Fort Collins Hopes to Copy Grand Valley's Success

This the tale of two cities intertwined with their love for the grape and the grain. Grand Junction and the Grand Valley offer Colorado's Wine Country, while Fort Collins is no stranger to hand crafted beers. Now the two cities are partnering to feature the best of both to prospective meeting planners.

Under the headline, "Taste of Two Cities Brings Cities Together: Fort Collins, Grand Junction Create Partnership Through Beer and Wine," Coloradoan Reporter Pat Ferrier writes:

"Separated by hundreds of miles and almost five hours by car, Grand Junction and Fort Collins - on the face of it - have little in common."

"Fort Collins is almost three times larger and more than 400 feet higher in elevation."

"Grand Junction is close to Utah."

"Fort Collins is near Wyoming."

"Grand Junction has wine."

"Fort Collins has beer."

"Grand Junction has made an art form out of marketing its wine and wine country."

"Fort Collins hopes to copy its success."

"Now, the two have joined forces to promote their cities."

"The Taste of Two Cities gives companies or meeting planners the chance to rotate gatherings between Grand Junction and Fort Collins."

You can click here to read more about the joint effort between Fort Collin and Grand Junction to market their cities.

Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race, Marathon This Weekend

Saturday, May 9, the Palisade Chamber of Commerce, Town of Palisade, and Mammoth Marathons host the Third Annual Palisade Bike Festival. The Festival includes the Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race, Fruit Loop Cycling Tour, and new this year, the Grand Valley Marathon. All three events start at Palisade's Town Center Plaza.

The day begins with the Grand Valley Marathon at 6:30 a.m. The Half-Marathon starts at 7:00 a.m., followed by the 10-K race at 7:30 and 5-K race at 7:45 a.m. All four races follow scenic routes along the Colorado River with the Marathon and Half-Marathon extending onto East Orchard Mesa.

The Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race starts at 7:30 a.m. with a 34-mile expert race across the flanks of Grand Mesa, connecting with the Horse Mountain Course before returning to town. At 10:00 a.m., the sport and beginner races start with the course following the Horse Mountain, Mountain Bike Trail.

The Fruit Loop Cycling Tour begins anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Participants can follow three different routes based on ability and desire. Enthusiasts will ride through a setting of orchards and vineyards with Mt. Garfield, Grand Mesa and the Book Cliffs as their backdrop. The Tour includes a Scavenger Hunt with stops at area shops, orchards, and wineries.

At the conclusion of the Races and Tour, a lunch and awards ceremony will be held at the Palisade Brewery. The ceremony includes lunch, awards and prizes, vendors and live entertainment by the band, Straygrass.

Registration for all three events starts Friday evening, May 8th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Peach Street Distillers. Saturday morning, registration starts at the Town Center Plaza in downtown Palisade at 6:00 a.m. for the Grand Valley Marathon, 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for the Palisade Classic, and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for the Fruit Loop Cycling Tour. For more information, contact the Palisade Chamber of Commerce at 464-7458 or visit their website at www.palisadecoc.com.

Harley the Motorcycle Fish Swims into View

The Town of Palisade is pleased to announce the dedication and unveiling of “Harley”, a sculpture by Palisade’s own Lyle Nichols. The ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the New Town Center Plaza.

Palisade Mayor Dave Walker said, “the Sculpture is an incredible addition to our Town Center Plaza”. He thanks all of the donors for their generous donations.

“Harley” is a fish sculpture with scales composed of Harley Davidson mufflers. This brilliant piece of art will soon become a focal point of not only the plaza but the entire downtown area of Palisade. The project came to fruition through the enthusiasm and vision of Jane Wood, proprietor of the Blue Pig Gallery in Palisade.

The Town Center Plaza is located at the corner of Third and Main Streets in Downtown Palisade. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Spotlight On BookCliff Vineyards

Between their Boulder tasting room and Palisade grape vines, BookCliff Vineyards offers the complementary mixture of Front Range and Western Slope, of urban and rural, of premium finished products and quality agricultural bounty near Grand Junction, Colorado. One Web site recently spotlighted BookCliffs and described the natural beauty surrounding their vineyards.

Under the headline, "BookCliff Vineyards - Palisade, Colorado," the Editor at Coloradobeautiful.com wrote:

"From the time of the turn of the century the region east of Palisade has been an area where grapes have been grown. In the case of the BookCliff Vineyards the location across from the Colorado River and underneath the BookCliff escarpment, our vineyards benefit from evening winds that prevent frost and provide moderate growing temperatures. This vineyard prides itself in the fact that the wines produced are 100 percent Colorado grown."

"The owners (and operators) of the vineyard began the winemaking business in 1999. John Garlich and Ulla Merz (married to each other) are the proud owners of the vineyard. The winery is located in the basement of their home in Boulder where they sell two-thirds of their grape crop to other Colorado wineries and make the famous BookCliff wines from the rest."

"During the Prohibition the early vineyards of the area were uprooted and replaced with orchards. Now modern vineyards have reestablished themselves on the Western Slope and across Colorado. It takes hard work and dedication to get a vineyard started and make it sustainable, BookCliff is a success story that you will want to visit and taste their wines."

"Check out the Wine Festivals held in the area throughout the summer and early fall and have a chance to taste wines from a number of different wineries."

Directions to the vineyard in Palisade:

"Coming from the east on I-70, take the first exit (#44) and head west (straight ahead). The road makes a gentle curve following the Colorado River. Our vineyard is on the north side of the road as it straightens out."

"Coming from the west on I-70, take the first Palisade exit (#42) and head south on 37 1/3 Road to G Road. Head east on G Road through Palisade and cross over the Colorado River. The vineyard is on the north side of G Road about 1/2 mile east of the Colorado River bridge."

Click here to read more about BookCliff Vineyards at ColoradoBeautiful.com.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Afternoon Tea, Stay-over

Start a new tradition this year by celebrating Mother’s Day at Afternoon Tea, then stay over for an extended visit at Wine Country Inn.

For this occasion, the Inn is encouraging guests to bring a favorite teacup used by a Mother, Grandmother or special friend or relative to enjoy their tea service. The tables will be set with the Inn’s china, but cups will be removed if someone brings a sentimental favorite.
Cost of the tea is $19.25 ($15 plus tax and gratuity) per person. Payment can be made by credit card or cash payment in advance.

Because of the popularity of the first tea in December, the Inn is limiting the event to one seating for 80 persons on a pre-paid reservation basis.

“We decided to require pre-payment in order to assure that we can provide the service our guests expect for such an event,” explains Juliann Adams, Event Coordinator.

“If we know for sure that someone is coming, our chef can prepare an appropriate amount of food and we can properly pre-set our Vineyard Ballroom for the event.”

Adams points out that these occasions should be relaxed and enjoyed without being rushed, so only one seating is being offered.

A Deluxe Tea Service for four is priced at $128.28 ($100 plus tax and gratuity). This special arrangement provides personalized service with an antique tea set in a parlor setting. Two such packages are available.

Additionally, the hotel is offering a special Mother’s Day Room Rate starting at $99/night for a standard room for two. That amount can be applied to a room upgrade, and some restrictions may apply.

Adams says that the Victorian-style 80-room hotel offers a laid-back, welcoming ambiance that invites relaxation. Wrap-around porches with rocking chairs and wicker furniture, outdoor pool and spa and a beautifully landscaped patio set the tone.

“Our guest rooms are luxuriously appointed and quite comfortable. Along with flat-panel TVs and other amenities, we have microwaves and refrigerators in every room for the convenience of our guests,” she elaborates.

The Inn also has a Gift Shop for picking up forgotten essentials or take home gifts for family or friends.

For more details, call 970-464-5777 or 888-855-8330 or check the website at www.ColoradoWineCountryInn.com.

Rocky Mountain PBS Broadcasts Live From Inn

Public television offers unique, commercial-free programming. But it is not free. Pledge drives are a necessary evil to get members to donate funds to keep the public TV stations operating. Rocky Mountain PBS is no exception, and the Wine Country Inn was honored that the RMPBS chose the hotel this weekend to broadcast their auction live from the property.

"It is important to support PBS," says Wine Country Inn Co-owner Jean Tally. "I really believe in alternative broadcasting options. I regularly watch 'Bill Moyers' and other news/analysis programs as well as purely entertaining offerings like the Sunday night student concerts out of Carnegie Hall in New York, 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Antiques Roadshow'. These are just a few examples PBS also helped me raise my children with 'Sesame Street', 'Electric Company', and 'Mr. Rogers'."

Here's what RMPBS has to say about the auction:

Under the headline, "Spring Is In the Air - Finally. So Is Auction!" Elizabeth Mayer of Rocky Mountain PBS writes:

"Rocky Mountain PBS is teaming with energy these days, especially with the excitement around Auction. Each day there are some 30 volunteers in the building, doing everything from photographing incoming donations to handling item pickup."

"Their passion for Auction – and this organization – is contagious. Day in and day out, I think to myself, boy is this place unique."

"Yet there is nothing unique about the financial troubles we're facing. Families and non-profits alike are feeling the pinch. The fact is, this year, Auction needs to deliver more than ever. We are well short of revenue goals – $1.5 million down – and we look to you to help make Auction the success it needs to be."

"What's neat is that everyone benefits from Auction. For local businesses, it's a great way to support a cause, get your company's name out there and make a tax-deductible contribution. For the artists that donate work, it means on-air exposure and community recognition. For the buyer, it means getting unique, valuable items while supporting Rocky Mountain PBS."

"The hundreds of volunteers that make Auction possible also benefit. Each year, a community of volunteers comes together to rally around something near and dear to their hearts. They work extraordinarily hard – and have fun while doing it."

Click here to read more about the RMPBS Spring 2009 auction.