This is my husband of 5 years, James. We’ve been together since 2005, so it doesn’t seem right that we’ve only been married for 5 of those years. Most of our closest peeps know that we got married in September 2013, only to find out I was pregnant in December 2013. That was a surprise! We didn’t get to enjoy our Mr. & Mrs. titles for very long before we became Mom & Dad. Fast forward to September 2014 (yes, we love September) when Baby Brooks was born. Two and half years later in April 2017, our Evie Marie made her worldly debut. All of that to say James and I have been busy, and have not had a real vacation, just the two of us, since our honeymoon. So when it came time to plan our 5 year anniversary trip, we went all out! Here’s a look at our trip to Gateway Canyons Resort, in Gateway Colorado.
The Palisade
See that giant red rock cliff behind us? That is better known as the Palisade. Located in Unawheep Canyon, Gateway is a small town just over an hour from the Grand Junction airport. It makes sense this resort was created by the same guy who started the Discovery Channel. The resort was remote, peaceful, and absolutely gorgeous, painted with the most serene views of these giant red rock canyons, including the Palisade. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Being the boy scout he never was (but totally could have been!) James navigated us on several hiking trails, winding in and around the canyons. Several times along the way we came across these rock stacks, evident there was someone there before us, and that was how they left their mark. On our final hike, we made our own rock stack on one of the highest points of our hike. You can see James’ art below. You could not beat the 360 views of this place. It was breathtaking.
Just Keep Breathing…
Yall, when I say this is the most TERRIFYING thing I have ever done in my life, I mean it. This resort offers a lot of adventurous activities, including horseback riding, rifle shooting, archery, mountain biking, hiking, and UTV tours. When I called to reserve our UTV tour, the lady described it as a “scenic and educational tour” through the canyons. Not once did she think to tell us we would be driving (well James would) a UTV up the sides of sheer cliffs to an elevation of 7000ft – the resort sits at 4500ft so we trekked about 2500ft in about an hour. The roads were narrow and windy and traction was difficult on the dry desert sand and rocks. Here comes the best part – James and I are both terrified of heights. Yep. Had that lady told us what we were actually going to be doing, I’m not sure I could have said yes.
Words cannot even begin to describe how sweaty I was, not from the 90 degree heat, but from sheer terror. I’m pretty sure I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. Thank GOD for my courageous hubs who drove that bad boy up the cliffs. He failed to say very many words on the way up, and I knew why once we reached the peak. He was beyond scared. Anyways, I think you get the point. It was scary. But really amazing once we got to the top and could see for 100 miles. I’m thrilled to have shared something so challenging (physically, mentally and emotionally) with my partner in crime and come out of it 1. alive, and 2. braver than when we started. Just when you think you cannot do something, because trust me, we both wanted SO BADLY to turn around once we saw where we were going, you surprise yourself. We had to dig deep, and just keep breathing, but we did it, and it was one for the record books.
Eats & Libations
It’s safe to say we both needed a stiff cocktail after that UTV adventure…It’s a good thing we chose an “adventurous” vacation destination. I’d like to think between the hiking, yoga, and little biking we did (on top of the sweat that I poured out during the UTV tour), we balanced out at least a third of our meals. Maybe? Hopefully. The food at the resort was phenomenal. I ate my weight in chips and salsa and guacamole. We also had yummy wraps and sandwiches, and the best chicken wings ever dusted in chili powder (we might try and recreate them!). For our fancy night out on our actual anniversary, I had halibut over artichoke puree and James tried wild boar ragout. Both delish! We ended that night with s’mores for dessert over a poolside fire pit, while listening to a “real cowboy” tell stories about his great grandparents and growing up on a ranch in the West. It was quite interesting.
Final Thoughts
If you are ever near Grand Junction, or are looking for a peaceful vacation mixed with the outdoors, you have to visit Gateway Canyons. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. It was absolutely perfect, and I am so beyond happy to have spent the quality time with my main squeeze. Hope yall enjoy!
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