Grand Junction

I've always liked Grand Junction, from the first time I visited when I was really young. This town of 60,000 often seems bigger than it is, and it has been and probably will always be very diverse. There are plenty of residential neighborhoods, but there's also a lot of homes on several acres, and also large farms and ranches. Grand junction is known for the incredible amount of fruit grown here and also the amount of wine produced.

For the outdoorsy folk there's tons to do up here. There are a lot of mountain biking trails, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and even hunting. The Colorado River runs along I-70 for part of the way here and you can see it trailing off to the southern side of Grand Junction. The Book Cliff Mountains are really something to see. They almost look like mountains made of sand and the last time I was passing through I saw a group climbing one of them, which I didn't know people could do. It's also a short drive to Colorado National Monument, which has some unique and beautiful mesas and canyons. Much of the land surrounding Grand Junction is BLM land, which is public land.

The largest industry here is health care and social assistance, followed by education and construction. The cost of living in Grand Junction isn't really good though. Although housing prices are comparable with the rest of the state, the median income is almost $10,000 less. The crime rate here is also pretty high compared to a lot of other Colorado cities. It's often higher than national averages in several categories.

One thing I really like about Grand Junction is some of the older buildings. Settlers arrived in the area in the 1880s and there are still some very cool, older buildings still standing. The city got its name because the Colorado River and Gunnison River both meet here.

I've had several friends who have attended college here and really liked it. Although I no longer get to Grand Junction very often, it definitely has an appeal for me. If my husband or I had to move there for work, I wouldn't think twice about it as it's a cool place with tons to do.

Grand Junction, a good-sized town of about 60,000 people, sprawls across the gorgeous Front Range of Colorado. The desert and the stunning Bookcliff Mountains create a rural, inviting atmosphere for visitors and locals alike.

Besides its farmland and beautiful scenery, Grand Junction is known for its wine country. Vineyards and wineries, breweries and distilleries fill the Grand Valley. Every September, the Colorado Mountain Winefest takes place in Palisade, just twenty minutes west of Grand Junction. The festival features wines from nearly every winery in Colorado, as well as food and live music.

Grand Junction is also near the Colorado National Monument, where you can find some of the state’s best hiking and biking trails. Twenty-three miles of paths through the red rocks make for great day-trips or overnight camping.

For a more educational trip, families and schools can take their kids on dinosaur digs throughout the Grand Valley. The digs are available as half-day, full-day or multi-day expeditions, taking young explorers out into the desert with professional paleontologists. There, you can learn about the dinosaurs that lived in the area and even dig up fossils. The multi-day expeditions include rafting and camping as well.

Junction is also home to Colorado Mesa University – formerly Mesa State College. The school became a university earlier this year, and it has one of the best nursing programs in the state.

Junction's only real downside, in my opinion, is the presence of the desert. Although some may find it beautiful, I personally prefer the aspen-covered mountains over the dry rolling plains and Bookcliff Mountains. However, lots of friends rave about these aspects of Junction's countryside.