CO ESCAPES

By lisa BLAKE

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 meet the state’s largest concentration of organic and sustainable growers, be nourished and inspired, unplug and reset.

Here’s where to go and what to experience in Paonia:

A MUST-VISIT: ZENZEN ORGANICS

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. New in 2021, Zenzen is offering glamping, campsites and bunkhouse stays along with two stages of live music for a fullon experiential destination. 12498 3790 Rd., Paonia 970.260.0552 | zenzenhemp.com

SIP AND SHOP: BLACK BRIDGE WINERY

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 top-selling, 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. 15836 Black Bridge Rd., Paonia 970.527.6838 | orchardvalleyfarms.com

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 fromthe-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 Neapolitan-style pizza, locally sourced salads and veggie-loaded 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 AND DRINK CIDER: BIG B’S DELICIOUS ORCHARDS

Big B’s is a regional staple with its youpick cherry and apple orchard and lively hard cider tasting room. 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. 39126 CO-133, Hotchkiss 970.527.1110 | bigbs.com

MEET THE LOCALS: OLD RIVER TRADING POST

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. 15495 Black Bridge Rd., Paonia 970.527.4740 | tradingpostpaonia.com

By Alyssa Pinsker

Cañon City has exquisite wineries, world-class rafting, fine dining and a unique climate. Located in Southeastern Colorado — one of the only banana belts in the USA — it maintains a warm, dry and temperate climate year-round. It lies along the Arkansas River and features the world-famous Royal Gorge, also known as Colorado’s Grand Canyon, making it a hiking, rock-climbing and especially whitewater rafting mecca. It is also home to world-renowned dinosaur fossils. This historical city’s downtown was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 has come a long way since being known as a prison town. The first prison in the area was erected in 1868 and to date there are 15 prisons in Fremont County. The Colorado Prison Museum is still a top tourism draw to this town once called “the cheeriest prison town in America.”

PLAY

Cañon City is located on the Arkansas River, which is the longest continuous whitewater rafting river in the United States. We chose the Bighorn sheep float (level 3 rapids) and saw beautiful cacti, bright flowers and Colorado’s state animal, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Echo Canyon River Expedition is known for their extensive GoPro recordings and highly organized professional tours. Many options are available for adrenaline junkies with higher levels of rapids. There is also a float level for a family experience.

One of my favorite experiences was the Royal Gorge route railroad, which has been in operation since 1879. They offer daily departures with several classes of services: Coach, Club, Vista Dome, as well as First Class Dinner and Murder Mystery Trains available every Saturday. We experienced a first-class, three course dinner paired with cocktails and wine. There was music, lights and incredible views of 1,000-foot granite cliffs on the open-air car, which was amazing at night.

The Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is another way to experience the spectacular canyon views. Their suspension is America’s highest at 965 feet above the Arkansas River. You can walk across it past all the states as markers for a good 20 minutes if you don’t fear heights, allowing for beautiful photos and sights looking down at the rushing river and gorge. The park has the popular Via Ferrara where you can mountaineer like a soldier in WW1. The attraction is named after the Italian Alps “Iron Way” where soldiers began the sport of mountaineering for the purposes of battle. With an expert guide and harness you can climb vertically up slabs and 1,200-foot canyon walls. You can also ride the gondola and zipline across the gorge while seated 1,200 feet in the air. There is also a sky coaster similar to a ship ride at the amusement park, but you’re strapped in the ship at 1,200 feet in the air. For more low-key activities, there is also a playland for children with wax hands and gold panning, a theater with the fascinating history of the bridge, a birds of prey show and a visitor’s center.

Another surprising draw in Cañon City is that it is one of the most well-known fossil areas in the United States. The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience has science-focused interactive displays, full-scale dinosaur fossil casts, hands-on exhibits with real dinosaur fossils, skinned animatronic dinosaur exhibits, guided tours, a multi-story ropes course and quite realistic animatronic sculptures outside for a great family experience. You can buy impressive local rocks, crystals and fossils at the museum’s rock shop.

EAT

Dining options include downtown’s Di Rito’s authentic Italian-American cuisine with hearty portions, outdoor seating, an extensive menu and popular bar. Le Petit Chablis serves French fare, and 8 Mile Bar and Grill attached to Echo Canyon River Expedition dishes up the best burgers in town.

DRINK

A surprising gem in Cañon City is a popular Gothic Revival monastery turned winery. The banana belt has made it a grower’s paradise for 150 years, as it rests on 200 acres with the stunning backdrop of the Wet Mountains. The prestigious winery has won 150 awards and medals to date, including a Viognier this year. In 1886, Benedictine monks from Pennsylvania established an Abbey in the city. In 2001, a monk from the Holy Cross Abbey performed an exorcism for the first winery in town, and thus the friars were inspired to build their own. So please, do a gorgeous al fresco wine tasting with charcuterie and try their Riesling in the blue bottle available locally and their Wild Canyon Harvest which uses local grapes and is only released during Thanksgiving week. There is also a nice gift shop for souvenirs and wine specific items.

STAY

Echo Canyon River Expedition also houses the luxurious Royal Gorge Cabins. They have glamping tents with heated flooring, an adorable start-your-own fire kit to roast s’mores in, an ultra-comfy bed with linens, lamps, a love seat, desk and chair, and an outdoor porch with chairs and table. We stayed in the luxury cabins, which have a full kitchen, fireplace and beautiful full-panel, 360-degree window views of the Rockies. There was also a relaxing hammock after a day of exploring; nothing beats a room with a view.

BONUS:

Skyline Drive is another one of Colorado’s unknown gems. It’s a one-way, narrow road, with a precipice on one side or the other or both sides. It was recommended as a must do, and I myself was shaking the entire time as a passenger. Do not try this if you’re a timid driver or afraid of heights, but the panoramic views of the Arkansas River Valley are spectacular and were worth it. +

ALYSSA PINSKER is a luxury travel writer, influencer and media coach. She has written for Fodors, Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, Cosmopolitan, New York Post and more. She is a RYT who was lucky enough to study yoga across India for a year and has lived in Tokyo, Paris, Zurich, Kyiv and New York, and is now settled in Boulder, Colorado.