Palisade Colorado Park's Awesome Dog Memorial You Haven't Seen

Make your way to the south end of Palisade, Colorado's Riverbend Park and you'll spot a touching memorial. Fire up the tissues.

Someone placed a tearjerker of a memorial at the far end of the park near the Colorado River. Have you seen this?

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Amazing Memorial at Palisade Colorado's Riverbend Park

I can't begin to figure out how I haven't seen this before. My adventures take me to this park fairly frequently. In any case, until yesterday, March 6, 2022, this had never caught my eye.

Located next to a tree at the southwest corner of Riverbend Park you'll find this marker accompanied by a couple of photos and a flag.

Waylon Jordan

That is an amazing message, "Run Free." I love it. As you probably know, just west of this location is a dog park where pets can do just that... run free.

Waylon Jordan

10 Ways to Honor Your Pet

Did you know there is such a thing as National Pet Memorial Day? It is observed on the second Sunday each September.

There are a number of ways you pay tribute to your pet year-round. Here are ten ways, courtesy of richellausa.com, you can honor your pets life while simultaneously effecting a positive change in your own life:

Visit your pet - Take flowers, wreaths, lights or decorate the site with things your pet treasured.
Light a candle.
Plant a tree, bush, or flower - A great way to honor a pet that has crossed Rainbow Bridge.
View photos and videos
Reflect on memories
Keepsake box - Write down your feelings about your pet. Include pictures, small keepsakes, dog tags, decorations, collars, etc.
Revisit your pet's favorite things - If you're like me, you've kept your pet's collars, toys, bedding, etc.
Volunteer - This is a given. Rescue shelters always need assistance.
Make a donation -
Adopt and Foster - There are always pets needing homes. Your pet would want you to help out another pet in need.

Establishing a Memorial in Western Colorado

Have you seen the memorial benches at various parks and trails around Grand Junction, Fruita, Clifton, and Palisade Colorado? I contacted Parks and Rec a year or two ago to ask about these.

As you can imagine, there's a fine line when it comes to memorials. On the one hand, they're awesome. On the other hand, when a park becomes home to a number of memorial benches, memorial trees, etc., it begins to look like a cemetery. With that in mind, parks like to limit the number of such items.

I contacted the powers-that-be to ask about pet memorials, but have yet to receive a reply. In the meantime, we can all appreciate those already established and let them inspire us to reflect on the happiness we enjoyed with our own pets.

Classic Western Colorado Photos Found in a Box - Animals

Here's a short gallery featuring Robert Grant photos of Western Colorado animals. Photos were taken between the late 1940s and the late 1970s.

Grand Junction Colorado Animals - Robert Grant Photos

Here's another gallery of Robert Grant photos from Grand Junction, Colorado's past. With this gallery, the focus is on animals - domesticated to wildlife, and everything in between. These images range from the 1950s to the 1970s.