I thought I should go to California Napa Valley For wine and cross the border of the state of Utah for canyons. For peaches, I assumed that I should make my way to the south to somewhere like Georgia.
Then I discovered Palisade, Colorado. The small town four o’clock west of Denver has become one of my favorite cities of Colorado After having lived in the state for four years.
Although he has everything Outdoor activities I love it – hiking, camping, cycling and rafting – it also stands out vineyards, vineyardsand farms.
A vineyard in Palisade, Colorado. Monica Humphries / Business Insider
Palisade is home to something that I can’t find everywhere in Colorado – Vineyards
Most of my weekends in Colorado have spent camping. I will head west of my house in Denver, in search of mountains, dispersed campsites and glorious hikes.
Fortunately, the state is full of options. By living in Colorado, I explored dozens of mountain cities, I visited new national parksand stumble on historic sites like Old mining cities.
Being in the mountains never ages, but finding new activities prevents camping trips from feeling repetitive.
So when I want an experience other than shopping on Main Street and hiking on a mountain, I head to Palisade for wine.
The small town of Colorado is known as the state’s wine country. It houses more than 30 vineyards, and the desert climate of the region creates an ideal environment for grape cultivation.
Regarding wine itself, Palisade does not specialize in a single variety. Instead, you will find everything, rosé to Cabernet Franc and Riesling.
The journalist exploring Palisade, Colorado, by bicycle. Monica Humphries / Business Insider
I visited the city several times, and my favorite way to explore is on a bike. Some lodges, campsites and companies offer daily bicycle rentals, which means that I can check a handful of cellars in one day. Other tour operators have shuttles, horse cars and limousines that take visitors across the city.
Whatever way you arrive at each cellar, most have a breathtaking view of the grape vines with the Grande Mesa in Colorado, the largest flat mountain, as a backdrop. It’s a view that is difficult to beat.
Beyond the cellars, Palisade has an accessible nature
Of course, wine is the main attraction of the city, but it only scrapes the surface of the way I spend a weekend in Palisade.
Surrounding the small town is a magnificent nature. The area is more arid than the neighboring rocky mountains, which means that the terrain includes canyon systems, rusty trays and red stones. In some hiking areas, you will find wild horses, and in others, you will find canyons overlooking the Colorado river.
A palisade, Colorado, Sunset. Monica Humphries / Business Insider
During the hot summer months, paddleboarding and rafting are popular activities.
There are also a lot of campsite. Although there are some VR stations and state parks with campsites filled with pleasure, the region also has a primitive campsite around the Grande Mesa.
Nature that the journalist saw during a path outside Palisade, Colorado. Monica Humphries / Business Insider
Palisade is a hidden gem
Although many people from Colorado have heard of Palisade, when I go out of my Denver bubble, I learned that it is a hidden gem – the one I still explore because I have not discovered that the whole city has to offer.
While I stopped on small farm stands to collect fruit and fresh jams, I have not yet chosen fish. Palisade is one of Colorado’s best fishing producers, and during harvest seasons, neighboring farms will welcome visitors to their orchards for fishing picking.
I also look forward to returning to the city’s annual Bluegrass festival with national artists and local musicians.
There are also restaurants, breweries, distilleriesAnd vineyards that I looked at from past trips.
So, although there are many small cities in Colorado that I have not yet viewed, I am always ready to return to Palisade and shake the traditional camping trip of the weekend.