Stop #20: Basecamp RV Resort, Palisade, CO
- Denisse Storti
- Nov 4, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2023
From Breckendridge we continued West towards Moab, UT. However, since there was no immediate availability at any campground in Moab we booked a one week stay at Basecamp RV Resort in Palisade, CO. As we've shared before, we are not big planners. We prefer to not book in advance, for the most part, as it allows us to extend our stays if we feel like it.. or change our direction as we go. But that also means having to delay your desired destination a bit when there's no availability. We knew there were also boondocking options in Moab but since these spots cannot be reserved it makes it a bit tricky to just show up as you might risk not finding any open spots that day. So we played it safe and found a campground with good reviews that was about half way there.
Basecamp RV Resort is located alongside the Colorado River, in between vineyards and peach orchards. It also overlooks the mountains so good views are guaranteed no matter where your site is located. The campground is clean and looks fairly new. Besides the heated pool, laundry room, a large kid's sand box, and a gazebo for BBQing and games... there isn't much else but nature... yet we loved this stay. We took walks to the river often and enjoyed sitting outside while taking in the views around us. In Breckenridge it was a tad cold before we left so the change of weather was welcomed. The sites were spacious enough and it only felt a bit crowded the day before we left when many came in for the eclipse and the Blue Angels Air Show in the nearby Grand Junction. Besides the RV sites, this campground also offers a few small cabins for rent as well as an area for tent camping along the Colorado River.
Palisade is a small picturesque town with peach orchards and vineyards around every corner. On our first night we had dinner at Fidel's. We had no reservations and the restaurant was already full inside so we sat outside for cocktails while we waited for a table to open. Fidel's is a taqueria so margaritas were the way to go. Not only were the margarita options from the menu delicious but they also crafted one with lavender for us on the spot which we decided had to be added to the list. Now the kids are old enough to notice when we're having fancy drinks while they're having water so we obliged and got them lavender infused mocktails that were beautiful to look at (they changed colors as you stirred) and tasted amazing. Dang, these kids are getting too fancy on us. Lol The menu at Fidel's includes tacos and other latin-inspired dishes, all of which are made with clean ingredients. It was all delicious, however a bit on the pricey side.
With halloween a few weeks ahead, the kids were anxious to get their pumpkins. It's one of their favorite holidays and before launching on this adventure we used to do all the things to celebrate during the month of October. From decorating at home, to visiting a pumpkin patch, and several rounds of arts and crafts decorating pumpkins and other decorations we'd scoop up from the aisles at Michael's. In an effort to keep things as normal as they were before, we grabbed a few items from Target to decorate our RV - nothing too large because we don't have the luxury of space, but just enough to cheer the kids up. I then hoped that while peach orchards were the thing in Palisades, we could still find a decent pumpkin patch to visit. During my search I came across 'The Lucky Pumpkin' and honestly just thought the name was cute and rolled with it.
While it wasn't as big of a production as the farms we've visited in past years in both Miami and Rhode Island, the kids left happy and in the end that's all that matters, right? They had a small maze which our son insisted in doing, which took us a whole 15 mins or so and some other basic games which we skipped in order to head straight to business and pick the best pumpkins we could find. With a wagon in tow, we plodded through the patch walking through almost every aisle like Goldilocks finding the ones that were just right. Not too big nor too small... just the right size for our RV. However, despite my direction they both ended up choosing ones that were on the larger side... which is truly the case every year. We followed with the obligatory pictures in the photo op area which at 9 and 7 years old are becoming a bit more challenging to accomplish. When checking out, the owners encouraged the kids to participate in a game of luck and they ended up winning a small toy each from a treasure box, plus an additional pumpkin. So overall it turned out to be a good experience.
On the second occasion we went out for dinner we checked out Peach Street Distillers. Yep, a lot peach named business in this town! It's the oldest locally-owned distillery in Colorado and their craft cocktails were tasty. The kitchen happened to be a bit backed up that evening but the waiters gave us the heads up before sitting us and were super attentive as we waited. The food was fine, nothing to rave about, but worth a stop for the drinks.
With so many orchards all around, we couldn't miss out on the experience of visiting at least one of them. While most were closed for the season, Peach Fork Orchard and Vineyard was still open and while there were no more peaches to pick they did have plenty of apples. Apple picking had been on my wish list for years but we hadn't lucked out with being in apple picking areas during the right season. This orchard was lovely. From the beautiful grounds to the welcoming owner, we all had a great time doing this together. Plus, the apples turned out to be delicious which we enjoyed for days to come.
Paul has been obsessing with dirt bikes and had been eyeing a school for kids in the Aspen area. We considered booking from Breckenridge but ended up waiting to do it from Palisades which was a tad closer. The kids were obviously thrilled... me, meh.... not so much. lol But nonetheless, the lessons provided by Aspen Dirt Bike School proved to be great. Their instructor, Fredy Barrera, was wonderful with the kids and they both learned and enjoyed it so much.
They provided both the gear and the bikes and we had the track all to ourselves. The kids just had to show up with a good attitude... which they did without hesitation. The lesson started with learning about all the safety gear and how to put it all on followed by finding the right dirt bike for each of them. Our daughter ended up with the smallest one from their batch, an Oset electric dirt bike
which was perfect for her to learn on. Our son rode a Honda CRF 110F which he loved. Before even turning them on, Fredy explained how all the controls work. They then started riding short distances... slowly building their confidence. By the end of the lesson they were both riding around the track... super proud of their accomplishment. This was a private lesson so it was def pricey ($800 for both kids) but they do offer small group lessons in the summer.
While Palisade isn't a big town with big name stores, Grand Junction is only 20 minutes away. We visited a few times to get errands done. I booked an acupuncture session with Heather from Enlightened Acupuncture which was really great and we also visited a local Barnes & Noble so the kids could use the gift cards they received from their Nonna and Grandpa. The kids had a great time looking around for books and spending a little bit of time in the store reading some of them before narrowing down the ones they would purchase. I had forgotten how fun a book store could be. :)
Following a few days of amazing weather, the clouds rolled in on Palisade. Our plans to go wine tasting dissipated with the dreary weather and next thing we knew it was almost time to head out. However, plans can quickly change. Our son ended up feeling unwell the night before we were supposed to check out. That morning, we took him to urgent care and decided to extend our stay for another night in order to give him time to recuperate as he was in no shape to travel. Thankfully the campground had the availability despite being almost fully booked due to the upcoming eclipse and Blue Angels Air Show.
From the campground we saw a few jets flying over, rehearsing for the show which was pretty neat since we were not able to stay for it. The day we left we were also able to catch the eclipse before packing. The kids were not that impressed. lol While it did get slightly darker it wasn't as dramatic due to our location, but Paul and I did enjoy witnessing it. Our son was feeling better though, so we hitched up and made our way to Utah.
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