July 30, 2015 – Sunny, 90 degrees

Miles Today: 62

Miles to Date: 4,828

States to Date: 19

Today I was a bicycle tourist in the truest sense of the word. I left Kaysville about 10 with the general idea to go to Logan, though if something interesting came up along the way, I didn’t have to get there, for I had meetings scheduled and no lodging arranged in advance.

I rather liked Ogden, which is less affluent than other places along the Wasatch Valley, but also less homogenous. The main street is littered with immigrant stores and restaurants: Mexican bakeries, Chinese buffets, Indian Tandoori, Mongolian Barbeque. Too bad I wasn’t hungry. Downtown featured wonderfully painted horses at the street corners. Just north of town I saw a sign for $5 haircuts. Really? I was straggly and so went in, where Corinne, the chatty wife of an Air Force solider, did a terrific job cutting my hair, at any price.

The next third of my ride was a perfect stretch of cycling. The breeze was cool. US 89 had light traffic and a great shoulder. The Wasatch Mountains loomed over me to the right, the Great Salt Lake spread out on my left. This stretch of agricultural land is like none I’ve seen in the West – sweet corn and fresh tomatoes; cherries, peaches and watermelons. Handsome orchards march up the mountainsides and farm stands sell terrific produce at ridiculous prices. I stopped at Granny’s for some watermelon, but I couldn’t eat it there, as they aren’t licensed for on-site consumption. They looked juicy and good, but not good enough to weigh down my pannier.

I decided that if Brigham City looked neat I might stay there. However, US 89 took a sharp right before the town presented a good face and so I decided to pedal on. Up, up, up another eight mile rise to a pass that eventually bought me into Logan Valley. I wasn’t psyched for such rigorous cycling. I just did it.

It was pushing six by the time I pulled into the Econolodge near downtown Logan. The town presented nothing but wide streets and preoccupied motorists, and I was too tired to seek out more character. At least it’s within walking distance of a few eateries. I got cleaned up and set out for dinner, pleased to find a Salvadoran food truck with tables under tents. I ordered the special, which included pamposas, yucca, fried pork and a sweet pancake dessert. Edgar, a local Guatemalan construction worker and college student, joined me in a great dinner conversation.