Our Trip To The West – More From Day #1 – Walking Around in Grand Junction

Grand Junction is the largest city in Western Colorado and serves as a hub for transportation and shipping between Denver and Salt Lake City. The population of the Grand Junction, according to the 2010 Census, is 146,723. The name Grand Junction stems from the junction of the Colorado River (formerly known as the Grand River) and the Gunnison River. The area was first settled by Europeans in the 1880s, but the area’s history of human civilization stretches back thousands of years including the Ute and Fremont tribes, among others. Remnants of the tribal history includes petroglyphs and cave paintings, among other items. In the late 19th century, settlers were drawn to the fertile Grand Junction area for its agricultural potential, and the area remains one of Colorado’s largest food producers, including peaches, pears, cherries and corn. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first grapevines were planted, sparking an increase in wine production. Now home to more than 20 wineries, Grand Junction is known as Colorado’s Wine Country. The warm days and cool nights are exceptional conditions for producing hearty grapes, and red wine varietals in particular flourish in the conditions.  It is also a college town, home to Mesa State University, which is now part of the Colorado State University or CSU system.

After our dinner at TacoParty Good Eats For The Trip – #1 we strolled all around town to take in the sites. We were all impressed with how clean the city was and how many flowers there were. Beautiful, colorful flowers and fun, fanciful artwork lined all the streets. Of course we took it all in and had a lot of fun. That’s just what we do. 🙂

The Boys

and the Girls.

Mike and Lauren stopping for a quick pic.

Artwork, creativity and fun are all a big part of the town’s zest for life. It’s all over the place, everywhere you look. You can’t help but have a good time in a place like this. Good times and fun are just a part of the culture and a way of life here.

Larry and his BIG boy bike.

As Larry put it, two dinosaurs on a bike.

And this is how the bikers really roll in town.

The rise of the Phoenix.

Gorilla fun.

King Kong like Jane (Karen actually).

And finally, it was time to turn in for the night.

And this is just all from day #1. As you can see, we had a lot of fun. We always do. Stay tuned. The fun is only just beginning. I have tons more to share with you.

Stay safe and say well. ‘Til next time.