Where to go on a Weekend in GJ? (Grand Junction, Clifton: crime, neighborhoods)

[silverfox0308]

Ok, not only are we moving to GJ but some friends might be as well. They are going to take a weekend trip out there this month. What places/things should they make sure to do/see? They will be looking around GJ and the suburbs (Redlands, Orchard Mesa, Fruita). So any suggestions on things to do/see and awesome places to eat would be great! They like the outdoors and she works as a museum curator so anything along those lines is great. Thanks in advance!

Jill

[jazzlover]

I will give my blunt assessment--I've lived around and have had family around west-central Colorado for over 30 years. First--"awesome places to eat" in Grand Junction--get over that, there aren't any. There are some good restaurants to be sure, but nothing that I would call remarkable.

There are a couple of museums related to dinosaurs in the Grand Junction area, and the Museum of Western Colorado is very nice, along with the Cross Orchards Living History Museum. All are worth a look.

Plan on it being hotter than hell in late June--that is usually the hottest time of the summer in Grand Junction. High temperatures over 100° F. are not uncommon. It is also the driest time of the summer. Colorado National Monument is worth a visit, but it will likely be hot up there, too. Early morning and evening is the best time to visit the Monument.

NewAgeRedneck and other relative "newbies" to Grand Junction will disagree with this, but--from my long-time perspective--Grand Junction is not an especially pleasant place to live these days. It is acquiring a lot of big city problems thanks to the gas-drilling boom that is inflating both living costs and population, but it is gaining relatively few amenities found in bigger cities. Sort of the worst of both worlds. Crime is getting to be a significant problem there. If you are coming from a large urban area, those issues may seem relatively tame, but when a person (like me) knows what it USED to be like, it's pretty depressing--and the rate that it is "degenerating" is pretty alarming.

The best thing about Grand Junction is its proximity to some pretty spectacular mountain country, particularly to the south (San Juan Mountains), southeast (Grand Mesa) and west (Uncompahgre Plateau). The Uncompahgre is probably the least crowded, but most all the roads that really penetrate it are gravel or dirt (thank God, that keeps a lot of the "daisypickers" out). Any trip to do any of those mountain areas justice, though, takes at least a day.

[silverfox0308]

Jazz,
Thanks for the info. Moving is not my choice but hubby's job dictates it. That's why we're focusing on the suburbs a bit more to try and stay away from the "bad" stuff. Most everyone I have talked to suggests Fruita first. But our friends are doing a weekend look-see so I wanted the highlights. I will pass along your recommendations! Thanks!

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by silverfox0308

Jazz,
Thanks for the info. Moving is not my choice but hubby's job dictates it. That's why we're focusing on the suburbs a bit more to try and stay away from the "bad" stuff. Most everyone I have talked to suggests Fruita first. But our friends are doing a weekend look-see so I wanted the highlights. I will pass along your recommendations! Thanks!

I happen to like Palisade pretty well. Still feels at least a little bit like a small town. Avoid Clifton. There are still some nice neighborhoods in Grand Junction itself, but one has to look firsthand. Safe and nice is often within just a block or two from not safe and not nice. Fruita is OK, but sprawling horribly with a lot of "latter day" crap building and development. A lot will depend on where you work. Though tame by big city standards, getting around Grand Junction can be a pain depending on where you need to go. Just too much growth way too fast. They will never catch up--unless the economy crashes like it did in 1982. I wouldn't dismiss that possibility, either--Grand Junction has a history of it.

[Todd TCE]

Farmers market downtown on a Thursday.

Wine tasting any day. Albeit some are really better than others....

Come mid August; Lands End Hill Climb race up the LE road!

[silverfox0308]

Todd,
They love wine. Which ones are "better?"

[delta07]

I have to agree with Jazzlover here. I am actually leaving Grand Junction after living here for 6 years. I just can't stand it anymore!

In terms of wine, I would check out Plum Creek and Garfield Estates Wineries. I love the Fume Blanc from Garfield Estates.

[jazzlover]

My favorite is "Prairie Dog Blush" from Carlson Vineyards.

[CosmicWizard]

Jazzlover wrote:

I will give my blunt assessment--I've lived around and have had family around west-central Colorado for over 30 years. First--"awesome places to eat" in Grand Junction--get over that, there aren't any. There are some good restaurants to be sure, but nothing that I would call remarkable. A Very accurrate assessment!

There are a couple of museums related to dinosaurs in the Grand Junction area, and the Museum of Western Colorado is very nice, along with the Cross Orchards Living History Museum. All are worth a look. Museum of Western Colorado is a must see for museum lovers!

Plan on it being hotter than hell in late June--that is usually the hottest time of the summer in Grand Junction. High temperatures over 100° F. are not uncommon. It is also the driest time of the summer. Colorado National Monument is worth a visit, but it will likely be hot up there, too. Early morning and evening is the best time to visit the Monument. June is hot, but July is even hotter. The air is VERY dry in June, and the mornings are still somewhat coolish. BE prepared for the bluest sky you've ever seen!

NewAgeRedneck and other relative "newbies" to Grand Junction will disagree with this, but--from my long-time perspective--Grand Junction is not an especially pleasant place to live these days. It is acquiring a lot of big city problems thanks to the gas-drilling boom that is inflating both living costs and population, but it is gaining relatively few amenities found in bigger cities. Sort of the worst of both worlds. Crime is getting to be a significant problem there. If you are coming from a large urban area, those issues may seem relatively tame, but when a person (like me) knows what it USED to be like, it's pretty depressing--and the rate that it is "degenerating" is pretty alarming. I don't have the longterm perspective that Jazzlover has, so I'm not comparing the present situation to the good old days. If you weren't here in the past you won't be comapring now and then either, so keep that in mind. Coming from a metro area of 1.7 million, Grand Junction seems like a great samll town to me, even with the growth that is currently under way. It's small potatoes compared to Virginia Beach which grew in population from 290,000 to almost 500,000 during the 16 years I lived there.

The best thing about Grand Junction is its proximity to some pretty spectacular mountain country, particularly to the south (San Juan Mountains), southeast (Grand Mesa) and west (Uncompahgre Plateau). The Uncompahgre is probably the least crowded, but most all the roads that really penetrate it are gravel or dirt (thank God, that keeps a lot of the "daisypickers" out). Any trip to do any of those mountain areas justice, though, takes at least a day. I agree 100% with this assessment!

My favorite wineries are Carlson Vineyards, Plum Creek, & Two Rivers. If you enjoy hiking, Spend some time in McGinnis Canyon just outside of Fruita. Fruita is a nice small town ( visit the Hot Tomato for some great Pizza and a glass of beer after hikining in McGinnis Canyon ), but you would have to deal with some serious growing pains there. Grand Junction has at least a slightly better infrastructure for dealing with growth than Fruita has in place. If you still need employment, you would also have to commute 12 - 15 miles each way into Grand Junction every day, so keep that in mind too. It ain't a bad drive, but gas is expensive now, and likely to be be far more expensive a year from now. In general, Fruita seems ill prepared to deal with the growth it is experiencing. I would think twice, or even 3 or 4 times about plunking down there. Don't let the charm of Fruita fool you. Palisades is certainly worth considering, but it too is experiencing rapid growth.

[_Charles_]

Jazzlover - It sounds like GJ is experiencing a replay of 1979 is that correct? I was there just after that in the early 80s attending and then graduating from Mesa College (now Mesa State).

I remember the so called "oil boom" in the late 70s. It made GJ very unpleasant. I was only a teenager at the time but remember it well. My family was in Montrose -which was not impacted.