Floating the Colorado River

It was a sunny July day. It wasn't too hot but the water was still quite cold. We had hooked up with Palisade River Trips to float down the Colorado River. Mr. UR and I were on a raft along with another couple and our son and his girlfriend were kayaking. All the others in our group were stand-up paddle boarding. We had put in near Palisade and were floating our way past the desert scenery to our take out spot. From there Palisade River Trips would drive us back to our vehicle. It was about a 3 hour trip and our guide, Dave, would give us some facts about the river, the area and some history along the way.

The Colorado River starts high in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, runs through the Grand Valley of western Colorado - where we were - and keeps flowing to the Gulf of California. The Grand Valley area is a very placid area of the river.( I'm told the part of the river to raft is in Glenwood Canyon with it's 16 miles of whitewater that is considered some of the best in the country) So our float was extremely calm. The water was refreshingly chilly - the only thing I was putting in was my feet but our son's girlfriend braved it and went swimming. 
She's pretty fearless.

On our float trip we passed the Grand Mesa - the largest flat top mountain in the world. Grand Mesa is so large that there are hundreds of lakes and ponds - 300 to be exact - above 11,000 feet at the top of it. It's quite the grand jewel of western Colorado. In the summer, the surrounding area is a hotbed of hiking,fishing, camping and mountain biking. In the winter, Grand Mesa is home to Powderhorn Ski Resort.

Our guide told us that this area was once  arid but about 100 years ago they diverted the river into an irrigation source - and now it's not only known as Colorado's Wine Country but also known as one of North America's best fruit growing regions. Have you ever heard of Palisade Peaches?

Anytime I'm on the water, I'm pretty happy. Our float trip was so enjoyable - feet up (or in the water) while we rode down the river enjoying the scenery and Dave's tales of the area. If you ever get a chance, float down the Colorado.(Or raft it in Glenwood Canyon) Maybe visit a few wineries. Eat some sun ripened fruit. I know if I get back to western Colorado, I'll definitely be floating again.


Linking up with: Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox, The Weekend Wanderlust Weekend Travel Blog Party, The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond and Wednesday Around The World!