This has been a little while coming, as we are well past Colorado in reality, but even though we are not doing a lot during our days, we find a way to be busy all of the time. Funny how that happens sometimes...
We came in to Colorado in the dark, passing by Grand Junction on our way down to Cedaredge, a very small community (I'm not going to call it a town) on the Grand Mesa (west-central Colorado). This is where Janae spent her middleschool years, and therefore we spent a lot of time going back down her memory lane. It's not a long lane, as the downtown takes about 5 minutes to walk down both sides, but it has the charm of any town of its ilk.
Everyone in the small coffee shop we visited greeted each other with very familial greetings, and were quickly into local gossip. We had just missed Apple Fest, which is sort of a big deal, so that was dissapointing, but we did catch the end of the "Color Sunday" which was not on a Sunday, but apparently is the day when the locals take time to notice the changing of the colors in the Aspens that cover the Mesa and surrounding areas. (I know I am spelling Colour incorrectly, but we are in America, so it seems fitting)
On the first full day in town we drove up to the top of the Grand Mesa, exploring some of the lakes where Janae would go canoeing with her friends. The altitude change was significant enough that at the top we experienced the first and only snowfall of the trip so far, it wasn't enough to hinder us, but was kind of a fun introduction to Colorado. We also went through the Apple Shed, a mixture of cafe, art gallery, and winery, that I think my Mother would love.
We also took a poke into town (an actual town), Delta is just a short drive from Cedaredge, and is a small, rural town, with a little boardwalk and shops. We had a little old man accost us on the street, assuring us that the best food in town was this diner a short distance away, so we gave it a shot, and honestly I am not so sure he is wrong, it was quite good, and was a small window into the growing portion sizes in the dining we would experience in America.
We spent a few days in Cedaredge, quite a few with family friends of Janae's, who welcomed me very warmly, and I hope we will visit again soon. We then continued our journey east, following a windy mountain pass to the little college/ski town of Gunnison (central Colorado). Here we stayed the night with the son of the aforementioned family, in his home near the university grounds (Western Colorado University). We got a tour of the university, and some great BBQ in our short stay, and Janae met a new friend (their month old kitten named Biscuit).
Onward to Denver... (continued soon, much sooner than this took I promise.) ~ Josh