Colorado.com
3 Days
Wine Country Explorations: Palisade, Grand Junction & Fruita

This area has made a name for itself as the heart of Colorado wine country. But vino is just one of the region’s great qualities. Nearby are thousands of miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails, phenomenal golfing, buzz-worthy dining options, family attractions, dinosaur fossils and more.

Sustainability Activity

How to Give Back to These Special Places

Be a jack-of-all-trades volunteer at Highline Lake State Park! We have a variety of areas, including a trail walker, that will benefit from a variety of skills, ages, groups and interests. Bring your skills and we will be happy to put those skills to work! Contact the park to match your skills with our opportunities.

Day 1

activity

SunCrest Orchard Alpacas, LLC & Fiber Works

Located in the heart of peach and wine country is Suncrest Orchard Alpacas.  We maintain a herd of 32 alpacas and operate a full-service fibermill where…

lunch

Slice O’ Life Bakery

For the past 28 years, Mary Lincoln and Slice O’ Life Bakery have been “Baking the world better one batch at a time.” Everything is made from scratch…

activity

Western Colorado Botanical Gardens

Explore the beauty of the Colorado River Basin and Plateau at the Western Colorado Botanic Gardens.  Visitors can wander through a tropical greenhouse,…

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dinner

Edgewater Brewery

Enjoy an All-Angus beef burger, fresh salad, or grilled chicken wrap either inside watching the brewers work or at a picnic table on the huge grassy…

activity

Bananas Fun Park

Go-Karts, miniature golf, bumper boats, Lazer Tag, Bump-N-Jumps, arcade and much more.

lodging

Hotel Maverick

Grand Junction's premier destination for travelers who seek an upscale, boutique — and at the same time uniquely down-to-earth — "New West" experience…

Day 2

breakfast

Pufferbelly Station

Fun family environment! Everything from scratch! Best homeade cinnamon rolls around! Best prices too! Our guests are like famliy!

activity

Palisade Cycle and Shuttle

Rapid Creek Cycles is located in downtown Palisade.  Ride to 10 wineries on the 7 mile Fruita and Wine Byway.  We are the gateway to Western Colorado's…

lunch

Citrola's Italian Restaurant

Familiar dishes, including brick-oven pies, served in a relaxed setting with a full bar.

activity

Moon Farm Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

Moon Farm has a legacy in Western Colorado spanning five decades, inspiring imagination in kids and adults for generations. It features a petting zoo,…

dinner

Palisade Brewing Company

Who says you can't make beer in wine country? We brew innovative American style beer with respect to the traditional roots of craft brewing.

activity

JR's Carriage Service Winery Tours

JR's Carriage Service provides a variety of tour options, including horse-drawn wine tours, pub crawls, sunset tours, orchard & fruit stand tours,…

lodging

Wine Country Inn

An 80-room Victorian-style boutique hotel, Wine Country Inn sits in 21 acres of working vineyards, and is adjacent to two wineries and about  two dozen…

Day 3

breakfast

Dream Cafe

Grand Junction’s newest morning cafe offers a fun and uniquely hip atmosphere with food that you have been dreaming about. Whether you choose one of…

activity

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, BLM

Black Ridge Canyons, which contains 7 major canyon systems within McInnis Canyons NCA, provides backpacking, primitive camping, horseback riding and…

lunch

The Hot Tomato

Hot Tomato is Fruita's locally owned and operated pizzeria! We hand make all our dough, cut our toppings fresh and source locally produced meats. Come…

activity

Over the Edge Sports

Bike shop, rentals and tours.

dinner

Rib City Grill

Barbecue ribs, chicken and beef sandwiches, full menu.

activity

Highline Lake State Park

Oasis in the desert. Ideal basecamp for year-round outdoor activities. Water sports and fishing, grassy, shaded campground and picnic areas, world-class…

lodging

Wine Country Inn

An 80-room Victorian-style boutique hotel, Wine Country Inn sits in 21 acres of working vineyards, and is adjacent to two wineries and about  two dozen…