As mentioned in the previous post, Jackson Hole was a destination that many patrons drove home from, and would take the long route from there, through Bear Lake, and into Logan. Largely during the 1960's, National Park tourism was in the middle of a huge boom, due to the affordability of family vehicles, easier wages, and the concept of the 'family vacation'.
Yellowstone, even though it was high up in the Northwest corner of Wyoming, was one of the largest attractions in the Western part of the United States. Between the years of 1960 to 1970, an increase grew from 1,443,288 to 2,297,290 tourists per year in the park alone. And it is very possible that some families intended to see the hidden beauty of Bear Lake on their drive home, south from the park as well, if not just passing through.
https://web.archive.org/web/20061014222808/http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/historicstats.htm
Because of these people, their need for a place to stop off and rest was a great one. Logan Canyon was a small, two - lane road that was barely being expanded upon in the lower part by the mid-60's. Because of the difficult road constructs, driving was the majority of their trip, as this type of tourism was becoming a national past-time for families to revel in. And since there was next to nothing for lodging in Garden City, the Mitchell Motel was a welcomed site for many who were passing through.
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