The Wild West arrived today on 25th Street in Ogden, Utah, complete with cowboys, bad guys, shootouts, stage coaches and beautiful damsels in distress!
Once again, Ogden doesn't disappoint. Ogden Municipal Park was converted today to a HUGE Farmers Market and combination Street Sale going all the way around the park and down both sides of History rich Twenty Fifth Street! Children were given FREE rides on the backs of beautiful, majestic Western horses. Stage Coach rides were only a dollar, and the Root Beer came in a huge glass mug (free refills too)! The girls were loving every minute of it. The cowboy vs. bad guy shoot outs occurred every hour on the hour and the stagecoach was robbed as the beautiful lady passengers were hauled away by the outlaws!
The girls loved the beautiful gentle horses (note Liv's wearing not only
her cowgirl hat, but has her bow over her shoulder and an arrow in her
belt)...and Liv was prepared to be a heroine! BRAVE!
The girls loved their first Stagecoach ride! I told them to think about how rough the trip across the West would have been bouncing along in the Stage with NO air conditioning or other creature comforts. So, what was fun for them today and exciting, I am sure, was a rough ride for those brave souls who traveled this way so many years ago. Ogden City, also known as Junction City because of its century
old role as the junction of the transcontinental railroad, is the heart
of northern Utah and the Weber County seat of government and business. It has a wild and wonderful history and the people here are so willing to share all the "good, bad and ugly" parts! It was actually a very wild place during those Wild West days. Al Capone is said to have visited here, and it wasn't even safe for him! 
This morning beginning just before 8 AM, the sidewalks were lined with
local farmers displaying their fresh wares. Since the growing season
starts to much later here than in Georgia, we are getting treated to
amazing red and black raspberries and blueberries (all organically
grown). So delightful! I strapped on my backpack and went shopping for
delightful berries, and beets, corn, kale, sweet peas and onions just
pulled from the ground outside town early this morning! 
The vendors are all local and much of the produce is organically produced. People here seem to be very conscious of the environment and eating healthy, although they do seem to consume HUGE amounts of bread!
The Farmers Market will be in the Park across from
the Ben Lomond Hotel every Saturday until October, so I am looking
forward to consuming a LOT of wonderful fresh vegetables.There were also vendors selling Breads, Rolls, Burritos and other assorted food goodies as well as jewelry, clothing and anything you can possibly imagine. It is like one HUGE sidewalk sale down the entire length of Twenty Fifth Street and around the park.
Every weekend the Market will have a different theme. This morning there was a display of tractors...some antique and some newer with the local farmers who own them riding them into town down the streets. There was a Children's Parade with hundreds of kids on bicycles, scooters and little battery powered cars escorted by the local Police and their Moms and Dads. What fun for all!
They get to keep their souvenir mugs free refills any time they bring them back!
The little cowgirls are really getting into this Western style of life.
Pioneer Days last until July 24th, and we have upcoming Rodeo's and special events nearly every day until then. We are all excited about watching everything from Rodeo Clowns to "Mutton Busting" Kids and Bronco Riding Cowboys!
What about the ugly? Well so far as we can tell there isn't an ugly thing we can say about Ogden or Utah in general. It is an amazing and beautiful State with some of the friendliest people we have ever had the opportunity to meet! Everyone here has welcomed us Easterners with open arms and helpful suggestions. Life if the Wild West may have been rough in the early years, but it sure is wonderful now!
More later from the Okaloosa Girl Gone West!
LOVE-PEACE & JOY!!!
Linda
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