by Daniel Olsen
Some fans might not call this a vacation if they live in Utah. However, northern Utah is a scenic place to be in autumn time. This is also a great game to be at on a Friday night. It’s often played on the Friday before the General Conference for the LDS Church that owns BYU.
If fans think there is nothing to do in Logan, think again. Logan Canyon has beautiful hikes and other outdoor activities. The Crimson Trail and the Wind Caves are two of the more popular ones.
Fans can also check out historic downtown Logan. The Bluebird, a restaurant that has been across the Tabernacle on the corner of main and center street for over 100 years, has a great dinner and ice cream parlor. The kitty corner from there has the Center Street Grill. While that is a nice place, Morty’s on USU campus is the best burger joint in Logan. The best breakfast place is Angie’s. Sweet tooth BYU fans can try to clean a literal sink of ice cream with their friends to get an Angie’s bumper sticker saying that they accomplished the feat.
Speaking of ice cream, one can’t go to Logan without trying some famous Aggie Ice Cream. While the BYU Creamery has more flavors to choose from, the quality of the Aggie Creamery has won State awards. It makes sense coming from an agricultural school that prides itself on a high class dairy farm. The general consensus is that Aggie Blue Mint is the best flavor. Even people who don’t love mint ice cream have reported that they are impressed with this flavor. There are a variety of high quality flavors for the taste buds of thousands of customers to choose from.
It might be a little cold in October, but First Dam is a popular place to swim and canoe at in the summer. There are places down Logan Canyon to camp at near second and third dam as well. The beautiful Bear Lake is a drive through Logan Canyon away.
Willow Park in Utah has a zoo where visitors can enter for an affordable price. There are a variety or birds, reptiles, and mammals as well as other types of animals available to see at this zoo. Until recently, this zoo was free to the public.
Cache Valley also had the CVTD which is a free bus system. It’s a great way to get from one place to the next. For fans flying into this game, a rental car isn’t required. Besides the ticket for a bus from Salt Lake City, the transportation goes from about 6:30 AM to 9 PM at most stops.
The game is set to start at 7:30 PM Mountain Time. Since the game will end after 9 PM, it might be nice to find a hotel within walking distance of the game for fans not getting a rental car. The University Inn is a highly rated hotel within a mile of Maverik Stadium.
Other hotels will be a bit further but also cheaper. For fans that are close to their wedding anniversary, there is an Anniversary Inn in downtown Logan. That is just over two miles from the football stadium. However, it is right by the scenic Logan Temple. Many BYU fans are members of the LDS faith who will enjoy the pristine beauty of this building.
USU Campus has plenty of fun sites to explore. The historic Old Main building can be seen throughout the Cache Valley. The A lights up blue whenever the Aggies win. On True Aggie Night on homecoming weekend, a full moon, or A-Day, thousands of students kiss atop the block A next to Old Main at midnight to become True Aggies.
There is plenty to do in Logan, which is what makes it a hidden gem in Utah. It’s just a little drive off the interstate to Cache Valley, and the weather conditions shouldn’t be too bad in October like they are in the blustery winter during basketball season. This could be the start of a tradition for many BYU families. They can head up to Logan on a Friday night and watch the Cougars and Aggies battle for the Old Wagon Wheel. Then, they stay and watch General Conference or do whatever else they find fascinating.
Featured image courtesy Fan Insider