By Barbara Singer

A friendly get together same time every year is an opportunity for us to discover a new destination.  With friends, who live  across the U.S.A., we chose Big Bear  Lake, California for this year’s close encounter.  Big Bear Lake Resort is a timeless rustic mountain getaway and it’s the most popular Southern California mountain retreat. Is there anything more classic than sharing the joy of a travel with friends in a natural setting  where past meets present? Big Bear is a place for all seasons for so many reasons.

These mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest have a long history of Indians, specifically the  Serrano and Cahuilla tribes, related by common customs and language  and their descendants live here today. Miners flocked here in 1860 for the discovery of gold. Big Bear today remains a scenic lake wonderland dominated by pine and oak forests.

Day one: Our group of five friendly travelers, from East Coast and West Coast cities. Gathered in Orange County for a two hour ride to Big Bear Lake, heading up to the mountains, elevation 6,752 feet, via Highway 330 through the city of Redlands.

Great news, our arrival accommodations at the Robinhood Resort had a striking lake view, cozy fireplaces and mini-kitchen, plus a Jacuzzi spa right in the living room.  No time to lounge, we dropped our luggage and we were off for adventure, starting with Big Bear’s great outdoors. With our diversity of interests, my visiting friends hopped on the Scenic Sky Chair zooming up to Snow Summit, as I rumbled up the mountain in the van and we all met to share the spectacular view and grab a bit of lunch and gab.

No kidding, this group was raring to go; next it was kayaking on the lake at Captain John’s Fawn Harbor & Marina on the North Shore; water sports are a popular past time and paddling on the lake was cause for an adrenaline rush. Lakeside, the locals were having a friendly get together with plenty of live music; there are many artists living in this beautiful mountain retreat.

Okay… now my shopping adventure was about to evolve; finally it was my time to explore Big Bear Village. Plenty of quaint shops, art galleries, unique jewelry shops and mountain trading posts with unique bits and pieces. For handmade items, so I was attracted to the trendy Paisley Boutique and made some pleasurable purchases here. After lingering at the Gallery of the American Landscape to view stunning landscapes by Timothy Wolcott, a refreshing expresso at The Copper Q hit the spot plus a tasty pastry at their cooking demonstration. The Big Bear Village is truly charming and walkable with many reasons to stop and shop. It’s lovely in the Fall and so delightful in Winter with snow everywhere. Big Bear cuisine is tops at Evergreen International restaurant, my friends chattered away about the day’s adventures; however, I was enchanted that every entrée was an artistic display of delectable dining on a plate.

Day two: On the go, began with a hearty breakfast at the Sherwood Forest’s own Nottingham’s Restaurant, then on to the educational Big Bear Discovery Center with a quick tour to explore the history of the area, artifacts and research. Did I see a real bear in Big Bear? “Yes!” Was it alive? “No!”  I was up close and head to head for a photo op.  Serious adventurers in our group opted for a 4-Wheel ‘Off the Beaten Path’ trip in search of the early gold mining routes and sites in Holcomb Valley.

Big bear is a great place to just hang out-so that’s what I did, as I walked along the lake, checking out homes and local spas like the popular Village Spa.

We gather for a spicy Indian lunch at the authentic Himalayan Restaurant savoring their specialty Mo Mos. Everyone had their favorite Big Bear experience on this getaway, mine was the Moonlight Safari at Moonridge Animal Park and Zoo-it was exciting searching for the animals in their cages at night with only flashlights. There were many animals to seek out like: coyotes, owls, mountain lions, bears, red fox, snow leopard and more. Curator Debbie Richardson has personally raised these animals at her zoo.

Day three: time to move on, heading back included a last minute bit of excitement.  It was Ziplining with Action Ziplining Tours. Up, up and away across the top of trees  with speed and suspension along the way. We had a brief encounter with the fun  and thrills of Big Bear, while we encountered good times together.
 

Find out everything about Big Bear at: www.bigbear.com
www.robinhoodresort.info
www.nottinghams.info
www.evergreenrestaurant.com
 

photos by Barbara Singer, Journalist/Travel Writer from Los Angeles & Santa Barbara

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