Grand Junction is on the western slope. I've only been there once and was just passing through so I don't have much personal experience. It is somewhat isolated since it is quite a ways from Denver or any other big city. I have a friend that lives there but he never says much about the town.Quote from Lucrum:
You have any knowledge/opinion on Grand Junction?
I've done some "best places to live" searches and it comes up frequently.
Durango is much the same but a little more of a college town and a little further south.
If you are like me and enjoy the conviences of being near a big city (Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, etc.) you probably will get bored in one of those towns. But, if you like more of a small town atmosphere with lots of wooded rural mountains around, those towns fit the bill.
I know of commercial pilots who live in the mountains and have their own plane to fly into Denver daily or whatever to work. Usually they are closer to Denver because flying in the mountains in a small plane is tricky if not dangerous in the winter with the constant snow storm danger. Just remember that winters are long in the mountains. It's not like living in Georgia. Snow is on the ground 9 months of the year in many places.
Actually, I think the mountains west of Lake Tahoe are georgeous. Maybe not as rugged as the rockies but a very beautiful area to live.