Logan Love: Ephraim's Grave

I've had a long-time love for bears. For our honeymoon, we went to Glacier National Park. There were bear warning signs plastered everywhere. I searched and searched for a bear in the bear-infested land and never even saw one. Bummer. I've always wondered where my odd obsession with bears stems from and I think I discovered the source.

As a little girl, my grandma would tell me stories about Old Ephraim. He was a massive grizzly bear who roamed the land as far as Soda Springs, Idaho down to Weber County in Utah (that's a lot of land for a bear). Old Ephraim is kind of a local bit of folklore. He was also known as Old Three Toes due to a deformity on one of his paws. He reeked havoc on farmers, devouring their sheep and chasing off sheepherders. Many tried to catch and kill him and it took a long time for anyone to succeed.

Frank Clark, a farmer from Malad, Idaho decided to make it his mission to catch the bear. He had trapped and killed many grizzly bears. Clark tried for a long time and failed. He found a pool where Old Ephraim went at night so he dropped a trap in the water. Each time, the following morning, the trap would carefully be lifted out and set aside. Clark was amazed with how smart the vicious bear was. Finally one night, Clark succeeded. Shrieks of terror woke him up so he left camp and soon found the bear with the trap clamped on his paw. It took seven shots and I think it about gave Clark a heart attack, but he finally killed the infamous bear. Later he said he regretted killing Old Ephraim.

Up Logan Canyon, near the site where the last grizzly bear in Utah was killed, there now stands a huge monument. The stone structure is 11 feet tall, the same height as Old Ephraim. This song is engraved on the monument:

Old Ephraim, Old Ephraim, your deeds were so wrong;

Yet we build you this marker and sing you this song;

To the king of the forest so mighty and tall;

We salute you, Old Ephraim, the king of them all.

 
I had always wanted to visit the monument, but it never happened. Finally, last weekend, I did it. I even wore my bear shirt for extra celebration. The fact that we also chased sheep down the road was another dramatic touch (since Old Ephraim's favorite snacks were little lambs). My family drove down from Idaho to join in on the fun. Huge props to my lovely mother for loading the ranger and four-wheeler on the trailer all by herself. Talk about Superwoman. I also better give a shout out to Jace and Alexis for following the ranger the entire way on the four-wheeler. They ate our dust. Quite literally as you can see from that last picture.

To get to Ephraim's Grave, go up Logan Canyon and turn at the Temple Fork turnoff. From there, follow the signs leading to Ephraim's Grave. This August, it will be the 90th anniversary of the legendary bear's death. Another interesting bit of information: Old Ephraim's skull is on display at the USU Library. It's been to the Smithsonian as well, so his noggin is kind of a big deal.

Logan Love: Mandarin Garden

Logan Love: Mandarin Garden

432 North Main Street

Logan, UT

There is nothing quite like going into a restaurant and feeling as though you stepped back in time thirty years, and then being pleasantly surprised when you are presented with good food and top notch service. This is what Mandarin Garden was for me and Brian during date night last week. And I suppose it's the way every good Chinese place should be. You know, a little dilapidated (still very clean) with really good food. I think my heart will break if they ever renovate the place. I love the lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the floral wallpaper that seems to be clinging to the walls for dear life. It is quite the endearing atmosphere. 

When we arrived, the place was jumping, but we only waited about 45 seconds before they got a table ready for us. Our waiter constantly made sure our drinks were full and that we were happy, which we were both super impressed with (he got a good tip). And I noticed that everyone who worked there was constantly busy doing something. No lollygagging around. If a person wasn't busy with a table, they were sweeping the floor, or organizing silverware. It's like they were all on their own secret mission or something. I like going out to eat good food, but good service is also a must for me. If I go somewhere with really awful service, it doesn't matter how good the food tastes. The bad service puts a nasty taste in my mouth long before I get any food. So when I go somewhere to eat where I get both tasty food and sweet service, you bet that place has my business. I will always go back to Mandarin Garden. While we were there, we both felt like we were important. It's nice to feel important. It's also nice when your plate of orange chicken looks like it was created by a professional artist. . . 

Also, a word of advice, the servings are quite generous. Along with that huge plate of chicken, I also got a pot of rice. Brian and I decided we should have split a meal. But it was nice having leftovers for the weekend too. 

The worst part of the night was probably Brian's fortune he got in his cookie. It was kind of a. . .negative fortune. We both laughed really hard and I mocked him the remainder of the night. Give up on all your crazy dreams, Brian. The fortune cookie told you to. . .

For good Chinese food, excellent service, and unpredictable fortunes, hit up Mandarin Garden if you are in the Logan area. You'll have a real good time.

Logan Love: Herm's Inn

Logan Love: Herm's Inn

1435 E Canyon Rd

It's not often you can eat in a building that acted as a service station during the 1940s, then was left abandoned for quite a while, and then remodeled into a beautiful roadside breakfast/brunch destination.

This is what Herm's Inn is. The atmosphere is fun and laid back. The walls are plastered with old posters, vintage pictures, and motorcycle paraphernalia. Not to mention, the food is great! It's a bit pricey, but if you order the right thing, I'd say it's well worth every buck.

On a recent Saturday, we woke up and both agreed we wanted to try out the breakfast at Herm's. So off we went. Luckily, we arrived early enough that we barely beat the busy rush. We both started off with chocolate milk. I then ordered the crepes and felt a bit sad when I consumed the last bite. Our relationship together just ended much too soon. I highly recommend them. They are filled with nutella and cream and piled with fresh fruit.

I also hear through the grapevine that the french toast is excellent. Might just have to try it on our next trip. Brian ordered the biscuits and gravy. His plate was clean by the end of the meal, but I think he was a little envious of my crepes.

Try Herm's for a fun atmosphere and homemade breakfast. Just get there early, it can get packed fast!

Logan Love: Wind Caves

Summertime in Logan is picture perfect if you ask me. Things slow down since a lot of the college crowd leaves, the weather is warm but not too hot, and there are always plenty of fun things to do. One of my favorite things to do during the summer months here in Logan is spend time up Logan Canyon. It's one of the prettiest canyons I've ever been in. It's like this secret little treasure tucked away from the world, and I'm totally fine with that. There are great running trails, great camping sites, and. . . .really great hiking.

Hiking is kind of a hobby of mine and BWell's. We enjoy it and I think it's a much better way to spend my evenings rather than flipping through channels on television. A really popular hike here in Logan is the hike to the Wind Caves. 

The hike up is just under two miles, so it's relatively easy. There are a lot of switchbacks, but it's easy enough that kids can do it. And the view at the top is breathtaking. It's fun to explore the caves and then the hike down always seems to go fast. If you'd like, pack a dinner to eat when you get to the top. That's always a fun time.  

We always try doing this hike a couple times every year. It's fun to hike during the day and at night. I recommend both. 

Last Friday, we went on this hike with our friends Shayla and Jace. And afterward, we totally went to a campsite to build a fire. There was a camp set up where we started the fire, but no people. It was a bit eerie but that just added to the fun. After eating several s'mores and putting the fire out, we got out of there before anyone showed up to cuss us for disturbing their campsite. It was a great summer night though. I'm definitely looking forward to many more. 

Logan Love: A&W

Excuse the fact that most of these pictures were taken back before Christmas and are partially crappy quality. Also, excuse the fact that I have failed to grace you with a Logan Love post in what has been quite a while. Uh . . .my bad?

Now I get that you're probably all thinking that there is nothing special about A&W. Well, you're wrong. Because Logan's A&W is very special. It was the happenin' place when my grandparents went to school at USU, and I'm fairly positive it hasn't changed much since they were my age. I promise you that once you take a step inside, you'll be wishing you had a poodle skirt on. And that, my friends, is great.

Also, the cheese curds and amusing comments of the high school kids that work there will never disappoint.

701 N Main Street 

Logan, UT 

Logan Love: Becky's Bookshelf

Are you a person like me who gets excited when thinking about what book you want to read next? Are you a person like me who refuses to buy a kindle because there is just something refreshing about holding a book in your hands, feeling the pages, and smelling the paper? Are you a person like me who finds pure joy in beautiful, worn, classic novels? If so, I have a real treat for all you bookworms out there. This shop in Logan is a hidden little treasure which I'm beyond thrilled to share with you. Here's your Logan Love for the day!

Becky's Bookshelf

100 N 29 W Downtown Logan

Be careful. While searching shops along the street, you might just skim past this one. From the outside, it looks pretty tiny. When entering, it still seems pretty tiny. One of the narrowest stores I've ever been in, all the walls are covered with books. Colorful, wonderful books. And then, surprisingly, the store goes back further and further, just a narrow hallway leading back to more sections of bookshelves. It's heavenly. 

It's pretty easy to find the books you want, too. They have all the books in their store on record, and the books are also sectioned off by genre. It's that simple. 

The unique thing about this bookstore is that each book is one-of-a-kind. You see, Becky's Bookshelf is a secondhand bookstore. So all the books are used and very, very cheap. Each book I bought was under $2. And I got some real gems, we're not talking crap. Most of the books are also in very good condition. Staff go through all the books before putting them on the shelf to make sure they're sale-worthy. And even cooler, if you bring in books to trade, it'll cut down your price on many of the books. I say many because they don't cut prices for books that are already too cheap. Like my 50 cent book I purchased probably wouldn't qualify. 

So readers of books, pay Becky's Bookshelf a visit. And haters of books, donate your books to Becky's Bookshelf so us book lovers may enjoy them. 

They really do have some good reads. Or at least they did when I went in. There was a full Chronicles of Narnia collection by C.S. Lewis which was in golden condition. I considered buying it, but I already have the series, so that would have been silly. 

Here is a list of the books I did buy (just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about):

Where the Red Fern Grows

War and Peace

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

A Tale of Two Cities 

And just a really old book that looked neat, which I plan on using for some decorating 

Go raid Becky's Bookshelf & happy reading! 

  

  

Logan Love: First Dam

I am finally introducing my very first "Logan Love" post. And now that it is getting frigid outside and we've seen some snowflakes twirling through the air, I'm going to share a place with you that you might not want to take the time to enjoy until it warms up again. Oops. Sorry. I meant to post this much sooner than November 8th. So let this post get you so excited that it will carry you through the cold months of winter. Especially if you're a winter hater. I, for one, am not. I don't mind winter (unless the roads are slick and deadly). 

So here it is, the first lovely place in Logan I am featuring is. . . 

First Dam

Right at the mouth of Logan Canyon, at the intersection of 400 North (Hwy 89) and Canyon Road

I have a growing collection of pictures taken at First Dam. It is hands down one of my favorite places to go in Logan. Since it sits at the mouth of the canyon it's obviously a beautiful place, plus there are tons of things to do there. Just to name a few: 

--Hiking trails

There are so many places close around First Dam to hike. It's crazy great. 

--Picnics

I have always enjoyed taking my lunch and a blanket to first Dam. There is a huge grassy area, so there is plenty of space to find a spot to eat. There is also a pavilion if you're the kind that likes sitting at a table to eat food.  

--Feeding ducks

I love this one. For some reason, I find ducks very entertaining. Strange, I know. Because they are actually pretty dirty animals, but I find them adorable and slightly hilarious. When you go to first dam, make sure you take the end pieces that you never eat from that loaf of bread and feed them to my duck friends. It's a ball. I could go through a whole loaf just feeding ducks and be entertained the whole time. 

--Relax/Homework/Sunbathe

First Dam is a great place to just go and relax. Especially when the weather is nice and warm. I like to take a book to read and just let myself soak up that vitamin D. Also, I find the background noise there very calming. It usually consists of children in the distance laughing, ducks quacking, and occasionally guitar music and a hippie man singing. 

--Canoeing 

This is a fun thing to do out on the pond. If you're brave, you can also go for a swim or do some cliff diving. I will warn you, the water is icy cold. I've jumped in before in the summer and the chilliness of the water took me by surprise.

--Fishing 

A lot of people fish both at First Dam and further up the canyon at Second Dam. There are a couple bridges that people will fish off and there is also a pier.

--Football/Frisbee/Catch

I feel this is pretty self-explanatory. 

Well, that's about it for my first Logan Love. Stay tuned. I have another fun one that I'm excited to share coming up. It involves books for all my fellow bookworms out there!  

  

Some Logan Love

I live in Logan, UT. A beautiful country town set in a farming valley between chains of mountains. My school's campus is one of the more gorgeous I've seen, since it sits on a hill overlooking everything and is mapped out almost at the very mouth of Logan Canyon. It is especially gorgeous this time of year, when the leaves on the trees are changing and falling from the branches to slumber on the earth's floor.

In high school, I was always that girl who wanted to get out. Move far away from the Idaho/Utah border. Funny thing is, those are usually the people who end up staying forever. I don't know if I'll be around here forever, but there's a good chance I'll be in Logan a while. And you know what, I am feeling pretty excited about that. I love that Bri and I are right in between both of our parents. And Logan really is a lovely place.

I hear lots of students at Utah State University complain about how they have nothing to do, or say that Logan is boring. Well, truth be told, if you're bored you're probably being boring. So stop being boring and stop complaining. Take some action and try to appreciate where it is you live. Wherever in the world you might be.

So in honor of appreciating the place I live and wanting to spread my pride and joy of Logan, I have decided to do a series of posts. In this series of posts, I will be featuring certain places throughout my town. I really feel that Logan has some little treasures of shops and restaurants and I don't think many people are aware of these treasures. So it's time to dig up these treasures and let the bored people of Logan become entertained. Watch out, in the future you'll be seeing some "Logan Love" posts.

This is a picture of Old Main, the oldest building on USU's campus. For those of you that aren't USU savvy. :)