A taste or honey: and tomatoes and peaches and cheese and more in Utah's Cache Valley - Travel Mountian Day Trip

Sunset, July, 2002 by Pat Woods

The bucolic Cache Valley, north of Salt Lake City, is a food lover's paradise. You can sample its agricultural riches on a summer drive over a 40-mile stretch of U.S. 89/91. Start south of the valley, in the orchard country around Brigham City, and continue through the mountains before hitting the Cache Valley and Logan.

First stop, Brigham City Right alongside the highway is a handful of produce stands that stay open into October. July is prime season for buying ripe, locally grown tomatoes, Bing cherries, plums, and raspberries. Juicy peaches are a delicious highlight in August.

Next, take in the scenery as you wind through the Wasatch Range before dropping into the Cache Valley About 2 miles before downtown Logan, make a beeline for Cox Honeyland and Gifts (closed Sun; 1780 S. U.S. 89/91; 435/752-3234). Kids will love to watch the industrious honeybees at work in a display hive while you shop for raspberry honey butter and beeswax candles.

In downtown Logan the highway becomes Main Street, where you'll find cooling ice cream treats at the Bluebird Restaurant (closed Sun; 19 N. Main; 435/752-3155), with its classic marble soda fountain counter. Mound the corner, at the Bluebird Candy Company (closed Sun; 75 W Center St.; 435/753-3670; call for an appointment), watch candy makers hand-dip chocolates.

Back on Main Street, head north for a few blocks, turn left onto 1400 North, then left onto 1000 West, and make your way to Gossner Foods (closed Sun; 1051 North 1000 West; 435/752-9365). The company whose founder was originally from Switzerland, is known for mild Swiss cheese, flavored milk, and freshly churned butter. Watch the cheese makers at work, then nibble at the sample bar. One taste will tell why people drive hundreds of miles for fresh cheddar curds.

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WHERE: Brigham City is 60 miles north of Salt Lake City.

CONTACT: For Cache Valley information and a map (called Eat Your Way through the Cache Valley), call the Cache Valley Tourist Council (800/882-4433).