Attractions

More to See & Do

In addition to the attractions discussed here, those with an artistic bent might check out the pottery classes offered at The Gallery bed-and-breakfast inn.

The Museum of Western Colorado

For a huge step through time -- from 150 million years ago all the way up to the present -- you'll want to visit the various facilities of the Museum of Western Colorado (tel. 888/488-3466 or 970/242-0971; www.wcmuseum.org). These include the Museum of the West/Smith Educational Tower, Dinosaur Journey, and Cross Orchards Historic Farm.

In addition, the Museum of Western Colorado manages three natural resource areas (free admission, open 24 hr.), where you can get a firsthand look at the geology and paleontology of western Colorado. Rabbit Valley Research Natural Area, located at I-70 exit 2, about 30 miles west of Grand Junction, encompasses a working dinosaur quarry. The "Trail Through Time," a 1.5-mile self-guided walking tour, offers a close-up view of dinosaur fossils preserved in ancient stream channels. Riggs Hill, located off South Broadway in Grand Junction, is the site of the first official dinosaur excavation in western Colorado. It's named for paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs of Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, who discovered huge fossilized bones of the previously unknown dinosaur Brachiosaurus altithorax here in 1900. The site has a .8-mile self-guided interpretative trail, as well as stupendous panoramic views from the top of Riggs Hill. Dinosaur Hill, south of Fruita, off Colo. 340 near Colorado National Monument, is western Colorado's second excavated site, also dug by Riggs. It contains a 1-mile self-guided interpretative trail.

Combination admission tickets to the three facilities below, available at any of the sites, cost $12 adults, $10 seniors 60 and over, and $8 children 12 and under.

A Wonderful Auto Museum

One of the best antique and classic car museums in the American West opened in May of 2006 in a highly unlikely spot -- the tiny community of Gateway, in the middle of nowhere, about an hour's drive southwest of Grand Junction. Part of the new and still-under-construction Gateway Canyons resort, the Gateway Colorado Auto Museum has some four dozen beautifully restored automobiles -- many of them luxury models of the day -- that trace the history of American automotive design. The cars on display are part of the collection of John Hendricks, the founder and chairman of cable TV's Discovery Channel, who considers the cars as much pieces of art as transportation.

The star of the collection is a one-of-a-kind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 dream car, a fantastic piece of rolling sculpture that cost Hendricks $3.24 million when he bought it at auction specifically for the museum. Also on display are a 1906 Cadillac Model H Coupe, a 1913 Pierce Arrow, a 1939 Packard Darrin (a favorite of Hollywood stars), and a 1941 Lincoln V-12 Zephyr. There are also classics from the 1950s and 1960s, including muscle cars such as the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT. There are also exhibits on the automobile's influence on American life, from the assembly line to roadside diners to Hollywood glitter. All the vehicles are complete, in perfect running condition, and authentic, and a six-minute video, narrated by Walter Cronkite, provides an excellent introduction to the museum.

Gateway Colorado Auto Museum is located in Gateway Canyons resort, in the community of Gateway, on Colo. 141 near the Colorado-Utah border. It's open daily from 10am to 7pm, with the last ticket sold at 5pm. Admission costs $9 for adults, $7 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for children 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 and younger. The resort includes a restaurant, deli, a store offering outdoor recreation gear and clothing, and lodging units. The address is 43200 Colo. 141, Gateway, CO 81522 (tel. 866/671-4733 or 970/931-2458; www.gatewaycanyons.com).