I was raised in the Salt Lake Valley (not born, I was born in California, that's something special about me!). My husband Chris was raised in Davis County (and also born in California, how weird is that?). Together, we are stuck living in Cache Valley. It's not that we hate Cache Valley... it's just that we would never want to live here permanently. No offense, but all the Loganites (what I call people born and raised in Cache Valley) are strangely proud of this little valley and think their high schools are the best and are very adamant about exactly which city in Cache Valley they live in and if you get it wrong, they get angry. Loganites tend to never really leave Cache Valley. We don't want that.
We are not Loganites. I am a Salt Laker, Chris is a Kaysville Man... but want us to be Scottish... Regardless of what we are, we're currently renting an apartment here, I'm changing my major so I'll be in school longer, so we'll be posing as Loganites for a few more years until we both are graduated. So while we're here, there is a list of things I want to do in Cache Valley, AKA, the Cache Valley Checklist! I'm making a list of 100 things to do in (and around) Cache Valley before we move away. I would love it if all you USU students and even true Loganites would join me in these things during your stay as Loganites!
This list is not in order, some are specific events and special occasions while others are things to do at anytime. When I complete an item on this list I will cross it off and write a post about it that will be linked beside it. Don't forget to read my thoughts on the activity by clicking the links! The farthest I got from the actually Cache County was Brigham City and Bear Lake, but I'm counting it because all Cache Valley tourism sites count it as well. (A very few of these things I have already done, but for the purposes of this post they don't count yet)
Here we go:
- Black & White Days (Richmond)
- That Famous Preston Night Rodeo (Preston, ID)
- Crystal Hot Springs (Honeyville)
- Bear Lake Trip (Bear Lake)
- Aggie Ice Cream & True Blue Aggie Cheese factory tour (Logan/USU)
- Cox Honeyland (Providence)
- Logan Tabernacle Concert (Logan)
- Crumb Brother's tour (Logan)
- Rockhill Creamery (Richmond)
- Casper's Ice Cream Factory & Malt Shop (Richmond)
- Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theater performance (Logan)
- Kayak or Canoe on Hyrum Dam (Hyrum)
- Logan Aquatic Center (Logan)
Cache Valley Gardner's Market (Logan)- CVCA Gallery Walk (Logan)
- Cache Valley Cruise-In (Logan)
- Downtown Logan Sidewalk Sale (Logan)
- Alvey's Chocolate Factory (Richmond)
- Summerfest Arts Fair (Logan)
- Peach Days (Brigham City)
- St. John's Episcopal Church (North Logan)
- Herm's Inn (Logan)
- 4th of July Freedom Fire (Logan/USU)
- Hyrum City Museum (Hyrum)
- Intermountain Herbarium (Logan/USU)
- Museum of Anthropology (Logan/USU)
- Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (Logan/USU)
- Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum (Paradise)
- Camping (anywhere)
- Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (Brigham City)
- Logan Cave (Logan Canyon)
Explore Fall Colors (Logan Canyon)POST- Mountain Valley Trout Farm (Smithfield)
- Golf (Logan or Smithfield)
- Multiple Hiking Trips (anywhere)
- Horseback Riding (Beaver Creek Lodge)
- Stay a day/night at Beaver Creek Lodge (Beaver Creek Lodge)
- Stay a night at Anniversary Inn (Logan)
- Rock Climb (Logan Canyon)
- Rock Haus (Logan)
- American West Heritage Center (Wellsville)
- Brigham City Depot (Brigham City)
- Golden Spike National Historic Site (Near Brigham City)
- Country Village Antique Mall (Logan)
- DragonGoose Farm (Lewiston)
- Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride Hardware Ranch & Elk Refuge (Hyrum)
- Holmgren Historical Farm (Tremonton)
- Logan Regional Family History Center (Logan)
- Old Morgan Pea Factory (Smithfield)
- Providence Inn Bed & Breakfast (Providence)
- Seasons at the Riter Mansion (Logan)
- Smithfield Implement (Smithfield)
- Whittier Community Center (Logan)
- Bluebird Candy Factory (Logan)
- Weeks Berries of Paradise (Paradise)
- Old Ephraim's Mountain Man Rendezvous (Blacksmith Fork Canyon)
- Art on the Lawn (North Logan)
- Festivals of the American West (Wellsville)
Celebrate America Show (Logan/USU)POST#1Pumpkin Walk (North Logan)- Mendon May Days (Mendon)
- Pony Express Days (Clarkston)
- Trout and Berry Days (Paradise)
- Novemberfest (Logan)
- "Clean the Sink" at Angie's (Logan)
- George S. Eccles Ice Center (North Logan)
- Jump Zone Trampoline Park (Logan)
- Willow Park Zoo (Logan)
- Home & Garden Show (North Logan)
- Attend Event at Riverwoods Conference Center (Logan)
- Old Ephraim's Grave Hike (Logan Canyon)
- Cache Valley Civic Ballet's The Nutcracker (Logan)
- Bear Lake Raspberry Days (Bear Lake)
- USU Homecoming Football Game (Logan/USU)
- USU Basketball Game (Logan/USU)
- The Antics Comedy Improv Show (Logan)
- Cache Valley Parade of Homes (Cache Valley)
- Poetry & A Beverage (Logan/USU)
- Stokes Nature Center (Logan Canyon)
Volunteer with Cache Valley Volunteer Center (Cache Valley)POST- Run any Cache Valley 5k (anywhere)
- Country Swing Dancing (Logan)
- Multiple USU Theater Productions (Logan/USU)
- Attend Logan City Meeting (Logan)
- Sledding Down Old Main Hill (Logan)
- Become a True Aggie (Logan/USU)
- Open Mic Night Logan Arthouse & Cinema (Logan)
- Hardware Ranch & Elk Refuge (Hyrum)
- Martin Harris Pageant (Clarkston)
- Vote For Logan Offices (Logan)
- Color Vibe 5k Run (Logan)
- Man Vs. Mud (Logan)
- Logan Film Festival (Logan)
- Picnic in Logan Canyon (Logan Canyon)
- See a Show at Pickleville Playhouse (Bear Lake)
- Window Shop Downtown Logan (Logan)
Little Bear Bottoms Corn Maze (Wellsville)POST- Stargazing in the mountains (Cache Valley)
- Cafe Ibis Tour (Logan)
- Find the Perfect Cache Valley Sunset Spot (Cache Valley)
- (These next ones are added from comments people left me!) Go to a high school football game (Cache Valley)
Make boats and float them down the canals (Logan)POST- Float down the Oneida Narrows (Preston, ID)
- Get an O'Aggie Bar at Bluebird Candy Shop (Logan)
- Buy raspberries from a cart vendor (Cache Valley)
Pepperidge Farm Factory (Richmond)- County Fair (Logan)
- Eat at Maddox (Brigham City)
- Gosner's Factory (Logan)
- Baby Animal Days at American West Heritage Center (Wellsville)
- Hike to the top of Mount Logan and look out over the whole valley (Logan)
- Demolition Derby (anywhere)
- Cache Valley Ballroom Fest (Logan)
Whew! That was long and difficult! Thank you to Lisa Loves Logan, Cache Valley Visitors Bureau, and Nothing to Do in Logan for helping me out with this list. For anyone interested, Nothing To Do in Logan is a fantastic website that keeps up with all events going on in Logan and the surrounding Cache Valley. It's a great resource for Loganites! PS, if you like this post, you might also want to check out My American Journey, which is all (well most) the things I want to do in every state in the USA.
If you think I'm missing anything from this list, please leave a comment below! I'm willing to add more if it's something special! Also, don't forget to comment if you join in on The Cache Valley Checklist as well! I'd love to hear about your adventures!
I think that by the time you have completed this list you will see that you are a Loganite too. I think you should visit one of our high schools and see what great school spirit we have. Join us for a football game. Some things you have missed that I love. Make a boat and float it down one of the canals. Float down the Oneida Narrows. Get an O'Aggie Bar at the Bluebird candy shop. Get a ham and cheese salad at Fredrico's. Feed the ducks at first dam. And last of all get to know all of the great Loganite people.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this comment!! I will definitely have to do these things! Except feed ducks... I'm terrified of ducks. But thank you for the ideas! :)
DeleteWaterskiing, fishing, camping on newton reservoir or cutler resevoir. Smithfield canyon hike. Mt timpanogas lake hike or camping, ice skate or attend hockey game at eccles rink. See a opera or other show at eccles. Go to high school play (sky views the best).Do art walk in logan. Snowmobiling. County fair. Take humanities class at usu where require u to attend local events. Bowling, rock climbing, dancing at cache valley fun park. Gymnastics at sports academy. Social dance class or intermurals at usu fitness center. Fireworks at usu stadium. Basketball or other event at spectrum. Eat at cafe sabor at old logan train station (salsa dancing night). Eat at savanahs bbq, el sol, rockys pizza, firehouse pizza, cafe rio, la beaus, chinese restaurant-ask for tiny spicy chicken. Climb the wellsvilles. Visit cache valley cheese factory in amalga, pepperidge farm factory in richmond, gosners factory in logan, icon fitness factory. Promitory point towards tremonton. Eat at maddox resterant in brigham city. See a movie at the utah theater. Hit u&i furnitures warehouse clear out event. Fish at benson marina. Appliance sale at darrells in benson. Participate in newton dam run. Participate in bike races in valley, pioneer day celebrations june 24. Fish at first dam logan canyon. Merlin olson park, willow park zoo. Willow park sports complex and batting cages. Logan or preston golf courses.
ReplyDeleteThere is a fair amount of small town things to do in cahe valley. I do agree the loganites or happy bubble valley is very much grew up there stay there and die kind. I grew up there and felt like there was never enough exciting things to do. Obviously there is more than i remember. I have been gone 8 yrs and happy to come back and visit. I do love growing and discovering new things as i travel. I miss the restarants the very most so definetly enjoy those i mentioned. Oh and buy some cache valley cheese and brigham peaches and bear lake raspberry jam for me, aggie ice cream or charlies ice cream, or caspers fat boy. Yum! Crap i am hugely craving food now.
My husband fishes all the time so we have that covered, but the rest of these are fantastic! I'll have to add them to the list! Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteI didn't include the Peppridge Farm Factory because I have been there many times, but I think I should add it just so anyone else reading knows about it. Thanks for reminding me!
DeleteI was totally thinking last night at work that I should do a Salt Lake Valley one! And my husband could help me with a Davis county one. This could be really fun! Keep reading my blog and maybe it'll come!
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ReplyDeletePepperidge farm thrift store!!! ;) Richmond, Milano cookies in bulk!
ReplyDeleteI didn't add Pepperidge Farm because I've been there many times, but I realize other people may not know about it, so it's going on the list! Thanks for reading!
DeleteThank you for this list! My husband and I moved here so he can go to school and I feel the same way as you. I don't hate it here, but I definitely don't love it. I grew up in Salt Lake too and the city just speaks to my soul.
ReplyDeleteCleaning the sink is on our to-do list this week!
Another thing that's fun is Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center in March. You basically get to see and touch a bunch of baby animals. It's kind of aimed at kids, but I had so much fun with all the cute little animals. They also have a corn maze in the fall. I'm not sure if it's going yet.
Hit me up if you ever need to reminisce about SLC. :)
I would love Baby Animal Days!! I didn't even know that existed! That's going on the list! Thank you!
DeleteYeah, Cache Valley is very different from Salt Lake. I would always love a new friend if you ever want to do something on this list together! We could do a couples thing. Just email my blog and let me know! :)
This is a great list! I am born and raised in Logan, and while I don't think we have the best schools (not sure why anyone would think that) I do think it's a pretty stellar place to live! If you know what to do. :) Like your list! And even though I would love to see what it would be like to live somewhere else, something inside me just had to say.. I do think it's not a bad place. ;) Thanks for the awesome list! Some of these things I would have never known about! :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha, the school thing was really just this one kid who kept bragging and saying Mountain Crest was the best high school in Utah. I basing that idea on one kid, although I have to give the valley credit, because all the high schools here are bigger and in much better condition than mine was. But Logan really isn't a bad place. My cousins live in Smithfield and they love it!
DeleteIt makes me happy that Loganites enjoy this list as well! Thanks for reading and don't forget to come back and read about my adventures!!! (And in a few weeks I'll be doing a giveaway! So come back and enter that!)
Check out the top of mount logan too. You can see the whole valley from there. I'm not a true born loganite but I do think its a great place to raise kids.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you could do that! That's totally going on the list! Thank you! :) It is a very safe community for kids. I feel much safer alone at night here than I do where my parents live.
DeleteDon't forget the many demolition derby's! I lived in Logan for 3 years before moving to Seattle, WA. I miss little Cache Valley, I think once you are gone, you will miss it too. :) This list is great, but I would definitely add at least one demolition derby!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I love demolition derbys! I'll add it to the list! :)
DeleteI found you through Pinterest and oh this brought back memories. My husband and I never really liked Logan when we went to USU, but that didn't stop us from getting to know the area. I'd say we did at least 50% of the things on here. There are things on here that we always talked about doing, but never did. I hope you get to do them all.
ReplyDeleteOh if you are out at the Golden Spike area then it's worth it to keep driving about 15 miles and see the Spiral Jetty. Here are the directions http://www.diaart.org/sites/page/59/1310
This has really opened my eyes about how much there is to do in Cache Valley because I've always thought this place was really boring, though I don't know why everyone is obsessed about Pepperidge Farm, its a dirty, small shop with old hard cookies and crackers that they couldn't sell in the first place :P.
ReplyDelete:) The stuff at the Pepperidge Farm store is better than fresh, it is just the stuff that didn't pass the perfection test like weight in the packages, misaligned cookies, etc. They put them in the shop right after production, so they are likely more fresh than the stuff you get at the grocery store that has been shipped, stocked, and sitting on the shelf. :) Great deals too. :) Though I agree the store is a bit shoddy.
DeleteWhile you are out in Richmond, it pays to stop at Lower's Outlet store too if you like meat! We love the sliced roast beef the best.
I grew up in the valley and haven't done most the things on your list. I hope you have a great time doing them. I would also add hiking the Wellsvilles, start in Mendon up deep canyon. It is a hard but good and worth while hike. When you reach the saddle you can see both sides so well it is awesome!
ReplyDeleteGo to cache valley ballroom fest
ReplyDeleteCan I ask who this is? I've been on the USU Ballroom team for three years so I know a lot about ballroom fest! I'll add it to the list though!
DeleteI can't wait to try these things when I go to USU after my mission. Thanks for the list!
ReplyDeleteHey!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Old Barn Theater??? You mention several types of theatrical performances, but you missed the Old Barn? Shoot, they are even having tryouts for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" tonight! (April 15th, 2014) Now me, I was born in Bear Lake County, and raised in California. I'm still in California, living in a town larger than most state capitols, and there isn't a quarter of the stuff 'to do' available to me, right here, about 75 miles from LA, that there is in Logan. I'm coming up next week to see my daughter graduate (again) from USU, and I'm going to visit Knit Unique and the gallery up THERE because I can't get decent yarn and art supplies down here. The scenery is a lot better up there, too.
In fact, there are only two things that are NOT better there than here; winter weather and my health insurance coverage. If it weren't for the latter, I'd move so fast the government would be hunting me down to see how I bent the map.
Anyway, remember; 100 things to do in Cache Valley? Paltry. Really paltry....and when you leave, you will wish you could come back. I do.
You should really read Diana's post. You might not see it now, but there is something special about Cache Valley. I might be a bit biased as I was born in Logan, raised in Preston and a USU Alumni, but I have spent a number of years in the Military traveling to all sorts of places, and experiencing all sorts of things. I will tell you that in the summer, there is no other place I would rather be than Cache Valley.
DeleteI live in Houston now, and just like Diana, there isn't a quarter of the stuff to do around here as there was in Cache Valley. Save for only two things (Jobs, and winter weather), Cache Valley is truely the perfect place to be.
Glad to see you are trying to take as much of it in as you can while you are there, because I speak the truth when I say that you will miss the hell out of it when you are gone.