June 23rd and 24th ~ Bear Lake, Utah
Logan Canyon Scenic Byway to Cache Valley
A couple of years back, I located one of my cousins that I had never met through the magic of Facebook. With occasional posts, I got a tiny bit of insight into James, his wife Mandilyn and their two children. I learned that he was a talented tattoo artist and she was an accomplished hair dresser. They had recently moved into a home that they had built themselves.
When we were in the formative stages for our road trip, I reached out to see if it would be possible for us to meet when we passed through Utah. Much to my delight, they said yes!
Our timing was so loose, that the best I could do was give a very wide estimate of when we might arrive, with a promise to again contact them when we drew closer. As we approached Salt Lake City, we coordinated our schedules and decided to meet at Bear Lake, where they were camping for two nights. That worked out fabulous for us as well.
We had a beautiful drive through the Cache Valley, past Logan and on toward Bear Lake which sits in the corner of Utah and Idaho.
Crowning over the last mountain, the lake came into view.
Bear Lake in the distance
Garden City is known for growing raspberries, and we had been told not to miss having a raspberry milkshake. We had one and they were not kidding – delish!
Home made from a grain silo?
The lake has a lovely marina as well as several beaches where a variety of water sports were up for grabs.
Bear Lake Marina
Many ways to have fun in the water
We made reservations at the KOA Trailside in Garden City, right next door to Conestoga Ranch where they were camping. What a view they had from their deck!
View from the deck of their tent at Conestoga Ranch
We had such a lovely evening together, talking up a storm, getting to know each other, sharing family memories, and cooking brats over an open fire pit.
Mandilyn, James, Joanne, Tim
RV LIFE INSIGHT: I have discovered that it is definitely challenging to shave your legs in an RV shower that is not much larger than a phone booth. Hmmm, I’m wondering if that size reference even has meaning to the younger generation. Anyway, I’m thinking it might be easier to pluck the hair off of my legs instead…
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet my cousin James and his lovely family. With promises to stay in contact, I am very hopeful that they will come to stay with us at our mountain cabin before long.
A Note From Abroad 
What a wonderful experience.
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I always laugh when I inadvertently read the word “brats” in a sentence as a bad acting person instead of a food. 🤓
Beautiful pictures!
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Well, there have probably been a few of those “bad acting people” who should be roasted 😇
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It’s so fun to finally meet long lost relatives.
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I still have one more to go – a cousin in Florida. Maybe next year???
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Beautiful. 🙂 We’re happy you’ve met your cousin, too.
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Thank you!
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Totally understand the shaving the legs comment. It is an acrobatic moment for sure, and I have to time it when we have full hook-ups so I’m not using up all our water/sewer! Love your Mark Twain quote and this spot looks beautiful. Putting it on our list of places to visit. Safe travels!
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I’ll have to start wearing my Fitbit in the shower to get credit for that exercise!
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Ships passed in the night, pity we missed you, we were at Jackson a bit early. We now follow in your tire tracks to Arches and South.
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It’s good to connect. We now meet up a couple of times a year with one of my cousins and his wife whom I had more or less lost touch with. It took two family funerals to get us back together – we decided not to wait for any more.
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Now that sounds like a very wise decision 😃
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It is so nice that you got to connect with long lost family. I have done something similar in the last couple of years. The Logan Canyon byway is beautiful and the view of Bear Lake as you topped over the mountain – just stunning. As for shaving your legs, I have been known to shave mine by putting some water in a container, going outside and sitting down, wet and soap an area, shave that area, rinse, and repeat. It works pretty good and is easier than doing it in a phone booth. 😉
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It sounds like you came up with a workable solution. I’m thinking I might try using the shower at the campgrounds every third day to wash my hair etc. and just do a quick shower in the RV on other days. Still learning!
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How fun to finally meet a family member and have it go so well! Social media definitely comes in handy for connecting or reconnecting!
Re: leg shaving, years ago I invested in myself by having lazer hair removal on my legs and underarms. Back then it was expensive, but doable, and they still guaranteed it, for several years at least. Your post reminded me what a fortunate choice I made all those years ago, not even knowing what a bonus it would be for RVing. 😂👍
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Hmmm, maybe I’ll be checking into that when we return home 👍
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