We spent a few days exploring Grand Junction, including the Colorado National Monument to the west and Grand Mesa to the east. The clear blue lakes of Grand Mesa really called to me as I promised to be back later with a fishing pole to try my hand for trout, and the scenery from Land’s End Observatory was incredible, before we took the plunge over the edge on the dirt road back to Highway 50.
On the west side of town we were introduced to the peach pizzas of Hot Tomato Cafe in Fruita. When our companion wanted an entire pizza all to herself we were a little confused, but after we had a couple slices we understood what she was thinking.
Not long after, we made our first journey to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park in Utah. These are two of the five national parks in Utah; they showcase the red rock formations surrounding the gateway city of Moab. Moab is about a two hour drive from Grand Junction, and we ended up timing our entry with our permit pretty well.
Arches is known for its over 2,000 documented arches and other rock formations in the park. And we certainly enjoyed them! We did the short hikes at the North and South Windows, as well as the short hike to the Upper Viewpoint for Delicate Arch, and then we completed the driving tour of the area before heading back to Moab for lunch.
We ended up eating at the Blu Pig which was delicious and they were so nice as to open the outdoor seating area for us during lunch. We had great service and a delightful meal as our feet got some rest from our morning hikes and we recharged.
It was getting a little late in the afternoon as we explored Canyonlands, but we were able to take our classic family photos with the sign, do the short hike to Mesa Arch, and take in the scenery from Grand View Point Overlook before we needed to make our way back to Grand Junction to conclude the day.
