When one thinks of Colorado, a desert probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind… however, one of the aspects that makes the Centennial State so unique is its diverse settings, which range from the rolling plains to majestic mountains to the arid desert. All of this being said, it should come as no surprise that Colorado is not only home to a desert setting, but also this town that is considered to be one of the coolest in America:
Located along Colorado’s Western Slope is that of Grand Junction; a town of nearly 60,000 that came in at #5 on Travel + Leisure’s list of “America’s Coolest Desert Towns”!
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Settled by European-American farmers in the 1880s, Grand Junction was named for its location at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers and boasts a unique history that dates back thousands of years to the time of the Ute and Fremont tribes.
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Currently serving as the home to Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction is truly a gem-of-a-town that is not only home to higher education, but also…
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…Colorado’s thriving wine and orchard industries…
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…and even a thriving downtown scene chock-full of small boutiques and restaurants!
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As if this wasn’t enticing enough, this desert town also features (as per Leisure + Travel) “some of the West’s most grandiose natural sites: the Colorado River’s whitewater rapids; the wild horses of nearby Little Book Cliffs; vineyards and peach orchards in neighboring Fruita and Palisade; Colorado National Monument’s red-rock canyons (pictured) filled with bighorn sheep; and, finally, Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain, which attracts hikers and campers in the summer and skiers in the winter.”
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(Let’s face it; Grand Junction isn’t only one of “America’s Coolest Desert Towns,” but one of America’s coolest towns, period.)
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To find out what other towns are “reshaping the American West with cutting-edge art and great outdoor adventures,” please click on America’s Coolest Desert Towns.
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For even more fun and historic Colorado towns, click on Most People Don’t Know The Meaning Behind These 15 Colorado Towns.
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Flickr/Lilliana Maya
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Flickr/Joanna Lee Osborn
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