From Grand Junction, US-50 briefly becomes a four-lane freeway, then reverts to two lanes following the Gunnison River as far as Delta (pop. 6,400). The half-dozen building-sized murals of elk and local agricultural products support Delta’s claim that it is “The City of Murals,” but the biggest attraction to travelers is the reconstructed Fort Uncompahgre (un-com-PA-gray; Mon.–Fri. Apr.–Oct. only; $5; 970/874-8349), at the confluence of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers on the northwest side of town. One of the most authentic living history museums in the country, the small, city-sponsored fort re-creates the lifestyles of trappers and traders who first settled in the western Rocky Mountains in the early 1820s. The fort’s well-versed guides take you around the small palisaded compound, discussing the historical context of the fur trade while demonstrating (and encouraging visitors to take part in) the arts and crafts necessary for frontier life: metalworking, tanning, and tomahawk-throwing, not to mention hunting, shooting, and fishing.
Delta has one great old landmark, the 1920s Egyptian Theater movie palace (970/874-9770) at 452 Main Street, along with its fair share of motels (including a Best Western) and fast-food places. It’s also home to a classic piece of roadside Americana: the log-and-stone cabins of the Westways Court Motel ($55; 970/874-4415), 1030 Main Street, on US-50 in the center of town.
Southeast of Delta, US-50 runs along the banks of the Uncompahgre River, passing lots of farms and one very large Louisiana-Pacific lumber mill at Olathe, midway to Montrose.
