Well Body & Mind Escape

Sometimes you just need a place you can escape to. A place where you can completely relax and unwind, get back to nature and even renew your mind and soul. Gateway Canyons Resort an hour and half west of Grand Junction, Colorado is that place.

Nestled within an impressive 360-degree backdrop of stunning red sandstone mesas and granite mountaintops in the heart of Unaweep Canyon, this luxury resort founded by Discovery Channel’s own John Hendricks, beckons with rustic plush accommodations and a promise of peace and … adventure. From the moment you step onto the resort, mouth dropping in awe of the surrounding views, you know you’re in for a treat.

The air feels different here. It caresses you in its gentle embrace. The hushed quiet – except for the occasional sounds of birds – soothes you. The way the sunlight dances across the rising stone structures formed by water cutting into rock over thousands of years, leaves you breathless. And aside from the other guests and convivial staff, there is no one and nothing else around for miles and miles.

Gateway Canyons Resort has plenty to offer when it comes to activities. Got a need for speed? Rent one of several luxury sports cars and take it for a spin on the smooth highways that snake through sweeping landscapes. Or opt for a full day of driver’s training and get behind the wheel of a Pro-Baja Truck out on a dirt racetrack for a serious adrenaline-pumping ride! After you’ve got your speed fix out of the way, journey over to the Adventure Center and plan your next activities, from fly fishing and skeet shooting to ATV tours and rock climbing. Or, you can traverse the trails around the resort on foot at your leisure or rent a roadie bicycle to cruise around the expansive property. Or, get your cowboy on and head over to the stables down the road and take a sunset tour on horseback. After your thrill-seeking needs have been fully satiated, relax at one of pools or try a soothing spa treatment at the spa.

The food is to die for at the resort and boasts fresh ingredients creatively blended together for incredible fare that will leave your tastebuds begging for more. Dining choices include the elegant Entrada Restaurant, the fun-filled Paradox Grille and the super-chill Kiva Café. One of the days, be sure to venture over to the Gateway Auto Museum featuring John Hendricks’ private collection of impeccably restored classic cars. Start your museum tour with the 1906 Cadillac Model H Coupe and journey through a timeline of American automotive history, ending with the 2008 Tesla Roadster.

At the end of your adventure-packed day with your tummy full of delicious food, retire to your room and sit outside on your patio to drink in the night sky blanketed with stars, the Milky Way carving a path through the hemisphere. Sip on wine and get warmed by the gas fire pit. Relax. Unwind. And enjoy this well body and mind escape.

 

By LaRue V. Gillespie