Valley Living
Moving to the North Fork Valley was a lifestyle choice, a choice we had the privilege and honor to pursue. Our move was tied to a desire to fulfill our life encore in a rural community where the land, locally produced food, and wine plays a role in everyday life. What makes the valley special, are the people, i.e., the community. Community is what you make it, whether family, friends, organizations, or people you interact with and get to know going about your day-to-day activity. We’ve discovered this valley has community in abundance, and we’re enriched with it daily.
Traveling the West Elks Wine Trail
There aren’t many American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) with wine events providing the level of intimacy, information, and scenery available as the West Elks Wine Trail. Sponsored by the West Elks AVA, the opportunity to visit up to 10 wineries providing a wide breadth of offerings over a three-day weekend couldn’t be passed up.
Living With the Land
Our intention when we moved to the North Fork Valley was not to live “off the land” but closely with it. Though my life experiences were city-based, my heartbeat was country. My father’s family were farmers in rural NE Texas. They truly lived off the land. With little money, they provided for themselves and bartered for much of their subsistence.
Valley Newcomers
We knew our move to the North Fork Valley would bring new experiences. The degree and exactly what it might involve is not unlike attempting to hit the bullseye on a dart board. You might hit the target once in several tries. We had been coming to the valley for years but as new residents, there was much to learn.
Moving to the Valley
In late summer 2020, we made an offer on a property in the North Fork Valley, and moved two months later. Yes I know, you might believe our actions were COVID-19 related (get out of Denver, change in scene, different life, etc.) but it wasn’t.