In January, Travel + Leisure named Palisade one of the most beautiful small towns in the US. But apparently it’s not just a feast for the eyes.
This week, Trip Advisor also gave a nod to the Western Slope ash destination one of the coolest desert cities in the country. In a kind of love letter to the American West, writer Nicholas DeRenzo highlighted eight “fascinating desert hotspots that are anything but dry.”
Trip Advisor gushed about Palisade’s prolific produce grounds, touting Pêche Restaurant and the Palisade Peach Festival, as well as the area’s bountiful vineyards.
The best way to see all the city has to offer, Trip Advisor said, is to travel there by bike. (We’ll add that hiking the nearby desert trails is also a fantastic choice in the spring.)
“There’s also a great little bar at the Spoke and Vine Motel, a converted 1955 motorcycle lodge where you can rent cruiser bikes to explore the wine country and surrounding farms or fruit stands,” the website wrote. “You’ll need a heavier mountain bike — which you can rent from Rapid Creek Cycles and Paddleboards — to tackle the new Palisade Plunge: Open in 2021, it’s one of the longest runs in North America, at 32 miles in length and 6,000 vertical feet of switchbacks and technical backcountry trails from the top of Grand Mesa to the valley below.
Check out the full list of must-visit desert cities here.
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