SPRING HARMONY IN PAONIA

PAONIA SPRING HARMONY

Words by Lisa Blake | Photo by Kim Fuller

Colorado’s bountiful North Fork Valley is home to copious small towns with big hearts. A palpable harmony flows between the folks who love and nurture the land and the prosperous orchards, vineyards and ranches sprinkling the landscape.

Situated on a sprawling section of rich Western Slope soil is bucolic Paonia. A visit to this tiny town’s farm-to-table restaurants, wineries and community hubs is a special experience. Come discover the state’s largest concentration of organic and sustainable growers, be nourished and inspired, unplug and reset.

A Must-Visit: Zenzen Organics

12498 3790 Rd., Paonia 970.260.0552 zenzenhemp.com Create your own full spectrum CBD tinctures at Zenzen Organics. It’s a North Fork Valley oasis, with Cindie Sorensen’s organic hemp creations worthy of an afternoon linger. Chat up Sorensen about healing potions, chocolates and salves to treat everything from stress and anxiety to sleep and inflammation. Choose from chai to Mai Thai and build, taste and swirl your way to inner harmony through custom, ingestible CBD oils. Zenzen has recently started offering glamping,

campsites and bunkhouse stays along with two stages of live music for a full-on experiential destination.

Sip + Shop: Black Bridge Winery

15836 Black Bridge Rd., Paonia 970.527.6838 orchardvalleyfarms.com Follow the rural roads just outside of Paonia, cross the black bridge over the Gunnison River and stroll this legendary 80-acre farm market and winery. Part of the West Elks American Viticultural Area, Black Bridge Winery creates small-batch chardonnay, riesling, merlot and more. Visit the tasting room and wine cave and then peruse onsite Orchard Valley Farms and Market for fresh-picked fruits and veggies, locally raised beef and artisan goodies like topselling, 18-year balsamic vinegars and infused olive oils. Build a sweet picnic of gourmet cheese, jerky, chutneys, local honey and pickles to take down by the river with a glass of pinot.

Eat from the Earth: Paonia Restaurant Hopping

Farm fresh, organic and free range come standard in Paonia. Get your fill of the area’s creative culinary prowess at these fabulous restaurants. Grab coffee and a serious farmhouse breakfast at Yolk River. Stop by The Bakery at Small Potatoes Farm for from-the-oven, German farmer’s bread, naan with garlic butter and the tastiest pumpkin scones. Enjoy a pineapple and chili ale or a juicy IPA at Paonia United Brewing Co., a small local brewery. Feeling famished? The Flying Fork Café takes pride in its Neapolitanstyle pizza, locally sourced salads and veggieloaded housemade pasta dishes. Don’t miss the famous pad Thai from the 1-2 Thai food truck and the cherry pie at Root and Vine Market.

Pick, Dance + Drink Cider: Big B’s Delicious Orchards

39126 CO-133, Hotchkiss 970.527.1110 bigbs.com Big B’s is a regional staple with its you-pick cherry and apple orchard and lively hard cider tasting room. This is a great place to stock up on local provisions, including some divine West Slope wine made from The Storm Cellar just down the road. Post up this spring (they’re open April through November) for an evening on the shaded patio. Swing out over lush fields on the rope swing, sample all the famed ciders, dig into some smoky barbecue and catch a live bluegrass band on the small stage. It’s a quintessential Colorado good time.

Meet the Locals: Old River Trading Post

15495 Black Bridge Rd., Paonia 970.527.4740 tradingpostpaonia.com Rub elbows with area farmers, musicians and holistic community leaders at this wholesale natural foods market and gathering spot. Bring your own bags and jars and stock up on fruit, leather, grains, freshly plucked vegetables and rustic homemade breads. On Sundays, join the community mid-day meal (for a small donation fee) and feast on organic dishes sourced from nearby fields and ranches. :

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SILVERTHORNE, COLORADO

Words by Lexi Reich | Photo courtesy of the Town of Silverthorne/Shane Morris

North Pond Park

Located at the crossroads of CO-9, CO-6 and I-70, Silverthorne is a Summit County mountain town that offers more than alpine scenery — it is a place where art and culture meet adventure.

This spring, a weekend in Silverthorne presents an opportunity to reconnect with the outdoors, your heart and your belly. While temperatures are sure to be chilly, the budding season is the second busiest for tourism behind summer, filled with plenty of activities to do.

STAY

It’s no secret that traditional accommodations near Colorado’s world-class ski resorts are expensive. Rob and Lynne Baer recently opened The Pad, a boutique hotel with hostel-style rooms, to welcome the bougie to budget travel. Sitting along the banks of the Blue River, The Pad has a high-end mountain modern design, but what’s even more impressive is it’s made from 18 upcycled shipping containers. It’s on track to become the first Colorado-based lodging company to attain B Corporation certification for its sustainable performance.

The innovative social lodging concept consists of hostel-style dorm rooms, micro rooms, traditional hotel rooms and private suites. The property features amenities open to all, like community lounges, a hot tub, coworking space and communal kitchen. A-Bar, the onsite bar serving everything from local beers to kombuchas and wines, is soon to be accompanied by Graze & Torreys, which promises to focus on locally sourced and organic food.

“We want The Pad to be a home base and a launching pad for both visitors and locals to create new adventures and shared experiences,” Lynne Baer says.

Bunk rooms start at $50 a night, while private suites run $350 a night. It’s an enticing

value, especially if you’re looking to spend most of your time off property exploring the surrounding area.

EAT

Just a short walk from The Pad across Blue River Parkway is Silverthorne’s first food hall, Bluebird Market. The trendy concept adds to the mountain town’s growing culinary scene, consisting of 12 food stalls reserved for local or chef-owned eateries. The retail pop-up spaces present a unique opportunity for small business owners with its lower start-up costs and shorter lease commitments, making it a staple in the downtown community.

Enjoy fried chicken at Lucky Bird, a homegrown burger at The Mighty Burger, handcrafted pies at Tilford’s Wood Fired Pizza, tacos at Baja Chimayó or a veggie bowl at Hook & Harvest, among others.

Make sure to stop by newly-opened Eclectic Bar & Grill to tickle your taste buds. The local hotspot serves up well-made cocktails and fresh twists on daily fare. If you go, try the Summit Mushroom Burger, complete with goat cheese, wild mushrooms, spicy pepper jelly, roasted garlic aioli and micro arugula. Add fried fingerlings and get ready for an explosion in your mouth. The restaurant is vegan-friendly, offering substitutions like the Impossible Burger.

The next morning, head to House of Vibes for a quirky coffee shop experience. It’s a small hidden gem where you can pick up your classic cup of joe or something more adventurous like a honey oat milk latte. The shop specializes in homemade biscuits that you can pair with fillings like pulled bacon, egg and cheddar or vegan chorizo and avocado.

PLAY

Silverthorne is a true mountain playground. If you plan anything from this travel guide, be sure to book an adventure like a guided snowshoeing or Nordic skiing tour (or rock climbing and rafting in the warmer months) with Colorado Adventure Guides. The professional backcountry outfitter and guide service not only takes locals and tourists alike on memorable outdoor adventures, but its team invests in the community it’s a part of. Their avalanche education program provides safety information essential for the backcountry. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable and fun guide to help you venture into fresh powder, this one-stop-shop has it all. A private two-hour snowshoe tour starts at $100.

You can also take a simple stroll along the Blue River Trail, which runs 3.5 miles from Silverthorne Elementary School and North Pond Park through downtown and climbs about 250 feet to the Dillon Dam. The trail connects with the Summit County Recreational Pathway System to Dillon, Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper and Frisco.

For the arts lover, or if your legs are beat after a day in the snow, the Lake Dillon Theatre Company has year-round performances in addition to showcasing a rotating art exhibit by local creatives.

Silverthorne is located about 178 miles from Grand Junction and about 68 miles from Denver. :

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OUTDOOR / EQUIPMENT / PARTY

RIDE THE RAILS WITH THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER ROCKIES TO THE RED ROCKS

Words by S+B Staff | Photos courtesy of The Rocky Mountaineer

All aboard! There’s a new way to go west from Denver.

In 2021, Rocky Mountaineer launched its Rockies to the Red Rocks route, a two-day journey between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah, with an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Rocky Mountaineer offers luxury train journeys that showcase some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Three of the rail routes connect Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper in Western Canada, and now this fourth route travels between Denver and Moab.

While we haven’t yet been on this journey, we had to share what we’ve learned about the experience. Spacious glass-domed train coaches showcase stunning scenery, and the journey is paired with friendly service, a social atmosphere and top-notch cuisine. The meals on Rockies to Red Rocks are prepared using locally sourced products inspired by Western Colorado. Culinary service is complemented by a selection of local wines, beers and spirits.

Learn more at rockymountaineer.com.

The train travels 30 miles-per-hour on average. Rockies to the Red Rocks is seasonal, running the months of August to October. With travel only occurring during the day, guests don’t miss a moment of the ever-changing landscapes.

Rocky Mountaineer works with local tour operators and travel experts to curate custom vacation packages that feature tours, activities and extended stays in the destinations, so guests can experience even more of the journey. :

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