Logan and Garden City, UT

When we were planning out the trip, we tried not to make too many reservations ahead of time.  But we did go ahead and reserve our campsites for Memorial Day weekend, just in case things were crowded.  We had reserved a spot in the Cache National Forest near Logan, in northern Utah, and as luck would have it, our friend and coworker Doug and his family live not 7 miles from there.  They invited us for Sunday barbecue dinner with their family (and extended family).  It was such a fun and lively gathering and the food was delicious – best meal we’ve had all week!  The family atmosphere made me miss my far-flung siblings (in Italy, Costa Rica, Scottsdale, Santa Barbara, Thailand) and parents back home.  I miss all you guys!
The Logan Canyon area is just gorgeous, with larger-than-life mountains and a picturesque river running alongside the roadway.  The peaks of the mountains were still snow-capped, and as we continued to climb in elevation the snow came right up to the road.  It was a very nice drive (no ice on the roadway) and we didn’t have very far to go today – just about 32 miles to Bear Lake, a crystal-clear lake that borders Utah and Idaho.

It looks chilly, but once we got down to Garden City there wasn’t any snow on the ground.  We (well, me) still thought it was a little cold, but almost everyone else we saw was wearing shorts and t-shirts so I guess we’re wimps.  But Doug’s wife Lisa had suggested we stop at Le Beau’s for a raspberry shake (the town is known for its fresh raspberries) so despite the fact that we were all bundled up we did sit outside and enjoy a nice frosty milkshake.  Once the sun came out it was actually very pleasant, and there was a heavenly fragrance in the breeze from the nearby lilac tree.
After settling in at the campground (now that Memorial Day weekend is over we are practically the only ones here), we took a walk down to the marina for a closer view of the lake.

The marina was home to quite a number of boats, and there were a couple of sailboats out on the water even though it wasn’t very windy.  One of our brochures calls Bear Lake the “Caribbean of the Rockies” because of its bright turquoise color and clarity of the water.  Our photos don’t do it justice, but we could see how it got the nickname because there definitely was a hint of Caribbean blue in the water.  Then again, maybe it was the seagulls.