Some thoughts and discussions from me.
Wild Wild West Weekend Getaway
Good morning, friends 
Last Thursday evening, Shane and I were throwing around ideas on what to do for the weekend. We new we were likely hanging with friends on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was wide open. Since moving here, we haven’t taken any road trips, and when Shane suggested going to Grand Junction, I was all for it!
Grand Junction is about 4.5 hours away, so Saturday morning after eating breakfast, we took Niko to a friend’s house, packed up the car, and headed out west! Once we passed through “our mountains” as we like to call them, it was really cool how they started changing from monstrous mountain peaks to smaller, flatter, but still really cool western mountains.
And the farther we drove, the more different the mountains became.
And soon, we was clear that we were breaching desert territory.
Desert mountains!
As soon as we got to Grand Junction, we headed to Colorado National Monument Park, and immediately found a trailhead to hike, as we do.
It was already after 2:00 at this point (we stopped at Café Rio for lunch, which we deemed ok. I’d eat there again, but I don’t get the extreme hype!) so we hiked a 4 mile, easy-moderate trail to a lake and a waterfall. Along the way, we saw toads, lizards, rabbits, and lots of cacti.
We also climbed around a bit and explored.
And shared a Mama’s Yella Pils when we found a perch to hang out on.
Ahh, hiking beer.
After we finished hiking, we went straight to, what else, but a winery??
Grand Junction is known for its vineyards (surprisingly?) so we made it a point to stop at atleast one on our short trip. We tried all of their wines, and then eat ordered a glass, and bought a couple bottles to take home. The wine was really, really good!
After the winery, we finally checked in to our hotel, showered and got dressed up, and went to a fancy dinner. Unfortuantely, we were both pretty ravenous, and the restaurant we went to was apparently meant for skinny rich people who pretended they weren’t hungry. By that, I mean it was way overpriced, way under-portioned, and we left hungry. After taking a look at the dessert menu and not seeing cheesecake (I’ve been craving it for weeks!) we went to Safeway, and split this in the room:
We had a good laugh about it, but it seriously hit the spot! haha
The next morning we got up, got dressed, and went to a diner for breakfast. As we were walking in, we had all good intentions of “eating light,” since we were going on another hike before heading home. Well, all good intentions went out the window once we took a peek at the menu (plus, I think we were still hungry from the night before
haha)
Oops, haha. Shane got the pineapple upside down pancakes, and I got 3 poached eggs, bacon, potatoes, and a pancake. It. Was. Amazing. When on vacation!
Luckily, our full tummies didn’t get in the way of our hike! Before heading home, we went on a bit more strenuous hike, working up a sweat, and going for a little more than two hours. This hike was a little higher up, and had absolutely breath-taking views.
We headed home a little after noon, stopping in Dillon for lunch, and then getting stuck in horrific traffic on I-70, making our trip back home 6 hours instead of the planned 4.5. At least the entire drive is surrounded by mountains, though 
It was such a fun little getaway. Shane and I have made a great group of friends where we live, which we are incredibly thankful for – and enjoy hanging out with SO much. However, it’s really, really nice to do something when it’s just us two from time to time, too!
This morning, I’m off to teach a high intensity intervals class. Have a great Monday, guys 
When’s the last time you took a road trip? Where was it?
You live in the coolest place ever! Every time I read your blog I want to go for a hike 🙂 Glad you had a great weekend!
Danielle recently posted…Are you cutting back on food and still gaining weight? You’re probably making this mistake.
i’m so jealous of all your hiking!! you always take the best pictures too!! i wish i lived closer to an awesome place to hike!!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…itz my birthday!
That hike looks awesome! We are trying to make it to the Badlands (alberta) soon so we can hike a more cave/desert trail rather than forest. Definitely packing a hike beer 🙂
Jen @nutcaseinpoint recently posted…Saturday Family Time
You really make me want to search out some hiking trails around here! I don’t do a lot of road trips – the last one was a trip to Ottawa in May for a conference (about 5 hours). I love the idea of just picking up and heading out for a trip like that though.
And the cheesecake story makes me laugh – you gotta do what you gotta do when it comes to cravings 😉
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…MIMM: The Last Easy Weekend.
LOVE the polka dot nails! And what beautiful pictures! I love the west.
Shannon ~ My Place In The Race recently posted…The Longest One
My last road trip was out to Colorado and I miss it so much! The next time you guys want to take a road trip you should definitely check out Ouray. I think it’s about 6 hours from Boulder and so worth it. Lots of great hiking, and, in my opinion, southwestern Colorado is the most beautiful part of the state.
Natalie @ Free Range Human recently posted…Currently: August Edition
That looks like so much fun! I hate “fancy” restaurants for that reason. I need like 10 portions to feel satisfied!! For our last anniversary, Rob and I went to a Michelin-starred restaurant. We had seven courses, and our bill was $700 (!), but Rob still wanted to hit up the pizza place next door afterwards. I didn’t let him though haha!
Tara @ Sweat like a Pig recently posted…Photoshoot pics and off I go!
That’s insane! But I totally believe it. Fancy schmancy.
The views are gorgeous! I’ve been craving a good hike for a long time now, and these pictures are making me want to go even more!
Your breakfasts look amazing. We went out for a great breakfast also at Gilchrist in Atlantic City, and it really hit the spot, even if it wasn’t light 😀
Glad you had a wonderful vacation, Paige!
Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves recently posted…Desserts Abound {MIMM #1}
SO beautiful!!!!
Looks so fun! We have been so busy we haven’t taken a road trip in a really long time. Craving one. Glad you had a great weekend.
Liesl @ Fitnessinthekitchen recently posted…DIY – Homemade Yogurt with Powdered Milk
I love weekend getaways! Great minds think alike! Every time I see new spots in CO, I fall more in love!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted…MIMM: Cincinnati Getaway and more!
I loved that area when we visited in late March. We didn’t make it quite to Grand Junction, but stopped in Palisade for wine tasting. We were very shocked at the quality of the wine! Sounds like a great weekend trip. 🙂
Heather @ Better With Veggies recently posted…Taking My Diet on the Road {WIAW}