Cryslers Are Tripping: December 15 ~ 21, 2015 Day Tripping in Western Colorado

An Afteroon Drive to the Utah Border

Monday, December 15th

......and Miles

Nothing to see for miles.....

John and I decided to explore outside the city limits of Grand Junction following a road west which we picked at random: US Highway 6 & 50 (see below) ... and just drove .... passing a few small towns: Fruita, Loma and Mack~where Country Jam is located and is held in June (Amanda and Town Square Media organizes the event). After passing through Mack, all we could see was just open Colorado land on both side. Every once and awhile we would see a glimpse of Interstate 70 (which runs from Maryland through Colorado into Utah). As we drove west we didn't see much of anything except a sign that told us that the area we were currently driving on was 'Open Range'. About 10 miles from Mack, we came to the Utah Border, with big stone markers designating each side.

The Utah Sign, facing Colorado

The Colorado Sign, facing Utah.
Target practice anyone?

On our return, driving through the open range area, we came upon many different groups of cattle roaming freely on the highway. As we drove closer and closer, the just starred at us, not caring to move out of our way.. just casually walking around until finally, as if annoyed that we were there, they would meander off to the side of the road.

On our return, on the open range section of Rts 50 & 6, we came face to face with some roaming cattle.... we drove up slowly toward them, they just casually looked at us .... waiting... for I'm not sure what... until we were right behind them. Finally, they meandered to the e of the road, saring at us as if we were totall

Either annoyed or just curious.

http://www.untraveledroad.com/Categories/Highways/USHighway6.htm

Fruita to Mack, in Colorado: The section of U.S. Highway 6 running from Fruita to Mack lies in Grand Valley of Colorado, an agricultural area supplied with irrigation water from the Colorado River. Here the highway parallels Interstate 70 providing access to these rural areas. The Colorado River passes by just south of Fruita, and then heads into a hilly area on the south side of the valley. Near Mack, the limits of irrigation are reached, and the land becomes desolate; so traffic from Highway 6 is directed onto the freeway. This segment is only about eight miles long. However, the old highway 6, in an increasingly dilapidated form, continues into Utah, another twenty miles or so to a point where it disappears under current-day Interstate 70. This entire section is overlooked by the Book Cliffs to the north. The cliffs of Colorado National Monument are also visible to the south of Fruita.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most of the rest of the week was spent Christmas shopping, having dinners with the kids and their families, movies ('The Hobbit' and 'Wild'), a tour of Palisade, lunch with Johns cousin~Jane, and of course Football, where (and this is important) both the Patriots and Cowboys won their games this week!

Tuesday morning I awoke to this view of the Inversion out our window.

Inversion in Grand Juncction. View from our hotel window
of the cloud lower than the Colorado National Monument.

This is a professional photo taken of an inversion a few years
ago at The Colorado National Monument Park
and the Independence Monument in center

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, December 18th: Palisade, Colorado

and views of Mt. Garfield fronm I 70 and Palisade

It hasn't snowed much while we have been in G.J.
so it was nice to see a little snow on Mt. Garfield

Downtown Palisade with a
viw of Mt. Garfield from almost
everywhere

Many of the Winerys are at the base of Mt. Garfield
and you pass by them when driving on I 70
(Web photo)

We took I 70 East to Palisade, known for its' wine vineyards and peach orchards. This is one of my favorite areas to explore. A few years ago, on New Years Eve, Amanda, myself and a few friends toured many winerys, discovering wonderful wines from the area. Most of you know that I love Red wine, but my favorite in this area is the award winning 'Gewurzirainer', a slightly sweet White! So John and I went to one of my favorites, St. Katheryn's and Talon Winery, did some wine tasting and purchased my favorite. I was in heaven and hope to visit once more before we leave.

Denver International Wine Competition

Talon Winery ~ Gewurztraminer – GOLD

http://www.talonwineryco.com/

http://www.stkathryncellars.com/

My Favorite

And Yes, Talon & St.Katheryns Sell fudge.
All flavors of Fudge!
John got 'Fruit Cake Fudge!!!

Next we visited The Meadery, which"makes an array of honey based wines, all starting with pure, raw Orange Blossom honey". We had never heard of honey wines and were very curious. Most were very nice and I plan to go back to purchase a bottle to bring back to Maine.

'What is Mead? Mead, quite simply, is a fermented mixture of honey and water. Since it comes in many formsfrom still to carbonated, dry to sweet, and blendedwith all manner of other products and flavors,mead is a very broad term. Our traditionalmeads are made in a wine-like style with about12% alcohol. They are crisp and fresh witha delightful, mild flavor.'

http://www.meaderyoftherockies.com/

Meadery Website Photograph

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, December 19th through the 21st.

Jane, John and me

We had a wonderful lunch wth John's cousin Jane Stemsrude, who lives in Basalt, Colorado, about 2 hours from Grand Junction. It has been very nice over the past few years to be able to see her often. Jane and her brother, Bob Stemsrude, quite often would visit their mother, Connie, who lived here for many years until she passed away last Spring. The younger sister of John's dad, Connie was an amazing 99 years old when she passed away. This is our first trip to Grand Junction without Connie and she is greatly missed. Here is the last Grand Junction photograph of many of our family having Thanksgiving Dinner with Connie in November 2012.

Bobby, Amanda, myelf, Amelia, Bob Stemstrude and Dean Crysler
John, Connie Stemsrude, Jane Stemstrude and Sharon Crysler

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Saturday afternoon, the 20th, John and I met Amanda, Lexie and Oz at the Museum of Western Colordo's Christmas Model Train Exhibit. Needless to say, the kids had a great time watching the HO gauge train running through the track layout, which is depicting the Rio Grande Railroad as it travels from Denver, Colo. to Salt Lake City, Utah. I loved the model of Mt. Garfield! ('Mt Garfield, a prominent landmark in the valley was named after President Garfield. It is in the Bookcliff Range of the Colorado Rockies. Since it is so visible ( just a few hundred feet north of I-70), we thought it only fitting that it be a part of our layout.")

Outside, there is also a 'G' scale model train set up and, of course, actual trains outside, two which you could tour: a Caboose and a Box Car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8orrviAgeE
https://sites.google.com/site/gvmrcgrdjct/home/electronics-operation-etc-of-layout-ho

https://www.museumofwesternco.com/visit/cross-orchards-historic-site/history-of-cross-orchards/

Amanda and Lexie

Lexie and Oz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Sunday evening the 21st, we had a lovely dinner at Sue and Harry Benjamin. Their son, Dave, and his wife, Heather, are very close friends with Amanda. We also have a very special bond with Dave and Heather as they spent part of their Honeymoon with us in Camden.

Dave & Heather's two adroable daughters, Natalee and Reagan, call Amanda ~ Panda!!

Gotta Love 'em! And we certainly do!

We met Sue and Harry many years ago at Benjamin family holiday dinners, in which we have always felt honored to be invited. We had a very enjoyable evening, especially watching the girls played house near the fire place and later watching them open their Christmas presents from us. Thanks for such a nice even Sue and Harry!!