2015 Western Trip – Days 56 & 57 – Grand Junction Area

After three days of driving, I didn’t care whether or not we did much for the first day in Grand Junction, but I was up for breakfast at a place in the railroad station complex called Pufferbelly Restaurant (Pufferbelly = steam locomotive) with our kind of menu.

The place is known for their biscuits and Pat and I each had one and Bev went with her usual breakfast burrito smothered in green chili.

Bev had a choice of toast, biscuit or a cinnamon roll with her meal – duh.

Pat had a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit and I had the Arvin’s Green Biscuit - a biscuit topped with scrambled egg, cheese, sausage gravy, green chili - a combination I would never have dreamed would be good, but I had to try it.

Bev and Pat both said they really enjoyed theirs and I am now a convert – green chili must be good on everything if it’s good on sausage gravy – I may have to try it on chocolate next.

With all to do in the area, Bev and Pat decided to spend the afternoon shopping and hitting the farmers market in Grand Junction while I rested up and dog sat – not hard to figure what they like to do and while I would have preferred a drive in the country, this is their trip too.

The next day we drove the rim road through the Colorado National Monument which lays beside the Grand Valley.  With it's steep canyon walls and nature carved rocks, it reminded me of the parks near Moab, UT.

It’s good that John Otto pushed to have it preserved and when Congress couldn’t seem to make it a National Park, President Taft designated it a National Monument in 1911 with Otto as the first park ranger.  

In keeping with our success at seeing wildlife, we saw two chipmunks run across the road, a squirrel beside the road, and a couple of ravens.  I know there is lots of wildlife out in the West and must assume it has better things to do than to stand along the road so we can drive by and snap a photo.

That afternoon we hit a few of the local wineries and ended up buying a case and a half of mostly fruit wine from Carlson Vineyards - the cherry for drinking from a chocolate rimmed glass and the peach for turning into Hot Peach Cobbler In A Mug.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

9/17 & 9/18/15 event dates