between "buttes" and "mesas"- mesas are like tables, with their top longer than their sides.  Buttes are more like bar stools, with the height more than the length of the top.  OK, now I know...
     Dinner was at an interesting restaurant located in an artist colony on the outskirts of St. George.  Great meal, and even better, a great visit with Tim, Jen and Austin.  We asked their opinion on seeing Valley of Fire State Park, on our list but we were concerned it was much further west than we intended to go.  Turns out not that far, and we decided to stay a second night in St. George in order to visit this park.