First Splash Pad In Cache Valley - Alma Leonhardt Park, Providence, Utah

When I compiled my list of fun places to swim or get wet with kids in Cache Valley, I didn't know that the first splash pad in the Logan area had opened while I lived in Philadelphia. Three different people happened to mention it to me the next week, in different contexts. Talk about a message! I knew my little boys would love it, so I took them for a visit last week.

What: Splash Pad at Alma Leonhardt Park

Where: 310 West 250 North, Providence, Utah

Hours: Park open daily, dawn to dusk. Splash pad water feature available from 10am to 8pm.

Cost: FREE

FYI: Trees are small so you may want to bring your own shade (umbrella, beach tent, etc.), and of course towels!

Cache Valley's first splash pad opened at Alma Leonhardt Park in Providence, Utah in the summer of 2010. The pad is 1,200 square feet and has 63 jets, including a tall and powerful column spray in the center. The jets are activated by the push of a button at the side of the pad, and run on a cycle for a few minutes before the button needs to be pushed again.

The different jets and water features at a splash pad provide a lot of soaking wet fun for kids - much like running through the sprinklers, but with more variety and an element of surprise. For parents, it's a great spectator water activity that doesn't require them to get wet. Yay! (Some days you just don't want to put on your swimming suit, right? Or is that just me?)

Alma Leonhardt Park also has a fun playground that is partially wheelchair accessible, a large grassy area, restrooms, and a good-sized picnic pavilion. My boys enjoyed running back and forth from the splash pad to the playground, while I huddled in the rapidly decreasing shade of the restroom building. There are a few small trees that provide a minimal spots of shade around the perimeter of the splash pad, but in-the-know moms had come armed with pop-up beach umbrellas and tents.

In February 2012 the North Logan City Council heard a proposal from Public Works Director Alan Luce regarding addition of a splash pad to Mountain View Park. I haven't heard anything further about this possibility, but I hope it comes to fruition.

Pick Of The Week : That Famous Preston Night Rodeo, July 26-28, 2012 - Preston, Idaho

Did anyone make it out to the Gallery Walk, last week's POTW? (Pick of the Week, in case my acronym threw you.) I would have loved to go, but my children came down with the plague...er, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (not as horrifying as it sounds, but still no fun). It's been making its way through the under-10 set in our neighborhood and family at a rapid pace this summer. We had to quarantine ourselves, and we missed not only the Gallery Walk, but a company party at the Bees baseball game/firework show in Salt Lake City. Boo for viruses!

Hopefully it will be all cleared up in time for this week's POTW, "That Famous Preston Night Rodeo" in Preston, ID, which runs this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday July 26-28, 2012.

Morgan Heaton on Wendy's Rocket in 2011. Quoted in article here.

Though not in Utah, Preston is definitely still in Cache Valley. They have one of the best little small-town rodeos around, and it's surely worth a visit if you haven't been. My brother-in-law Morgan (sometimes "Moe") Heaton will be riding on Saturday night if you want to know who to cheer for. He's been a bareback rider for going on eight years now. That's him pictured above. You can also see an awesome photo of him and his little son getting ready in the bucking chutes here (lots of amazing rodeo photography at that site, www.mattcohenphoto.com).

Have you ever been to a rodeo and felt clueless about the events and how they are scored? A little knowledge can make the rodeo a lot more fun for spectators. Check out the Preston rodeo's website for helpful explanations of the events and scoring. The website also explains something I've always been curious about: why this rodeo is called the "Famous Preston Night Rodeo". After all, every rodeo I've ever been to has been at night. I guess that wasn't always the case. Preston rodeo says they are recognized as the first night rodeo in the world, and they became famous for it. I guess with a start time of 8:30pm it is one of the latest/darkest rodeos I've ever been to. That adds to the fun, I think. There are lots of pre-events like a parade and carnival and even helicopter rides that caught my eye ($25 per person). Check this page for the full schedule.


What: That Famous Preston Night Rodeo
When: July 26-28, 2012 - Rodeo pre-events at 8:15pm, rodeo starts at 8:30pm. Associated events all day.
Where: Preston Rodeo Grounds, 198 W 2nd N Street, Preston, Idaho
Rodeo Ticket Prices: Thursday $9 and $8,  Friday $12 and $11,  Saturday $12 and $11
www.prestonrodeo.com for more information and online ticket purchase

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As for me, I'll be missing Morgan's ride on Saturday because my husband and I have tickets to a concert in Salt Lake. Okay, I'm just going to go ahead and say it. We're going to the Neil Diamond concert. We've actually never been to a big concert together, and this, THIS, is the first one??!? Well, I figured we may not have many chances left to see old Neil, and I hear he's a great performer. Anyone ever been? We'll have to hit the Preston rodeo on Friday night.

Pioneer Day Celebrations in Logan and Cache Valley - 24th of July, 2012

I'll be back tomorrow with the regularly scheduled Pick of the Week, but I wanted to pop in and mention the Pioneer Day (24th of July) celebrations happening on Tuesday this week.

Do Other States Have State Holidays?

For those who don't know, Pioneer Day (aka the 24th of July) is Utah's state holiday. The day commemorates the arrival in the Salt Lake Valley of the first party of Mormon Pioneers (LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I've always been curious about whether other states have state holidays, and it's been my impression that most don't. My curiosity led me to this list of state holidays. It seems that Utah is, indeed, one of a few states to have a true state holiday. Pioneer Day follows so closely on the heels of Independence Day that for Utahns July is a huge party and firework month, full of state and national pride!

Local Celebrations

Logan and North Logan both have Pioneer Day celebrations/parades/firework shows. Info here for Logan (warning, PDF may be slow to load), and here for North Logan. For those who want firework info without clicking, the Logan fireworks are at Willow Park and the North Logan fireworks are at Elk Ridge Park.

Have a safe and happy holiday week!

Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob) at the Cache Valley Garedeners' Market

I was first introduced to elote, or Mexican corn on the cob, at the Cache County Fair in Logan in about 2007. I've looked forward to it as a summer fair stand tradition ever since (along with my beloved mini donuts), and I have even taken to making it at home. I was happy to see that the Mexican food stand at the Cache Valley Gardener's Market (click the link for location and times) had elotes last Saturday.

Mmmmm. Now I'm not going to tell you this is healthy, but I am going to tell you it's delicious. Corn on the cob with mayo, lime, cheese, and seasonings. This version used parmesan cheese, which isn't traditional, but was still tasty.

I had pupusas (again), and also a Brazilian fresh limeade. My brother-in-law makes this for some of our family gatherings, and I really enjoyed an icy cupful at the market.

Head over to my other blog, A Farewell To Can't, if you would like my recipes for elotes and Brazilian limeade. I didn't manage to get any produce at the market on Saturday, but I'm excited to see what's new this weekend.

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Downtown Logan Sidewalk Sale

For anyone who hasn't heard, downtown Logan has a big sidewalk sale going on this weekend. Head down to Main & Center Streets to check out the great shops and prices in our historic downtown.

LLL

Chocolate for Cheap! Alvey's Chocolates Factory Sale, July 9-14, 2012 - Richmond, Utah

Local Cache Valley candy company Alvey's Chocolates (or Alvey's Candies, I've seen it both ways) has a factory sale going on through Saturday, July 14 at their factory store in Richmond, Utah. I hadn't realized Alvey's has a factory store, so I left Alvey's off my list of factory tours and stores in Cache Valley. I'll have to add it! Since the Pepperidge Farm factory and store is also in Richmond, you could go to both in one trip and stock up on lots of yummy goodies at great prices. Here are the details of the Alvey's sale.

Alvey's Chocolates Factory Sale

63 E. 300 S. Richmond, Utah

9am-4pm - July 9-14, 2012

Factory Seconds, regularly $7.50/lb., NOW $6.00/lb.

Milk Mint Wafers (seconds), 5 lb. bag for $25.00

Dark Mint Wafers (seconds), 5 lb. bag for $20.00

Overstock Firsts, regularly $16.50/lb., NOW $8.25/lb.

While supplies last!

Alvey's has been creating handmade chocolates and candies in Cache Valley since 1980. Alvey's has a retail store in Logan at the Cache Valley Mall, and its products are also available at a few grocery stores in the area. (I'm sure they're at Lee's Marketplace, because I sometimes succumb to buying an Alvey's treat in the check-out line).

The Alvey's website appears to be under construction, but it does have some information about the company. Watch the two-minute video below to learn more about Alvey's and to see the retail store and some of the yummy products. Warning! You might have a craving chocolate after you watch this!

Reader Suggestions From Around The Valley

Whew! Keeping up with daily posting on this blog and A Farewell To Can't (www.afarewelltocant.com), plus the rest of my life, has me feeling like I'm falling behind. You should see the state of my house! Today's post will be brief. That way I can spend some time cleaning my house, and some time taking my kids to do fun things like this:

Playing on the playground at Willow Park, Logan, Utah

Not only will today's post will be brief, but and I'm letting someone else write it for me: YOU!

Here are some recent reader suggestions of fun things to do, see, and eat in Logan and Cache Valley.

Green Canyon

"Green Canyon might be a fun one to do a post about with all the things there are to do up there. My husband especially loves the single track for mountain biking and we are planning on back packing higher up the trail (we've heard it's good to backpack further up past the very top where you can't drive anymore?? I don't know much about it yet) and doing more camping. We like it for a great (and FREE!) camping spot."

Belly Dancing

"I really love the belly dancing shows on the last Saturdays of the month at Indian Oven. The dancers are from the Shimmering Sands school at the Whittier Center (formerly the USU Middle Eastern Dance Club). Speaking of them, you can take belly dance lessons from Shimmering Sands, I have and it is good exercise and a lot of fun. You should contact the Whittier for a list of their tenants and the classes they offer to the public, they are a great resource."

Logan's Heroes and Other Great Local Sandwiches

"The owner of [Logan's Heroes] is from Iran, he has a fantastic memory and loves chatting with everyone who comes in (I love the roger's special). For local, non-chain restaurants I'd say to also check out Logan Burger & Sandwiches (chicken parmesan sub), the Italian Place (a Beaver or a 4 Seasons), Sweetly Divine (Turkey with jalepeno jelly), Crumb Brothers, The Factory, Firehouse, Jack's Wood Fired Pizza, Papa Kelsey's & Henry, and Juniper Take Out (Turkey steak sandwich). They all have different styles, try them all and find the one that you love!"

Other Food Trucks Besides Street Eats

"This isn't actually the first. There are a couple taco trucks in town, 2 BBQ trucks, the Pauni's food truck, and the Gossner's Grilled Cheese truck that actually goes all over the state. They don't all always have a set spot but I know Rollin' West BBQ likes to park in front of Aaron's on main or Sears up on 100 E. Tacos El Ray is all over town. Most of these places have facebook pages where you can track where they are going to be...


...The taco trucks and bbq truck tend to have 3 or 4 locations they stick with but do move around a bit. One of the BBQ trucks did apparently go out of business. As far as I know the school bus taco truck North of Hamilton's isn't really a mobile operation and is there all the time. We used to have a hot dog stand on Main street that moved around a bit, but they seem to have disappeared. I kind of wish we had more and I'd love to seem them be allowed to set up on campus where I'm sure they'd do great. My friends in D.C. and L.A. wax poetical about their food trucks."

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Thank you for your contributions, I'd love to hear more. See you tomorrow!

Splish Splash! Three Fun Places To Get Wet In Cache Valley

Note: The water activities in this post can be added to the factory tours in my earlier post and the animal-related activities in an upcoming post for a day full of fun things to do with young kids in Logan and Cache Valley. Whether you live in Logan or you're visiting on a vacation or day trip, you can make a fun day of activities that please kids and/or adults. A later post will also cover some kid-friendly parks and eating options in the valley.


Note #2: The Logan area also has a splash pad. Read details here: First Splash Pad In Cache Valley - Alma Leonhardt Park, Providence, Utah


Get Wet!

July's hot summer days call for some cool and refreshing water activities, and Cache Valley delivers. From all-out swimming to simple wading, there are some great places to get wet in Logan and the surrounding communities. I picked a few favorites to showcase today: Hyrum State Park, Merlin Olsen Central Park, and the Logan Aquatic Center. I also have a couple of rainy-day options at the end of the post, for those days when the weather just isn't cooperating. Be sure to comment on this post if you have suggestions of other great swimming/wading places in Cache Valley.

Beach area at Hyrum Dam / Hyrum State Park - Hyrum, Utah

Hyrum State Park


Popularly known as Hyrum Dam, Hyrum State Park is located about 10 miles south of Logan and includes a reservoir, beach area, and campground. The lake is appropriate for fishing, water-skiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. Rocky outcroppings around the shore allow for cliff-jumping (with proper precautions). A nice, sandy/pebbly beach area is a good place for picnics, relaxation, and suntanning. On a recent day I noticed USU's Outdoor Recreation Programs (ORP) had a rental booth near the beach for kayaks, canoes, and other water equipment. Call the ORP at 435-797-3264 for details on rentals at the lake.

Hyrum State Park
405 West 300 South, Hyrum, Utah 84319
435-245-6866 - main park number
801-322-3770 - camping reservations
800-322-3770 - toll-free camping reservations


Day Use Hours: Summer: 6am-10pm; Winter: 8am-5pm; Holiday Closures: Thanksgiving, Christmas
Day Use Fees: For improved areas, $6 per car for up to 8 people, walk-in fee $3 per person. Unimproved areas of the shoreline can be accessed for free. Visit website for camping fees.
Website:  http://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/hyrum
FYI: Concessions and restrooms available

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Merlin Olsen Central Park

Merlin Olsen Central Park, located on the edge of downtown Logan, is one of the area's oldest parks, having existed in some form since shortly after Logan was settled in 1859. Merlin Olsen Park hosts the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market on Saturdays throughout the summer. A shallow canal runs east to west across the park and provides a fun and safe place for kids and adults to wade and splash in the water. The water could be described as refreshing, bracing, or frigid, depending on the time of year and your tolerance for cold water! The temperature didn't stop these kids, observed on a recent visit. The water is shallow enough for children from about 2.5 years on up to wade safely with a parent. The playground is directly south of the canal, making this a fun, free place to play with kids.

Merlin Olsen Central Park

300 East Center Street, Logan, Utah 84321 (The closest parking spots to the canal are on 300 East between Center Street and 100 South, near the basketball and tennis courts.)

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Cost: Free

Website: http://www.loganutah.org/parks_and_rec/parks_and_trails/parks/merlinolsen.cfm

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Logan Aquatic Center

The Logan Aquatic Center (LAC) is Logan City's outdoor pool complex, which opened in 2001. It is open from approximately Memorial Day until Labor Day, seven days a week. The LAC features three pools. The first is a 50-meter Olympic-sized lap pool with 1 meter and 3 meter diving boards in an additional diving well. The second is a large semi-circular kiddie/relaxation pool that ranges in depth from 6" to 3' and includes a mushroom water feature and a tumble bucket. The third is a small pool at the base of two water slides, the Speed Slide (must be 48" to ride) and the Circular Slide (must be 40" to ride). Something to please everyone!

Photos from the Grand Opening of the Logan Aquatic Center, from here

The LAC boasts a capacity of 2000 people, and I daresay it reaches capacity on some summer days. But even when it's crowded it's still a great place to enjoy the water with kids.

Logan Aquatic Center
451 South 500 West, Logan, Utah 84321
435-716-9280
Open Swim Hours: Monday 12-8pm, Tuesday-Saturday 12-7pm, Sunday 12-6pm. Holiday hours are 12-7pm. Please see LAC Flyer for Lap Swim hours.
Fees: $5 for ages 4-59, $3.35 for 60+, no charge for 3 and under, $2 for spectators. Monday night from 4-8pm is discount night, $15 for all members of an immediate family.
Website: http://www.loganutah.org/parks_and_rec/aquatic_center/index.cfm
FYI: Life jackets are available for day use, free with a photo ID. All children under three years old, and all children not toilet trained, must wear a disposable swim diaper AND waterproof pants. Food available at the concession stand.

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Rainy Day Options


If you or your kids were counting on a water activity but the weather isn't cooperating, both the Sports Academy & Racquet Club and USU have indoor pools which are available to the public for day use. Sports Academy has a warm indoor therapy pool with a depth of 3', in addition to a lap pool.

Sports Academy & Racquet Club
1655 North 200 East, North Logan, Utah 84341
435-753-7500

Hours: Open swim hours vary, please call for details or visit www.sportsacademy.com for the pool schedule
Day use fees: $10 for adults, $5 for children. Please call to verify.
Website: www.sportsacademy.com

USU Swimming Pool
HPER Building, USU Campus, 700 North 800 East, Logan, Utah
435-797-0538

Hours: Open recreational swim is available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1pm to 6:45pm
Day use fees: $5 per person for the public
Website: www.usu.edu/camprec/htm/aquatics/

LLL

P.S.: What's your favorite place to swim or wade in Cache Valley? Any suggestions I left off the list?

Lovely Pupusas and Last Strawberries: Gardeners' Market Recap for June 30, 2012 - Logan, Utah

Note: This post is a recap about my visit to the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market. For my original post on the 2012 market, including hours, address, and other general information, click here. You can also visit the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market website.

 We were late getting to the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market on Saturday, which ended up being a shame because I missed the much-anticipated pho from Da Nang Bistro (I would add the fancy characters if I only knew how). I didn't know where to find their stand. It wasn't by the rest of the prepared foods on the south side of the market. Instead it was on the north side by the river.

When I finally found the Da Nang stand they had recently sold out of pho, and I had missed out. I mean, really missed out -- they still had big onions and hands of ginger charring on the grill and all the tasty condiments on the tables, and it looked so good! I chatted for a moment with the guy at the booth and he gave me a heads up about what they will be serving for the next couple of weeks. It won't be pho, but it still sounds delicious. Up next week are ice cream sandwiches made with lemongrass ice cream, plus a Vietnamese summer salad. The week after that will be fresh spring rolls and something else. I'll be there! He gave me two lychee fruits as sort of a consolation prize. I have only previously had them from a can, so it was fun to peel and try some fresh ones. Yummy!

On my way back over to the other food stands I picked up a bunch of beet greens ($1), a bunch of basil ($1), and a container of strawberries. The strawberries were marked at $2 but I bought them for $1. They were the last container for sale and were kind of sad looking. I knew they would taste great, though. I was excited to show my kids what a strawberry really tastes like. They've only had the gigantic bland/sour monstrosities from the store. You might be sensing a theme since my last Gardeners' Market Recap. Yes, beet greens and basil again, plus a red finger-food fruit for fun. I wondered if the strawberries were the last of the season.

After perusing my lunch options and considering a Dominican food, Ethopian food redux (that's what I had last time), and Mexican food, I settled on Salvadoran pupusas. I did already eat them earlier in the week at the Pupseria El Salvador, but that only served to increase my craving rather than sate it.

I ordered four of the combination pupusas, which were listed at $2 each or four for $7. Pupusas are a thick, soft corn tortilla stuffed with a savory fillings. The combination filling includes cheese, beans, and very finely ground or chopped fried pork. Adding the perfect couterpoint to the soft, warm pupusa is curtida, a crisp and spicy vinegar cabbage slaw. I was given a large baggie of curtida with my order. Four pupusas is quite a large meal. I intended to share with my husband, but instead I ate them all myself. He had a torta from the Mexican stand and temporarily lost his sense of taste when he bit into a pickled jalapeno on his sandwich. Because he couldn't taste much, he didn't bother to take any of my pupusas. All for me!

We were there right at the main lunch hour, so tables were crowded. Our little crew found a place to squeeze in and welcomed others to scoot on in, too. We ended up having a nice conversation with a couple who have moved here from China by way of Germany and Texas. They had wanted strawberries too, but had arrived too late to get any. We shared ours with them and their little daughter. My sons were being quite flirty with her and sharing all their strawberries. How funny! I told them about Mt. Naomi Farms, and they were very interested in being able to pick their own berries. Unfortunately I have learned that the strawberry picking season ended that day. There will be blackberries for picking in August, though. I'll keep you posted on that.

As the market wrapped up we began talking with the children of the Dominican food stand proprietors. I'm looking forward to trying their food next week, along with my Vietnamese food. Our kids all played together in the river for about an hour. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon: shade, sun, good conversation, meeting new people, good food, happy kids. Thank you, Cache Valley Gardeners' Market.

LLL

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P.S.: What's your favorite recipe that uses basil? I love the herb and would like to get some fresh ideas.

Hyrum & Lewiston 4th Of July Celebrations - Cache Valley, Utah

Besides the Freedom Fire fireworks, Logan City itself doesn't have a 4th of July parade or events. But two smaller communities, Lewiston and Hyrum, both have really fun hometown July 4th celebrations featuring rodeos, breakfasts, parades, carnivals, patriotic programs, fireworks, and other events. Logan, instead, has a Pioneer Day celebration and parade on our around the 24th of July. For those who are not from here and don't know about Pioneer Day, it's a day that celebrates the Mormon pioneers' 1847 arrival into what would become Utah. Pioneer Day is to Utah what Independence Day is to the nation - a Founders Day, essentially.

There may be other community celebrations throughout the valley, but these are the ones I know of.

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Lewiston is about 20 miles north of Logan on the Utah-Idaho border. Its parade starts at 9:15am on July 4 at Center and Main Streets. Fireworks are at dusk at the city fields/rodeo grounds. There are tons of other events throughout the day, so click this schedule for all the info, or visit Lewiston City's website or the Lewiston 4th of July blog they have set up for the events.

Hyrum is about 8 miles south of Logan on Highway 165. Their festivities on the 4th of July start with a chuck wagon breakfast from 7-10am and continue throughout the day, including a parade at noon and fireworks at dusk. Visit Hyrum City's website for all the details.

LLL

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P.S.: How and where will you be celebrating the 4th of July?

How It's Made: Food Factory Tours in Logan & Cache Valley

Note: This post started out as Part 1 of a series of kid-friendly activities for a day trip to Logan with young kids. That's why it includes some references and recommendations that apply to children. However, I realized it is applicable to anyone who visits Cache Valley, and also to residents who are looking for things to do.

HOW IT'S MADE

Cache Valley and Logan are rich with food-making heritage, and many of our food production businesses offer tours and learning opportunities for visitors. Little chefs, engineers, and scientists will enjoy watching how some of their favorite foods are made...or at least they'll enjoy the samples! From cheese to honey to ice cream to, well, cheese again, you'll find a tasty way to start your Cache Valley day.

Gossner Foods Factory via

Gossner Foods Factory & Store - The Gossner Foods factory produces dairy products and has a large onsite store featuring homemade ice cream, UHT (shelf-stable) flavored milk, cheese curd (including flavored versions), and great deals on many varieties of cheese. There is no factory tour, but a large window into the production area allows the public to take a look at the cheese-making process. A generous sample table is filled with lots of cheeses and cheese curd in different flavors, plus samples of their UHT milk, in flavors like Vanilla, Root Beer, Mango, and Strawberry. The phrase "shelf-stable milk" might sound a little iffy at first, but it's actually really good -- and kids love it. Don't miss the smoked or garlic-flavored squeaky cheese curds!
Where: 1051 North 1000 West, Logan, Utah 84321, 435-752-9365, www.gossner.com
When: Monday-Saturday 8am-7pm
Cost: Free entry and samples. Items available for purchase.

Aggie Ice Cream & True Blue Aggie Cheese - Enjoying a cone of Aggie Ice Cream on the steps of Utah state University's Nutrition & Food Science Building is a Logan tradition. You can visit the Aggie Ice Cream store any time during the year, but on a few select days you can also tour the dairy production plant and watch how the ice cream is made. One summer tour date already passed on June 23, but additional tours will be held on July 14 and August 11. The tour consists of watching a short DVD, touring the production plant, and eating ice cream. You can also learn about how True Blue Aggie Cheese is made. A free learning experience is offered Monday-Thursday at 1:30pm may 29-August 16, 2012. Tour consists of a 10-minute DVD and a sampling of cheeses. The Aggie Ice Cream store offers True Blue Aggie Cheese, drinks and snacks, and sandwiches made to order.
Where: USU Nutrition & Food Science Building, 750 North 1200 East, Logan, Utah 84322; 435-797-2109 or toll free 1-888-586-2735,  http://aggieicecream.usu.edu/. Free parking for customers is available at the southwest corner of the building.
When: Tour dates are June 23, July 14 and Aug. 11. Tours are about 45 minutes and start at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4pm. True Blue Aggie Cheese learning experience is offered Monday-Thursday at 1:30pm and take about 15 minutes. Regular summer business hours for the store are Monday-Friday 9am-10pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, closed Sunday
Cost: Ice cream tour is $3 per person, which includes a scoop of ice cream. True Blue Aggie Cheese tour is free, and includes samples.

Honeycomb Sampler from Cox Honeyland

Cox Honeyland & Gifts - The Cox family has been making honey in Cache Valley since 1929. Well, actually, it's the bees who make the honey, but the Cox family harvests it and transforms it into an array of products, including creamed honeys, flavored honeys, and honeybutter. These products and more are available at the Cox Honeyland gift store in south Logan. You can also take a self-paced tour of the honey farm, where you'll observe bees coming and going from a glass observation hive, watch a video presentation, view a bee nursery, and take a look at the manufacturing facility.
Where: 1780 South Hwy 89/91, Logan, Utah 84321, 435-752-3234, www.coxhoney.com
When: Store hours are Monday-Friday 10am-5:30pm, Saturday 10am-4:30pm
Cost: Entry is free, items available for purchase

Crumb Brothers building via

Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread & Cafe - This artisan bakery is a favorite on the farmers market circuit and supplies bread to some of the most popular and delicious restaurants in Salt Lake City, but they save some of the best for their hometown fans. Crumb Brothers operates out of a dramatic and artfully-designed building on the west side of Logan, all soaring ceilings and exposed beams. Windows provide a glimpse into the production area, which can be toured Monday-Thursday at 9:30am. In addition to Crumb Brothers' own breads, pastries, and sandwiches, the retail store features a nice selection of local Utah food products. Don't miss the Milbury & Hodge Ginger Preserves from Torrey, Utah. A table in the corner is always graced by samples of bread and spreads or dips, but the tiny tastes will just leave you wanting more. If you need to sate your appetite, allow me to personally vouch for the Salami & Cheese sandwich or the Lemon Scones. Mmmmmm!
Where: 291 South 300 West, Logan, Utah 84321, 435-792-6063, www.crumbbrothers.com
When: Tours are offered Monday-Thursday at 9:30am. Store hours are Monday-Friday 7am-2pm, Saturday 8am-2pm, closed Sunday
Cost: Entry and tour are free, items available for purchase

Rockhill Creamery farmstand via

Rockhill Creamery - Six brown Swiss cows furnish all the milk that becomes artisan cheese at this micro-dairy in Richmond. Rockhill Creamery produces 200 pounds of cheese per week in varieties such as Desert Red Feta and Snow Canyon Edam. You might remember I purchased a couple of their cheeses during my recent visit to the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market. You can sample the offerings for the day at the farmstand. The historic farm also hosts Richmond's Saturday farmers' market, the Richmond Harvest Market. Tours of the working farm are offered by appointment only, Monday thru Thursday. Call for an appointment.
Where: 563 South State Street, Richmond, Utah, 84333, 435-258-1278, www.rockhillcheese.com
When: The Rockhill Creamery farmstand is open Saturdays, 10am-2pm, June through October. The Richmond Harvest Market is occurs onsite on Saturdays from 10am-1pm. Tours are offered Monday-Thursday by appointment only.
Cost: Entry and tour are free, items available for purchase

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Many other regionally and nationally-known foods are produced in Cache Valley, including FatBoy ice cream sandwiches and Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. These factories don't provide tours, but do have onsite outlet stores where products can be purchased, sometimes at a great discount.

Casper's Ice Cream Factory & Malt Shop - Makers of the FatBoy and Casco ice cream treats. The factory includes a retail malt shop and product sales. 11805 North 200 East, Richmond, Utah, 84333, 435-258-5219, www.fatboyicecream.com. Open Monday-Thursday noon-9pm, Friday-Saturday noon-10pm. Open one hour later during summer.

Pepperidge Farm Factory & Thrift Store - The Richmond production facility of this national cookie and cracker brand owned by the Campbell Soup Company is not open to the public, but it includes an outlet store that sells factory seconds. Believe me, a misaligned Mint Milano cookie tastes just as good as a perfectly formed one, and your kids won't be able to find a thing wrong with the Goldfish Crackers. Available products vary day to day. 1027 East 11600 North, Richmond, Utah, 84333, 435-258-3618



Whew! That's quite a list. Parts 2 and 3 of a kid-friendly day trip to follow.


LLL


Which one of these factories would you most like to visit? Which have you already been to? Are there any that I've missed? I'd be very interested in taking the Crumb Brothers tour and I also hope to make it out to Rockhill Creamery sometime soon.

Calendars Of Events and Things To Do in Logan & Cache Valley

You'll notice I have a tab above that says "Event Calendar". I hope to add a calendar of my own in the future, but in the meantime I have added links to other calendars that list Cache Valley and Logan events. None of these calendars are comprehensive, but they are helpful. In addition to these links, the print edition of the Herald Journal, particularly the Cache Magazine that comes in Friday's paper, lists many local events.

The local event on my family's docket tonight is the Star Spangled Rodeo in Hyrum, Utah. The event is sponsored by the Hyrum Saddle Club and uses Hyrum City's rodeo grounds, which were refurbished in the past year. Hope we have fun, and that a bull doesn't kick manure in my slushy (that happened to me one year, true story!).

Here are the links that now appear on the calendar page:

Kids All Around Cache Valley Calendar  - Calendar and blog of kid-friendly things to do in Cache Valley

NothingToDoInLogan?com Activity Calendar - Activity calendar for Cache Valley

Cache Valley Daily Community Calendar - User-submitted Cache Valley events

Cache Valley Visitors Bureau Calendar of Events

Logan Library Community Events Calendar

Utah State University has three calendars on their website, none of which is comprehensive:

USU Arts & Entertainment Calendar

USU Student Calendar (ASUSU)

USU Events Calendar (This one will bring up a past date. Click the "Events Calendar" link to bring it to present date.)

I'll admit that after seeing how many calendars are available and how each one is not comprehensive, I'm questioning my ability to create a helpful calendar that adds anything of value. I will put that idea on the back burner while I work on other content and daily posts on Lisa Loves Logan.

Be back on Monday with that post about how to have a great day trip to Logan Cache Valley with young kids. Also coming next week are reviews of our recent visit to Herm's Inn and La Tormenta. See you then!

LLL

Willows Golf Park - Providence, Utah

I'm working on a great post about visiting Logan and Cache Valley with young kids, but it's not ready yet so here is info about Willows Golf Park miniature golf course, one of the many kid-friendly places in Cache Valley. My family and I played a round there last Monday.

Willows Golf Park

220 N. Spring Creek Parkway

Providence, UT 84332

435-752-4255

Hours: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday - Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight, closed Sunday

Prices: Age 13 and up, $6; Ages 4 - 12, $4; Children 3 and under, free

FYI: Cash or check only. Credit/debit cards not accepted. The course can accommodate strollers as but might present some difficulty for wheelchairs.

Summary

The Willows Golf Park is an 18-hole miniature golf course in Providence, Utah, a community which adjoins Logan to the south. The Willows is one of three miniature golf places I can think of in Logan. They all have their virtues, and some of Willows' are its friendly employees, well-kept and shady course, and relaxing atmosphere. Prices can add up for a large family, but 2 for 1 coupons for return visits ease some of the sting. The place can be crowded on weekend nights, but the course design and mature landscaping afford some privacy from the other groups on the course. Late hours (open until midnight Fridays and Saturdays) make it popular with college students from Utah State University, but it's also a great family destination, especially during the day when it is much less crowded.

Sawyer, Tyson, and Beck enjoy complimentary popsicles at the Willows Golf Park in Providence, Utah

Review

When we arrived at Willows Golf Park on a Monday afternoon there were only a couple of other cars in the parking lot. We proceeded through some nice sitting areas featuring chimineas and brightly-painted benches and were greeted at the cabin-like pay shack by a friendly woman. She took our cash payment, assisted us in choosing the right size of clubs for our small children, gave us our score cards, and advised us that one of the holes was having new turf installed, so we would have to skip that one. She told us we could play the course twice, then looked at our children (ages 2 and 4) and added, "If you can handle it!" We definitely couldn't have handled it, but it was a nice offer!

Players proceed through 18 holes in a well-landscaped course that affords quite a bit of privacy from players ahead and behind one's own group. The course does not have novelty holes like miniature windmills and dragons who eat golf balls. Instead it features more standard golf course features like water hazards, "sand" traps, and gently sloping greens. Most holes are par 3. I may or may not have scored 8 on one of those.

The day we visited the fountains and "streams" were turned off, with the water in the large pond standing stagnant. In our case this was a good thing, because our toddler quickly lost interest in putting and took up playing in the water. More of it would have meant more trouble! Perhaps the water was off due to the workers applying new carpet in the park.

No outing with kids is complete without a visit to the restrooms. Willows Golf Park's restrooms, housed in another rustic cabin-like building, are clean and well-functioning.

When we finished our round and returned our clubs, the woman at the desk gave our kids popsicles and handed us a card good for 2 for 1 golf on a return visit. This has been my experience on previous visits as well.

Willows Golf Park is a great outing for families, groups of friends, awkward first dates, and good dates too!


LLL


P.S.: How competitive do you feel when you go MINIATURE golfing? I'll admit I want to win. Tyson beat me by 8 shots in this game after I got off to a rough start. Anyone have any great miniature golfing stories? Logan briefly had a glow-in-the-dark indoor miniature golf course that brought a whole new level of awkwardness to a miniature golf first date.

Black Pearl China Bistro & Sushi Bar, Logan, Utah - Restaurant Review

Update 6/21/2012: I've just gotten some new info about the Black Pearl Asian Bistro & Sushi in North Logan, Utah. First, "Black Pearl Asian Bistro & Sushi" is the new name on the menu I picked up today, a change from Black Pearl China Bistro & Sushi Bar (which still appears on the signs). Second, Black Pearl has a website featuring their menu at blackpearllogan.com and I've also included pics of the menu below. Third, the "50% Off All Sushi Rolls" special is actually available all day every day until further notice. Fourth, delivery is available. Fifth, the restaurant is only open for dinner on Sunday. Read on for the full original review.

We were pleasantly surprised by a couple of recent visits to the Black Pearl restaurant in North Logan. We had enjoyed the restaurant on our first and second visit when it opened in 2007, but then we had several mediocre and bad experiences that caused us to vow never to return.

Word of new management and the announcement of a half-price sushi special enticed us to try the place again, three years after our last visit. We went for lunch with Tyson's dad and ate a lot of decent-to-good sushi that was definitely a great value. We returned last week for lunch with our kids, and I have reviewed that visit below.

Black Pearl Asian Bistro & Sushi
2095 N. Main Street, Ste. C, North Logan, Utah 84341
435-750-0888
blackpearllogan.com

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday 12 noon-10:30 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Price range: $3 - $15
Lunch combo: $5.95 - $8.95 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Specials: Black Pearl currently offers a 1/2 price deal on all sushi rolls (excluding Seafood Nanudo and Sweet Heart Maki) during all business hours.

Take-out Available: Yes
Delivery Available: Yes
Year Opened: 2007 

Quick Reveiw of Black Pearl - Logan, Utah


At last the curse of the Black Pearl appears to be broken. After a few years of declining food quality and service, the Black Pearl has been revived and refined by new management. Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine share the menu, with completely satisfactory and sometimes downright delicious results. Service can be hit or miss, as turnover in the waitstaff seems to be high. Lunch specials starting at $5.95 are a great bang for your buck and include soup, main course, rice, dumplings, and fried wantons. Sushi rolls are fresh and well-prepared, if a bit unimaginative. Here's to hoping it's smooth sailing for the Black Pearl from now on.


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Full Review of Black Pearl - Logan, Utah

Location & Ambiance

The Black Pearl China Bistro & Sushi Bar occupies a couple of units of a nondescript strip mall set back on the west side of Main Street in North Logan. The bland stucco exterior gives way to a strikingly-designed modern dining room with soaring ceilings, bamboo accents, and a rich and sedate color scheme of tans and blacks. This is one of the better looking restaurants in Logan, especially at this price point.  Seating is mostly booths, with a couple of tables that can be pushed together to serve larger groups. Customers may also sit at the sushi bar along the back wall. The dining room and restrooms are clean and in good condition. Subdued lighting and interesting accents like a huge, curved "bamboo" wall give the restaurant a sophisticated ambiance.

Food

The menu includes Chinese selections, sushi and a few other Japanese items, and even a few Thai dishes. Most multi-cuisine restaurants fail at at least one (if not all) of their cuisines, but on a recent visit Black Pearl delivered at least competent and sometimes excellent selections from all three cuisines. When we arrived our friendly waitress promptly placed a plate of fried wonton strips on our table and took our drink orders. Litlle snacks like this are such a boon when one is dining with children! We started with a bowl of edamame, or salted green soybeans in the pod, because my kids love them. I believe they were $3. For our main selections we chose two lunch combo boxes and two sushi rolls, to be shared among all of us. The lunch boxes come with choice of soup, main course selected from a list of about 15 choices, side of fried rice, two fried cream cheese wontons, and two potstickers/dumplings, all for just $5.95 (add two or three dollars for shrimp selections). We chose honey walnut chicken and Thai yellow curry chicken. Our sushi roll choices were the Aloha Roll, which includes mango and a sweet sauce, and another more basic roll I can't remember the name of. They were both 1/2 off because of a weekday lunch special. The raw fish tasted clean and fresh, and the rolls were cohesive and well made. Our adventurous four-year-old son gobbled up just as many pieces as his parents did.

Soup selections include miso, hot & sour, wonton, and egg drop. We ordered one wonton soup and one egg drop soup, which arrived steaming hot and perfectly adequate in taste and portion. Soon after, the lunch boxes arrived, mounded with heaping portions of food. The huge pile of honey walnut chicken (traditional American-Chinese preparation with a mayonnaise-based sauce) was piping hot and tasty, with tons of chunks of battered and fried white chicken meat kissed by a glaze of the sweet, white sauce and dotted generously with candied walnuts. For me, though, the star of the show was the Thai curry. Chunks of chicken, loads of green beans and other veggies, and plenty of Thai basil swam in a complex and spicy yellow curry sauce. I only wish I had remembered to ask for white rice rather than fried rice to accompany the curry. I can't be certain the curry base didn't come from a container (there are some good prepared curry pastes out there), but even if it did, it was prepared properly and included a bounty of fresh ingredients. The dumplings and wantons were also good.

Coke and coke products are available in addition to jasmine tea, domestic and imported beers (including Tsing Tao and Sapporo), wines by the glass, and sake.

Service

Throughout our meal our server demonstrated the perfect combination of attentiveness and respect for our pace and our situation. She was kind to our children and always kept our glasses full. She cleared dishes promptly and checked back at appropriate times. We were happy to tip her generously and only wish she could stay long term at the Black Pearl. Unfortunately that would be the exception to the rule. Wait staff seems to have a high turnover rate at Black Pearl.

The Black Pearl is an ideal place for a date, an outing with friends or family, a business lunch, or even a solo lunch at the sushi bar. Well-behaved children are welcomed, but the menu and restaurant are not designed with kids in mind. I'm so glad to see the Black Pearl get back on track. I may be ready to crown it Logan's best Chinese restaurant!

LLL

P.S.: What has your experience been at Black Pearl? What other Chinese restaurants do you like in Logan and Cache Valley? Do you think most Chinese food kind of all tastes the same, especially at the take-out focused places? Well, did you know that all Chinese food tastes the same on the East Coast, too, but it tastes the same in a DIFFERENT way than it does here? True story!

Click image for larger version of menu

Click the image to open a large, readable version of the menu

Click the image to open a large, readable version of the menu

Valley-Wide Open House Day - Saturday June 16, 2012 - Cache Valley, Utah

What: Valley-Wide Open House, featuring over 100 open houses throughout Cache Valley
When: Saturday, June 16, 2012. NORTH Valley Tour 10 a.m. - noon; SOUTH Valley Tour 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Cost: Free
FYI: Boundary for North and South tours is 400 North in Logan.
More: Catalogs of all the properties on the tour are available here.

Are you thinking about buying a home or selling a home? Maybe you just love to see what other homes look like inside? Are you looking for a real estate agent? Thinking of building a home? Then tomorrow is your day! Over 100 homes in Cache Valley will be open to view tomorrow, June 16, as part of the the Cache-Rich Association of Realtors Valley-Wide Open House.

In the morning is the South Valley Tour, which covers all areas of the valley south of 400 North in Logan, including properties in Hyrum, Logan, Millville, Nibley, Providence, Wellsville, and Young Ward . These homes will be open from 10 a.m. to noon. Homes from 400 North to Franklin, ID will be open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. that afternoon, including properties in Benson, Cove, Hyde Park,Franklin, Lewiston, Logan, North Logan, Richmond and Smithfield.

It appears that Amalga, Avon, Clarkston, College Ward, Mendon, Newton, Paradise, Petersboro, River Heights, and Trenton don't have any properties on the tour this year, but with over 100 homes available to view, there is still much to see and learn. Agents will be on hand to answer questions, and it will be a great chance to meet and evaluate agents if you are in need of the service of a Realtor.

A few properties on the tour are on my Saved Properties list at www.fieldingrealestate.com, so I'll be checking them out tomorrow. I hope to hit some garage sales and the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market, too, so it should be a busy and fun Cache Valley day. Luckily we were able to visit Summerfest today, so we won't be trying to pack that in tomorrow as well.

Have a fun weekend!

LLL

P.S. - Do you ever crash open houses even when you're not really house hunting? Any good stories?