Our Trip To The West – Day #2 – Colorado National Monument

Our hotel in Grand Junction did not offer breakfast, so that gave us the perfect opportunity to go back to Cafe Sol, a place Larry and I had dined the last time we were in Grand Junction. Sol for the Soul The food was just as good as we remembered and it was a good way to start our big adventure for the day.

The big adventure planned for the day was to go and explore Colorado National Monument. Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grandest landscapes of the American West. It is 31 square miles or 23,000 acres of spectacular red rock landscapes, deep canyons, and towering sandstone monoliths to enjoy, and enjoy we certainly did too. It was magnificent! Truly a breathtaking and AWESOME experience!

We did a combination of driving around and short hikes, with a picnic stop for lunch, through the magnificent park. There are plenty of other locations that feature the red rock formations that are seen here, but none to this scale.

People always ask what is the difference between a national park, like the Grand Canyon, and a national monument like Colorado National Monument. Generally, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources. A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. The primary difference lies in the reason for preserving the land: National parks are protected due to their scenic, inspirational, education, and recreational value. National monuments have objects of historical, cultural, and/or scientific interest, so their content is quite varied. A national monument is part of the park system because it’s a Park Service unit, but it isn’t a national park. While they’re similar in that they’re protected sites that highlight a historical event or natural area, they’re established and managed differently. The National Park System has since expanded to 424 units (often referred to as parks), more than 150 related areas, and numerous programs that assist in conserving the nation’s natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations.

We all took a bazillion photos, so I won’t share them all with you, but will instead only give you some of the highlights. Besides, photos just don’t really capture all the beauty and awe of the park and they certainly don’t do the park justice. This beautiful area is Mother Nature and God at their best, for sure.

I could go on and on with beautiful pictures, but I think you get the general idea of the massive amounts of natural beauty on display. We were all completely mesmerized. If you’ve never been to Colorado National Monument, I highly suggest you add it to your bucket list. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Take in all the beauty that surrounds us and color your world beautiful. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.