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FALL 2023 / ISSUE 25
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VIEWS!
• Homes starting at 1800 square foot • 3-6 bedroom • 3 car garage minimum • RV parking and storage on site • Stucco exteriors with optional stone accents • Architectural 30-year shingles • Nature’s Composite fencing U • Pressurized irrigation S • Parks & walking paths • LOTS FOR SALE S ON-SITE OFFICE LOCATED AT 2649 Emerald Ridge Lane Grand Junction, CO 81506 (North, off H Road & 26 1/2 Road)
emeraldridgegj.com CALL JANET TO SET AN APPOINTMENT
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L = Vacant Lot Available
We look forward to working with you to design and build your new home in Emerald Ridge! For more information, contact New Horizons Development, Inc.
JANET ELLIOTT GRI, CRS, ABR Broker/Owner
REALTOR®, ABR, CRS, GRI 970-250-0765 N1323D@msn.com
C O L O R A D O
444 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501 970-245-1617 www.mesajewelers.com Full Service Jeweler • Custom Design • Open 7-Days a Week Now in store - Our new John Atencio Collection
D E S I G N E R
N O W AVA I L A B L E
SPRUCE POINT PATIO HOMES
HOMES FOR SALE NOW
Homes At Cobble Creek is proud to present their newest patio home development. Spruce Point Patio Homes meld seamlessly into the well-established Cobble Creek Golf Community. Our imaginative patio home designs evoke the mountain style and farmhouse heritage of the area. The result is a community of timeless and thoughtfully designed homes offering the luxury and amenities you desire in an efficient, low-maintenance package. 3 different exterior styles to choose from. • Variety of professionally designed finishes • Spacious interiors with natural light • Golf Course & Clubhouse amenities
For More Information Contact: Madison Freismuth, Sales Director 970.275.0662 madison@homesatcobblecreek.com
majestic
CUSTOM HOME
3438 BEAR CREEK CIRCLE, SOUTH FORK, CO 81154 5 B E D S | 4 B AT H S | 3 , 6 6 4 S Q F T | 9 . 5 9 A C R E S | $ 9 9 9 , 5 0 0
Majestic custom home with 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3664-sq-ft, 3-car tandem garage on 9.59 acres. Fully furnished! After a great day of skiing, golfing, fishing, hunting — or just reading on the couch — watch the sun set over the Southern San Juan Mountains in the hot tub. Just minutes from Wolf Creek, Rio Grande Club and the Rio Grande River. Property borders National Forest and BLM. Beautiful cabin-style log furniture adorns this home with tons of enormous windows to enjoy the stunning views in the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountains. The feeling is one of serenity and peace in a truly beautiful custom home with wrap-around decks. This retreat is virtually maintenance free. Enjoy all seasons with Wolf Creek Ski Area, the Rio Grande River, and championship golf just minutes away. Come by yourself or bring tons of guests — there is room for everyone!
ANNETTE HEJL MRE, PREVIEWS CERTIFICATION, GLOBAL LUXURY 970.846.3594 annette!annettesellsrealestate.com ahejl.cbdistinctive.com
COLDWELL BANKER DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES
Looking For A Primary Care Provider?
We’ve Got You Covered!
Grand Valley Primary Care is now accepting new patients. Seven locations from Fruita to Palisade
970-263-2600 www.GVPrimaryCare.com
Embrace Your Soul Over 40 Natural Hot Springs Features World’s Only Oxygen Infused Geothermal Water Full-Service Day Spa Private Ofuro Soaking Tubs Open Year Round Reservations Required www.dhsresort.com 970-247-0111
CO N T what’s up in the west
lifestyle
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VOICES OF WESTERN COLORADO Locals Weigh in on Haven
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COMMUNITY STYLE Bottle to Mural Street Art in Silverthorne
WHAT’S UP IN THE WEST •M ountains to the Desert Classic
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ART Orisons Earthwork: Imagining a Climate Future
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MAKER Abbey Andersen: Crafting Culinary + Artistic Odes to Nature’s Overlooked Whimsies
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FOOD Western Culture Farmstead & Creamery: Foodies + Goat Lovers Welcome
•A ll Day Verde from Sauvage Spectrum and Spoke+Blossom •P artner Dancing Picks Up in Western Colorado •4 Film Festivals for Fall •R oaring Fork + Farm Map
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BLOSSOM Dip Into the Honey House
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DRINK Elevation Change
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FOOD Shortening the Grain Chain
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DRINK Lager Room Talk: Raise a Pint of America’s Favorite Beer
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MUSIC Mick Wilson + Connie Michael: The Gift of Music
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EAT Fall Recipes
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WELLNESS + FITNESS Destination Wellnes at Durango Hot Springs
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BOOK + BEVERAGE •G ravel Adventure Field Guide — Fruita & Palisade/Mesa County By Stephen Beneski and Juan Delaroca •R ed Monkey Butt Amber Ale
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INSTAGRAM + PODCAST PICKS
E N TS adventure
features + events
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ADVENTURE Scaling Colorado’s Via Ferratas
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CHARGE UP, COLORADO EV Road Trip Guide
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SPOKE Gear for the Season
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SPOKE Gear Profile: Outdoor Vitals
PALISADE INSECTARY Safeguarding the Taste + Landscape of Western Colorado
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GRAND OUTDOORS Reclaim Your Power with Ecotherapy
ON THE TRAIL OF THE GALLOPING GOOSE An Autumn Adventue in Southwest Colorado for You + Your Bike
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GRAND OUTDOORS Orient Land Trust: Protecting + Preserving the San Luis Valley
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TAKE A HIKE Blue Lakes Trail
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FAMILY + COMMUNITY The Cycle Effect Celebrates 10 Years
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STAY + PLAY Hotel Maverick, Grand Junction
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STAY + PLAY Elevation Hotel & Spa, Crested Butte
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GETAWAY Swiss Wine + Wellness: Soak Up Well-Being in the Mountains and Valleys of Valais
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EVENTS Fall 2023
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WHO WE ARE Danny Rosen, Lithic Bookstore
SPOKE+BLOSSOM
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
H AV E N The first week we adopted Pepper, he would try to squeeze himself into small and dark spaces — under the bed, between the couch and the ottoman, beneath the kitchen island, on a low hotel room shelf and curled at our feet in the office. He was seeking a sense of safety, a refuge, amidst this new-to-him world we were introducing. It had been a year-and-a-half since our last pup Jack had passed, and we were ready to give a new dog a home, a haven. By the time this print magazine is in hands this fall, little Pepi will be six months old and well on his way toward doghood. He continues to come “out of this shell” more and more as weeks pass, and he really only retreats into a small and dark space (his soft crate) when he’s ready for rest. Watching Pepper get comfortable and settle into giving and receiving love reminds me why it’s important to create and hold space for one another. Within such a large and wide world, it is the more quaint areas of our own towns and neighborhoods where we can make havens for support, growth and connection. So many articles in this issue celebrate the sweet refuge of community. We highlight local events and nonprofits that continue to offer assistance where it’s needed; we celebrate small businesses creating opportunities for wellness, nourishment and adventure; we embark on travel and embrace nature to expand beyond what we already know. May these pages give you inspiration to create your haven here, and there, and wherever it is you feel safe to open your heart.
Publishers of Spoke+Blossom Founders of Jaunt Media Collective
twitter.com/ spokeandblossom
Keep in touch with us between issues! Check out our website, spokeandblossom.com, for updates and events, and follow us on social media. Scan this QR code with your smart phone to be taken directly to our website.
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This magazine is shareable and recyclable. Please don’t throw it in the trash.
Editor-In-Chief Kim Fuller Managing Editor Lexi Reich Assistant Editor Lauren Farrauto Digital Editor Kristen Grace Art Director Kitty Nicholason Community Engagement Laura Mills Partnerships Bobby L’Heureux Judy Shay Interns Amalia Manning Contributors Jack Affleck Abbey Andersen Julia Andréone Chloe Andrews Julie Bielenberg Lisa Blake Kristen Blizzard Florine Bonaventure Julia Clarke Kaitlin Emig Nicko Ferguson Kim Fuller Kristen Grace Kyle Harvey Jayme Henderson Kelly Huffman Jim Hurst
Dmitri Leon Kristen Lummis Andrew Maguire Derrick Maness Amalia Manning Cat Mayer Chloe Mayer Maureen McGuire Laura Mills Ursula Nizalowski Nickolas Paullus Erin Phillips Melissa Plantz Lexi Reich Melanie Wiseman Freddy Witarsa Reed Woodford
Spoke+Blossom Magazine Jaunt Media Collective 2077 N. Frontage Road / D Vail, CO 81657
Join the Spoke+Blossom Community Instagram @spokeandblossom
Publisher Jaunt Media Collective
Cover Photograph Abbey Andersen
Kim Fuller with Bobby L’Heureux
facebook.com/ spokeandblossom
Founder Robin Brown
For advertising, contact ads@spokeandblossom.com 815.414.9642 Get in touch! We would love to hear from you. Please send your comments to letters@spokeandblossom.com. Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission. Printed in Colorado.
contributors
AMALIA MANNING Amalia is a Colorado native enjoying her time with Jaunt Media Collective as an editorial intern. When not writing, she is likely exploring the outdoors, spending time with her dog or attempting a new craft. Amalia is currently a student at Colorado College studying organismal biology and ecology with an interest in journalism.
CHLOE ANDREWS Chloe is a freelance writer and novelist with a love for all things outdoors. You can probably find her on a long hike, rafting or tapping at her keyboard.
KELLY HUFFMAN Before moving to the Western Slope in 2021, Kelly wrote about theater, the arts and global health for Seattle-based newspapers, magazines and websites. Dancing is one of the great joys of her life. Another is bicycle travel. She has a memoir in the works about her crosscontinental rides. PHOTO BY TIGER MIKE PHOTO.
URSULA NIZALOWSKI Ursula graduated from Colorado Mesa University with a bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in writing and has done freelance work for five years. Among her published works are YouTube and Me: A Troubling Relationship in the Green River Anthology and YOLO in CMU’s publication The Literary Review.
CHLOE MAYER Chloe is a high school student from Grand Junction. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her hiking the mountains in Ouray or making a large bowl of ramen. She hopes to become a professional writer one day, and she loves the color pink.
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NICKOLAS PAULLUS Nickolas is deeply invested in the Western Slope and its local food movement. For both work and a play, life tends to revolve around food, nature and their interplay.