Cache Valley Almanac
Start Your Engines
The annual Cache Valley Cruise-In motors into Logan each year during the weekend closest to July 4. It attracts street rods‚ street machines‚ motorcycles and custom vehicles from throughout the United States‚ with annual crowds estimated at 30‚000.
The Cache Valley Cruising Association hosts the Cruise-In at the Logan/Cache County Fairgrounds. The highlight of the event‚ a two-hour cruise‚ takes place on Saturday along Main Street.
Bear With Us
It’s not quite the Loch Ness Monster‚ but it’s close.
Bear Lake’s Bear Lake Monster has been the subject of stories and legends since settlers arrived in Cache Valley. The Shoshone Indians told the settlers about a creature resembling a crocodile
or dragon that had captured and carried away many Indian braves.
Today‚ many residents who claim to have seen the monster describe it as a 90-foot brown snake with small legs that allow
it to paddle quickly through water. The creature is rumored to paddle so fast that it leaves a boat-like wake behind.
Stock Up on Arugula
Lettuce‚ blackberries and garlic – all fresh – are just a few of the items available at the Cache Valley Gardeners’ Market.
The market is located in at 100 South and 200 East in Logan across from Merlin Olsen Park‚ and it features locally grown crops from the northern Utah region. Besides fruits and vegetables‚ items for sale include honey‚ soap‚ eggs‚ fresh herbs‚ gourds and fresh flowers.
There is also fresh coffee and bread on site along with live musical entertainment‚ artists and crafters during the warm-weather months.
Just Like Dad
The Utah State Aggies football team has a player who is especially well known because of his dad.
Shawn Murphy is a 6-foot-4-inch‚ 307-pound offensive lineman who will be a senior during the 2007 season. His father is Dale Murphy‚ a 17-year Major League Baseball outfielder who played the bulk of his standout career with the Atlanta Braves.
Shawn is No. 74 on the Aggies squad‚ and he calls Highland‚ Utah‚ his home. By the way‚ he spent 2003 and 2004 serving in Brazil on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Good Wheel Ambassador
One of Logan’s friendliest folks is Brent Carpenter‚ a well-known resident who rides his bike everywhere and even carried the 2002 Olympic Flame through town – on his bike.
Carpenter‚ 58‚ rode the flame into the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum where a capacity crowd awaited his arrival.
What makes this goodwill ambassador unique is that Carpenter was born with a form of cerebral palsy. He also has a large hat collection‚ and he brings copies of newspapers to people he sees every day. But Carpenter is most known for his kind smile and for his true love of life and his community.
Ever Herd of Elk?
Cache Valley offers wildlife enthusiasts the rare opportunity to view thousands of Rocky Mountain elk – all in one place.
Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge‚ a wildlife management area owned by the state of Utah and managed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources‚ is located in Blacksmith Fork Canyon about 25 miles southeast of Logan. During the winter months‚ elk that migrate to the valley make their way to the spacious ranch to eat food supplied by the state. By supplying food‚ the state prevents the elk from migrating into Cache Valley where they would become road casualties and a nuisance to farmers and ranchers.
The public is encouraged to visit the refuge‚ which even offers sleigh rides and barbecue dinners.
A Golden Moment
Many Utah natives know the date May 10‚ 1869.
That was when four spikes (two gold) were symbolically nailed into railroad ties‚ marking the precise point where the first transcontinental railroad was completed. Officials from the Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad met at Promontory Summit on that date for the historic ceremony. Promontory was the site of a temporary city during and shortly after the construction of the railroad‚ but then it was dismantled.
Since 1957‚ the historic location that is situated 32 miles west of Brigham City on State Routes 13 and 83 has been preserved as part of the Golden Spike National Historic Site.
A visitor center is open year-round.
