Grand Junction, the western Colorado city that abuts the state’s largest wine region, draws outdoor enthusiasts for its accessibility to both mountain and desert trails, abundance of water sports and the wondrous red-rock formations in Colorado National Monument. An eager adventurer in the late spring can even ski and bike on the same day. What visitors haven’t typically come for — until more recently — is the city’s ambience. Now with a small but growing destination-dining scene, new hotels, expanded arts programming and improvements like an ambitious riverfront development with an amphitheater and the historic train depot’s planned restoration, Grand Junction’s appeals extend far beyond just superb recreation.
