Logan, UT + Bear Lake, Idaho

Dear Friends:

As mentioned in previous posts, I'm in Utah and Idaho to attend my wife's family reunion.  After a few days in Utah, it was time to head north to the reunion location in Bear Lake, Idaho.  Actually, Bear Lake spans both Utah and Idaho, but we spent the majority of time on the Idaho side of the lake.  Getting there took only about 3 hours from Utah County.  Along the way, we stopped in Logan, Utah.  This was where my wife finished her undergraduate education - at Utah State University.  We wanted to stop there and show the kids where mommy went to school, since we usually spend time at BYU (my university).

Before hitting the campus, we stopped at the Logan LDS Temple.  It's such a beautiful building, sitting majestically on a hill looking over the city of Logan.  It was a gorgeous day, so the pictures turned out pretty good:

The kids and I sitting on the back side of the temple ; )

Because the grounds of each LDS temple are so well-kept, the grass was very inviting...the kids decided to run up and down a hill about 1,000 times:

We then proceeded to the Utah State University campus.  We walked through some buildings, as my wife showed us where she attended classes.  The most beautiful part of campus is The Quad:

The eastern part of The Quad, facing the Wasatch mountain range

The centerpiece of the Quad is the Old Main building - literally the first building of the university, around 1890.  That's an "A" on the main tower, signifying the "Aggie" nickname for the original agricultural school.

In front of the Old Main is the Aggie Bench.  I've heard about traditions surrounding this bench from my wife and her father, who also attended Utah State.  Apparently, campus tradition dictates that only those who kiss while sitting on the Aggie Bench, under a full moon, can be "True Aggies."

The famous Aggie Bench

The plaque in front of the bench adds even more rules.  To become a "True Aggie," you must be kissed by another "True Aggie".  This rule can be circumvented during Homecoming Week.  Sounds terribly complicated to me...but that's their tradition...

We then drove northeast through picturesque Logan Canyon, which was a beautiful drive.  We arrived at Bear Lake and proceeded directly to a cabin, located just over the Idaho border, where we would spend the next four days with my wife's family.

The cabin was nestled in the hills above the lake, with a drop-dead gorgeous view of the enormous body of water:

 

The kids were able to meet-up with all of their cousins.  I loved watching the kids play together and make up crazy games with crazy rules.  They really enjoyed just being around each other.

Macy's father was patient with all the little kids, treating them to a fun dinner on the cabin deck that evening:

The kids participated in a treasure hunt...and found lots of fun toys.  Little L managed to find a bubble wand...I think her face tells the whole story:

The weather was just sublime and when the kids finally went to bed (in a giant room full of bunk beds), the adults were able to sit outside and talk for a long time.  Long enough for a galaxy of stars to appear overhead in the night sky.  What a magical setting for the reunion.

That's it for now - more adventures at Bear Lake tomorrow!