Logan's Grandpa's Bookshelf...With A History Straight Out Of A Novel

Yesterday, my wife and I checked out some of the local shops in downtown Logan, Utah. The one store we wanted to visit was closed. Bummer. I had some trash to throw away, so I ventured up the street to the nearest garbage can. It was there I spotted a small business that was open...

A bookstore.

Score!

It's called Grandpa's Bookshelf, and it's adorable.

The entire shop is long and narrow, not much wider than an RV. It's broken up into individual rooms, each room containing its own genre of books. I'll bet the history of that particular building is fascinating. We met Grandpa of Grandpa's Bookshelf, a nice man who quietly went about the tasks of running a quaint small business. 

And the place was crowded, too. Granted, it didn't take much to crowd the space, but people kept coming in. It also answers the eternal question, how many books can you cram into a small space? The answer...

Quite a few.

While we were there, we struck up a conversation with Grandpa and he said he took over the store after he retired. Today I decided to do a little research on the store, so I did an internet search. I found a story from 2022 in the Salt Lake Tribune. It's amazing. I highly recommend you read it. You can find the link by clicking: HERE.

The story behind the store is more interesting than many found in the pages of the books on the shelves. If you're in Logan and you've got some time on your hands, check out Grandpa's Bookshelf at 29 West, 100 North. 

It was inspiring.

Ken Sanders...A Rare Book Store

Maybe it’s because bookstores are disappearing off the face of the earth, but when I come across a used bookstore, some of them resemble an abandoned church, or a place of worship that’s fallen in need of repair. Last week I visited such a building, a temple of knowledge.

Just off of State Street in downtown Salt Lake City you’ll find Ken Sander’s Bookstore. It's a rare find for rare books. The place is packed with literature, and other oddities. You walk the aisles and books seem to be so packed together, you fear the my spring from the shelves.

I picked up a Zane Grey book, not the ones printed in the 1920s and 1930s (those were too expensive...), but a newer one. I've never read a Zane Grey novel so now's my chance.

If you're in downtown Salt Lake, to go to 2nd East between 2nd South and 3rd South--you'll see it. But, I've heard that they might have to move, so you'd better hurry!

Photowalk: The Train Station...

Thanks to the season and our bosses, we were given a few hours of annual to us between Thanksgiving and New Years. Because of this, I found myself leaving work a little early and waiting for a train to take me to another train to take me home. And as a bonus, I was at the train stop while the sun was still out. I decided to take some pictures.

I wish I had noticed the birds earlier. I wish also I had something the birds would like to eat so I could have set up a shot or two. Just when I spotted a shot I liked, those darn birds would bolt and find more interesting environs. I got a few pictures, though.

Across the street from the train station there's a bookstore. It used to house another bookstore, but they moved. At that bookstore I saw a signed copies of The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse. I met Paul last September and he's a very cool dude! I seriously need to read one (or several...) of his books. If you get the chance, I recommend it.

Lots going on downtown SLC on Boxing Day. Though sometimes you have to look for it.