The fruit trees in western Colorado's Grand Valley are blooming. Apricot and a couple of peach species might already be a bit past their peak. Look for the bing cherry, prune, plum and pear trees to be in flower this week and next, followed by tart cherries and finally the apple trees early in May. Farmers are beginning to harvest early produce. And winery tasting rooms are polishing glasses for spring road-trippers, cyclists and art lovers (see below). (Photo courtesy of Grand Junction Visitors & Convention Bureau)
If you've got a specific farm or winery in mind, however, you might be as flummoxed as I long was by addresses, which are an A to Z mystery. How does one find Alida's fruits at 3402 C 1/2 Road or Z's Orchard at 315 33 3/4 Road? The placemat-like Orchard Farm, Farm & Coffee Roastery map issued by the Palisade Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau provides an explanation that I have paraphrased here:
Roads Unraveled
Numbered roads run north-south and are numbered east to west in crow-flight miles from the Colorado-Utah state line. That means lower numbers are on the west and higher ones on the east. Lettered roads run east-west and are one mile apart, starting with A at Orchard Mesa on the south end and ending with G just before I-70 on the north. Because both the lettered and numbered roads are one mile apart, many roads between them have fractions or tenths (e.g., 33 3/4 Road, G 7/10 or alternatively G .7 Road). Just to make navigating even trickier, not all roads go through -- and some in rural areas switch from pavement to dirt somewhere along the way. However, in this charmed landscape, getting lost can lead to pleasurable discoveries until you reorient yourself.
Other useful information: G Road in Palisade is also called Front Street, while G 7/10 Road is also North River Road. US Highway 6 between Palisade and Grand Junction runs on a slight diagonal linking Front Street/G Road and F Road. 32 Road is also US Highway 141, beginning at I-70's business loop and heading south through Clifton. In Grand Junction proper, agricultural land is interspersed with growing suburbia, whose street names do not follow the letter/number pattern. Have fun exploring! I sure did a few weeks ago.
Peach Blossom Art Show
If the beautiful image above and the enticement of decoding Grand Valley address inspires you to head there this weekend, be sure to take in the Palisade Art Lover's (PALS) 28th Annual Peach Blossom Art Show in the Community Center at Palisade Memorial Park. Some 125 artists' works will be shown -- many with spring and/or western Colorado themes. The show takes place Thursday, April 17 through Sunday, April 20. The show is free and open to the publicbetween 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. In this recessinary time, it's good know that almost everyone can afford original art, because a bargain room will display works selling for $100 or less. For more information, call 970-255-1553, 970-434-6191 or 970-464-7458,
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