This morning we got up really early which was not easy. During the night the wood burner stove in our cabin ran out of wood so it was chilly outside of our giant pile of blankets. We really wanted to make it to the hot springs to watch the sunrise. We made coffee and warmed up the car to drive the 300 feet down the driveway to the pool area. I know this sounds wimpy but it was only 16 degrees out and we did not want to walk back all wet. We sat in the 105 degree water for an hour sipping coffee and watching the sun light up the mountain behind us. We did get the stove going again before we went to the pools so it was nice and toasty when we returned to our cabin from our soak.

We made pancakes and packed up the car and headed out the door to our next undisclosed location. We drove through the town of Redstone which was super cute but mostly closed up for the winter. We seem to be in a summer resort area so it is really quiet. Next we drove to the town of Marble. They mine giant blocks of white marble here that are transported around the world to make buildings such as the Jefferson Memorial in DC. It was interesting to see the marble slabs but the museum and gallery were closed so we moved on. The drive was beautiful and soon we started driving through orchards, vineyards and organic farms. I kept seeing signs for Grand Junction and Palisades and figured we were going wine tasting. Eric confirmed.

I am so excited. Funny thing is last weekend we took my mom to Estes Park to see the town and have lunch at the Stanley Hotel. After lunch we visited the Snowy Peaks Winery for a tasting. They had a little gift shop where Eric and I bought a book called "Exploring Colorado Wineries." At the time I had no idea we were going to get to put it to use so soon.

The Grand Valley region is one the top wine regions in the country. We decided to stop at a couple vineyards on our way into town. Most of the time when you go to vineyards you think of sprawling hillsides with acres and acres of grapes with a some fancy-pants architecturally unique building where they process and have their tastings. This is not the case in Colorado. Think more ghetto-fabulous.

Our first stop was Whitewater Hill. The have 37 acre and grow 10 types of grapes. We were greeted by Nancy the owner and we were clearly the first people she had seen all day. She was excited to tell us all about her wine and the area. The wine was good and we bought a red blend they call "Ethereal." She loaded us down with maps and suggestions and info and we finally pealed ourselves away and headed down the road. I think she was still talking when the door shut behind us.

Nancy had marked Hermosa Winery on our map and we noticed it was on our way to our hotel so we decided to hit one more tasting room this afternoon. The roads here are letters and numbers and a good portion of them are fractions which we think is kind of funny. We drove past 31 7/10 Rd and turned right onto C 1/2 Rd and found a dirt driveway with a small sign that indicated we were in the right place. We drove for about a half mile on the bouncy dirt road that wound around the back side of a trailer park. Finally we passed through a gate and pulled up to what looked like someone's house who had turned there yard into a vineyard. The garage door began to open and we spotted barrels and a bar. We finally stopped laughing and went to the garage to taste wine. What's the worst that could happen? We were warmly greeted by Kenn the owner who asked if we wanted the door open or closed. Definitely open! He has 11 acres and produces 2000 cases of wine per year. It was actually quite tasty and we purchased a bottle of Cabernet from him.

We decided that was enough adventure for one day and went to the Double Tree to check in. We relaxed and freshened up and Eric took me to dinner in town. We went to 626 on Rood where the served tapas and flights of wine. Most of there food is locally grown and organic and it was delicious. The best part was my menu said Happy Birthday Deb right across the top. We had a great day today and I am looking forward to exploring more tomorrow.