Downtown Grand Junction is one Gilmore Girl short of Stars Hollow. As soon as we stepped foot in the quaint town, we could picture the likes of Lorelai and Rory stopping at Coffee Muggers for their daily caffeine fix. So that’s exactly what we did, and then popped into Cookies by Design for an eclectically decorated sweet treat and Girlfriends for some Colorado couture. We also loved the Art on the Corner, a collection of locally made statues that sporadically dot the downtown. However, once we got past the quaintness of Grand Junction, we were amazed by the breathtaking scenery and adventure that we found in its surrounding mountains.
Where to sleep: After a day of exploring, we indulged in the comforts of the king-sized bed at Hampton Inn Grand Junction. A stay at this Hilton hideaway ($110-140/night) comes complete with a complimentary breakfast.
Where to eat: Chef Brunella Gualerzi cooks up the best of her hometown Bibbiano, Italy, at il Bistro Italiano. We devoured the deep-fried calamari with lemon garlic cream sauce ($10), savoured the homemade pasta Rosetta, which was rolled with provolone cheese and oven-roasted cured ham ($20) and fell in love with the creamiest flourless chocolate cake we’ve ever tasted ($6). Sure, we were full but that didn’t stop us from walking over to Enstrom’s for a late-night snack. This family-run old-fashioned candy store is renowned for its chocolate almond toffee. Three words: To Die For.
What to do: To burn off last night’s indulgence and to learn a thing or two, we travelled to the Fruita Quarries (about an hour away) for an authentic dinosaur dig led by local paleontologist and curator of paleontology for the Museum of Western Colorado, John Foster ($125, includes transportation, lunch and admission to the dinosaur museum).With paintbrush and hammer in hand, we dusted away years of rock and dust in hopes of discovering a Jurassic gem. When that didn’t happen, we took a hike along the surrounding red rock led by one of the museum’s scientists who pointed out dinosaur bones embedded in the rock (although we were more impressed with the sweet collared lizards that crossed our path). While we were in Fruita, we also explored the Colorado National Monument ($4). Touted by Outside Magazine and USA Today as one of the top 10 best places for solitude in the U.S., we were both amazed and humbled by its majestic presence and spectacular scenery. Although we were inspired by the mountain bikers and hikers we saw, we decided to drive to each lookout point.
Lorelai would be proud.