Discovering a New World ^Featured

I landed at Grand Junction, Colorado and drove about an hour to Gateway Canyon along one of the most scenic roads I had ever been on. Winding through valleys surrounded by magnificent rock formations, the changing foliage looked like a blanket gently lain alongside vast reaching hills. At each turn the scenery changed and started to resemble the Grand Canyon. I was just in awe. As we came to a sharp bend in the road, an oasis of adobe-like structures appeared with a perfect landscape and the magnificent Palisades Mesa set as the perfect backdrop.

After I checked in, I was driven by golf cart to one of the 14 Palisade Casitas, each named after a constellation; mine was Andromeda. The casita felt like home. I actually wondered if they would notice if I decided not to check out. The front door was painted a rustic blue that stood out and became more of an art feature then an entryway. Next to it was a beautiful high-back wooden chair to relax and watch the evening sunset. If you’re following, I still haven’t even entered the casita.

When I finally did go in, I was greeted by a warm living room with a tall ceiling, a couch and a fireplace. A glass door led to an outdoor patio with a gas fire pit overlooking a small pond. Back inside, two sliding glass doors separated the master bedroom. The casita had a Southwestern feel, with aged wooden barn doors that slid open to reveal the closet and another that revealed the bathroom, which had tons of space and offered a specular view of the massive Palisades Mesa from both the indoor and outdoor showers.

I would have been perfectly content just staying there in the room and relaxing. I took turns between the indoor fireplace and outdoor fire pit, trying to absorb as much of the natural beauty that surrounded me as I could. But there were some awesome adventures awaiting me and the first was dinner! Or so I thought …

While the resort has three great restaurants, dinner tonight wouldn’t be at any of them. Instead we were taken to the Auto Museum to find a huge table set up for dinner in front of a mural of old roadway maps that outlined the classic, original Route 66 right across the country. In front of that and next to the table was a beautiful 1950’s Buick, all original, with 5,000 miles and in perfect condition. As we moved along into the museum we were taken back in time through more than 100 years of the auto industry to some of the oldest, rarest and most beautiful cars ever created. This was the collection of founder John Hendricks filled with more than 40 cars ranging from Model Ts, Duesenbergs and Auburns to late 70’s American muscle cars including the one-of-a-kind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 Concept car. As our tour concluded, I remembered something about dinner, but now all I could think about was the 1980 Trans Am that had only 79 miles on it. Since this was a museum, of course it was hands off the cars. But luckily, the next adventure would be hands on.

I’m sure you’ve all taken vacations where you’ve rented a car and as you get into the tiny compact, it seems more like a shopping cart than a mode of transportation. Then you glance down the row to see the convertible mustang or the Cadillac CTS and ponder to yourself … yeah, I should have rented that. Well, at Gateway Canyon they can empathize with you.

Welcome to the Driven Experiences

Just to the south of the lobby are two buildings off on their own. As you walk into the first, it looks like another car museum filled with Bentleys, Porsches, Jeeps, a Ford GT and some modern-day American muscle cars. Here you can essentially rent an exotic car or jeep and explore the area. My choices this day were a little limited and while some may seem disappointed in me for not choosing the Bentley, other readers will smile at the fact I chose the Hemi Challenger. I mean, how can you not? This car was just begging to be driven. It was like a puppy following me around.

Now you can’t just get in the car and go. After all, you are in a pretty remote area and should you get lost and break down there might not be cell service. I was handed a nifty little GPS locater device with a few buttons, one that said SOS. “Don’t hit the SOS button unless you’re really in trouble,” I was told. Good advice, I thought, but where should I go? “Turn right, drive for 30 minutes, then come back.” These were the best directions I have ever heard.

I started off on a casual drive. The scenery here was even more incredible then the road to the resort. There were cliffs on either side and the road snaked along a winding river. If you’re envisioning a nice, relaxing, leisurely drive, perhaps with me sipping some afternoon tea, then I’m sorry to disappoint. It was more like juiced-up on Red Bull thinking I was in the Indy 500. In fact, it is ever so possible that I may have slightly fractured the speed limit and the sound barrier. I can only imagine the impish smirk on my face when I returned the car.

 I was happy to find that my next drive would warrant some down and dirty maneuvers. I had just sat on the couch, had the fireplace going and had some time to kill before dinner when the phone rang. I felt like it was the CIA giving me the ‘go’ for the special op. “Jason, they have one more spot left for the Baja truck. Do you want to go?” Imagine a cartoon cloud and silhouette of me still sitting there as I bolted back to the Driven Experiences.

The Driven Experiences isn’t just about the opportunity to just drive any old car; it’s also an opportunity to ride in and learn to drive a real Pro Baja Race Truck. We were driven over to the track just a few miles away, literally in the middle of nowhere.

Standing there in my racing suit with my helmet in hand I heard these words: “Jason, would you like to go first?” While I’ve had plenty of experiences with cars – I even had the famed Skip Barber personally drive me around Limerock Park – this was an entirely different experience, one that at first had me pose the question, what am I doing?

I climbed into the Corvette-powered truck that was nothing but a reinforced cage that noticeably provided the utmost safety and security. I was so strapped in, I felt literally glued to my seat. My driver, Jeff Humberson, was on the com introducing himself and giving me a little instruction. He pointed to a red toggle switch located on his left and said, “See this switch? Should anything happen and I’m unconscious, just turn this off. That stops the fuel.” Oh sure, I thought, and then I’ll casually crawl out and walk over to Starbucks for a latte and call AAA. “But don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen,” he added. We took off down the track. I think about this now and I laugh, because we were having the most casual conversation while performing one of the most death-defying driving experiences I have ever witnessed. But it was Jeff’s cool, calm demeanor that put any and all fears aside and turned this into a pure adrenaline rush that simply simply be explained in words. Jeff pointed out that each turn we approached (at about 70mph) had a name, some probably named after what could happen if you wreck. But while I was trying very hard to maintain our casual conversation, it was the quickly approaching 10-foot hill that gave me a moment of pause. As the truck went airborne, and I mean Dukes of Hazzard airborne, things suddenly went in slow motion as my casual conversation turned into sinister laughing. The truck nosed forward slightly and the ground was approaching just as quickly as the ramp had. I braced myself for what I had expected to be nothing shy of a hard landing and was almost disappointed that I didn’t feel a thing. The truck landed as gracefully as it had launched and it was at that moment I knew I could trust the truck as much as the driver. Before I knew it, five laps had gone by and my ride was over. When I removed my helmet, I expected to look like Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase from the scene in Spys Like Us when they exit the High-G Centrifuge.

The next day it was time to go exploring via ATV. Surprisingly, the area’s climate at this time of year was expected to be in the 70s. But just my luck, a cold front had come in and it had actually snowed at the higher elevations the night before. That in itself was amazing – to wake up and notice snow-capped mesa surrounding the property.

I think we all were planning on getting a little dirty but I can’t thank the resort enough for their preplanning. They had all the gear we needed: coveralls, jackets, gloves and of course, the helmet. We headed up a back road that just kept rising with hairpin turns and steep drops. As we drove higher the roads turned to mud and everything was dusted with snow. The view was amazing. This untouched landscape was nature at its best. My only regret was that we were near an area largely known for dinosaur fossils but due to the snow we were unable to see anything. All the more reason to come back.

If you’re not into ATV or prefer a slower pace, the resort offers several other horse-powered adventures. Just down the road, Gateway offers horseback riding, which can take you along similar routes of majestic beauty.

Of course, one of my favorite options is the air tours. Gateway Canyon offers scenic tours via both a Eurocopter AStar B3 helicopter and a Cessna Caravan airplane. I had the privilege of flying in the helicopter with pilots Al Sisson and Michael Gullotti, who flew us around the canyons and gave us a great tour. The resort can create a special tour just for you.

If you’re exhausted by now, back on the ground you can head over to the spa to unwind and get the remaining kinks worked out before you had over to dinner.

Entrada Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner and offers outdoor dining as well, with three fire pits. Its full menu can satisfy even the most stubborn of appetites.  Paradox Grille is more of a tavern-style establishment with a game room located on the second floor and is open all day. Its menu consists of ‘laid-back Southwestern cuisine’ and at night it’s the place to go to unwind with a drink or two and get to know some of the other visitors. Kiva Café is located by the lobby, open during the day, and offers coffee and breakfast.

On my last night, I sat outside next to the fire pit. The skies were clear and offered a spectacular stargazing view. From my outside patio, past the pond, was the resort’s outdoor amphitheater. During my stay, a wedding had taken place in Gateway’s ballroom. That evening I was treated to my own private concert as the reception took place to a live band. As the night went on and the music stopped I was left with the sound of silence. Illuminated by the fire with the occasional shooting star passing overhead, I sat in pure peace and quiet and thought, yeah, this is nice. I could really just stay there and relax. But no, this is not a place to relax. It’s a place to discover.

For more visit gatewaycanyons.com