6 Minute Read
Day One:
Morning
Grand Junction is the perfect destination for a girls’ getaway. From mild to wild adventures, scenic hikes to thrilling bike trails, and coffee sipping to wine tasting, it’s the ideal place to relax, recharge, and reconnect with your best friends.
Rise and shine ladies! Kick off a glorious girls’ trip with some early morning nutrition from Dream Cafe, located on Main Street in Downtown Grand Junction. Celebrate getting together with mimosas or bloody marys and cheers to the fun day ahead. Fuel up with breakfast tacos, quiche, or go all in with biscuits and gravy. On the sweeter side, the banana bread French toast is a crowd favorite.
After you finish breakfast, head next door and grab a coffee to go from Kiln Coffee Bar before meandering into many of the Downtown Grand Junction’s boutique shops. In fact, you won't find a national retail or restaurant chain anywhere Downtown. As you wander from each shop, discover over 115 art sculptures and murals that frame the wide sidewalks on Main Street – making for perfect opportunities to pose with your besties!
Afternoon
After a little retail therapy, pop into The Hog and The Hen Market & Deli for culinary delights that include specialty sandwiches, hummus, cocktail mixes, premium-quality pantry items and a liquor store. They also have a walk-up deli with unique sandwich offerings, including the Fowl Play - turkey, brie, apple chips, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickled red onion and cranberry aioli, all served on a thin ciabatta bun. Some of the local favorites include the Truffle Shuffle and the Tom. The front of this charming bodega is filled with candy from your childhood and specialty chocolates such as truffles. Remember “Whatchamacallit?” Go get one!
Now that you are properly nourished, it’s time to uncork your creative side. The Palette is also located Downtown so you don’t have to go far for your next activity. As Grand Junction’s premier sip’n paint studio, the Palette offers a variety of paintings for you and your gal pals to choose from. Check out their art calendar to get inspired. Enjoy their open paint from 2:00 – 5:30 pm and let the brushes and the wine flow while you make plans for the evening ahead. If you are looking for more fun and creative activities, check out the Candle Kitchen and these other artsy DIY ideas. Making your own custom scented candle is a fun way to awaken all of your senses.
Evening
Finish off the day by dining at Bistro 317. This modern French-American restaurant includes an extensive wine and martini menu, so consider sitting in the back lounge area to relax with an appetizer before dinner. We highly recommend finishing off your meal with one of their famous macaroons, and locals claim their cheesecake is the best in town.
Day Two:
Morning
Start day two by heading over to Copeka Coffee to get your caffeine fix for the day. Sip on their popular Fruity Pebbles Latte. We promise you will not be disappointed! This fun little coffee shop is retro chic and offers a variety of delicious breakfast options to choose from. The “Chkn” Marinara Panini is highly recommended, and the avocado toast is to die for. If you want to play a game, count how many giraffes are in the shop – it’s a lot!
Put your balance and yoga skills to the test with one of Grand Junction Adventures' stand-up paddleboard (SUP) yoga classes. The lesson starts with SUP instruction and paddling techniques on the ground before taking you out on the water to challenge your core muscles, balance and body awareness in a unique way. The floating aspect of the class releases stress while enhancing focus and motivation.
Afternoon
After you’ve become a stand-up paddleboard master, it’s time to refuel. Take the girls to Kannah Creek Brewery and soak up some sunshine on their patio. Start off with sharing the deep-dish garlic bread served with marinara, or the Reuban rolls complete with pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss and mozzarella cheese in fresh-made dough and baked in a brick oven. Socialize over a rich Black's Bridge Stout or one of their award-winning beers like the Standing Wave Pale Ale and the Lands End Amber. Don't forget to ask about the featured menu, which includes dishes made with seasonal produce, like Peach Nachos, Peach Pizza, and Peach Caprese Burger.
End the afternoon with a leisure walk along the Colorado Riverfront Trail. If you’re looking for a relaxing experience along the trail, stop into the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens, and discover several specialty gardens like cactus and rainforest gardens. Be sure to also check out the butterfly house as it showcases tropical plants, vibrant flowers, koi fish and turtles.
If your day calls for something a little more thrilling, rent some mountain bikes and cycle over to the Lunch Loops Trail System, only 10 minutes from Downtown. Zip down these trails and kick some dust up - Free Lunch and Pucker Up trails are designated for downhill mountain biking only, so you can let loose and soar! Gunny Loop is a great option for experienced riders, with drops and jumps to get your adrenaline going.
Prefer a challenging hike? Drive up Glade Park and hike Rough Canyon Trail. We recommend hiking clockwise and stick with your group, as there are a couple of areas you might need a little boost.
Evening
To top off an exhilarating day, take your gal pals to 626 on Rood - a restaurant with a cool vibe, polished setting, and exceptionally innovative cuisine. Try the Escargot made with buttermilk blue cheese and garlic butter with a crispy baguette. This used to be a “secret menu” item that locals always requested, but now it’s officially on the menu! Treat yourself to the Blackened Chilean Sea Bass made with local produce, including the famous Palisade peach.
Day Three:
Morning
After a night of savory food, your tastebuds will be begging for something sweet. Plus, you’ll need some extra energy for your adventure on the water, so check out Be Sweet Cafe & Bakeshop. They pride themselves on using quality ingredients, like real butter and full-fat dairy products. You won’t find any preservatives or fake ingredients here! There are also delicious gluten-free and vegan options available. If you are a coffee connoisseur, you’re also in luck! They partner with a local roaster, Colorado Legacy Coffee Company. They specialize in hot air roasting, which results in smooth, low-acidic coffee.
Head out for your scheduled River Rafting Trip with Grand Junction Adventures or Rimrock Adventures. They both offer relaxing floats on the gentle section of the Colorado River that runs through Grand Junction. Trips can range from 1.5 to 3-hour guided tours. Swim, cliff jump, or wade on the water while you try and spot deer, bald eagles and other birds while being told local lore and river jokes! If you are chasing an adrenaline rush, float on down the river all the way into Utah – that’s where you will encounter Class 4 and 5 rapids, depending on the time of the year.
Afternoon
Before heading out to your next adventure, stop by Cafe Sol and grab a quick bite to eat that is fresh, wholesome, sourced locally, organic and made from high-quality ingredients. Don’t believe us? You can watch them make your food in their open-air kitchen. From fresh-tossed salads to hot off-the-grill paninis, you will leave refreshed and rejuvenated.
After you fill up, hit the road for one of the most scenic drives in Colorado. The Grand Mesa Scenic Byway is a 2.5-hour drive and takes you to the top of the world’s largest flat-top mountain, the Grand Mesa. Standing tall at over 10,000 feet in elevation, the Grand Mesa is bursting with more than 300 alpine lakes, thick aspen and pine tree-filled forests and an abundance of scenic overlooks that make for the perfect backdrops. For a truly unique experience, visit Land’s End Observatory and overlook the entire Grand Junction area. We promise you will be greeted by some very cute creatures, but please remember not to feed them – no matter how tempting it can be!
If you prefer majestic landscapes closer to Downtown, drive six miles to Colorado National Monument, known as a mini-Grand Canyon. It's part of the National Park Service - they call it the Heart of the World. Rim Rock Drive provides a scenic way to meander through the park, and there are plenty of places to pull over. Within just a few steps, you'll be peering over massive cliffs and viewing gigantic spires that reach for the sky.
Evening
If you’ve ever thought that land-locked Colorado and sushi don’t go together, No Coast Sushi is here to prove you wrong. No Coast is a hip spot that champions modern Japanese cuisine with quality ingredients. They purchase their fish from companies that care about sustainability and ocean health. The owner is highly involved in managing this restaurant and they have gone to great lengths in crafting each ingredient to enhance the flavor, texture, visual and umami appeal of their dishes. The Shrimp Tempura Dinner is a popular choice for shrimp-lovers, and comes in a veggie option, making No Coast a great stop for those with dietary restrictions with extensive vegetarian and vegan options.
To polish off the night, head over to Highlands Distillery. Their beautiful outdoor setting and cool yurt make for the perfect place to get those last few laughs and memories in. Surrounded by dozens of beautiful red umbrellas above you, offering shade and swaying in the wind, sip on their Elevated Blueberry Lemonade and breathe in Grand Junction’s crisp mountain air.
Before you head out in the morning, stop by Colorado Craft Coffee & Beer House to rev yourself up for the drive or flight home. The owners, Amanda and James, are the most cheerful couple and kind people you will ever meet serving up a hot cup of Joe – they really have a passion for serving you. You can even bring your own food in, if you wish, so stay awhile.
Upcoming Events
Rim Rock Marathon and Half Marathon
Challenge your gal-pals to an adventure within the red rock canyons of Colorado National Monument. The Rim Rock Marathon and Half Marathon take you along the ribbon road of Rim Rock Drive on November 2, 2025, and offer striking vistas.
The Nutcracker
On November 28, 2025 the historic Avalon Theatre will host a christmas classic with international, world-class performers. Expereince the magic of being transported into the story with acrobatics, ballet and hand-crafted costumes.
For more events, check out the Events Calendar.
For more itineraries and things to do in Grand Junction, check out pages 34-40 of the Official Grand Junction Visitor Guide.