Big Bear- Summer vs. Winter

Although the scenery in Big Bear is beautiful any time of year, summertime with 2 small kids left us scratching our heads, looking for ways to keep the kids busy. Our 1st disappointment came when we realized we had just traded our week in Maui for a week at the Lagonita Lodge in Big Bear! The lodge served its purpose (no frills), but it certainly wasn't oceanfront in Maui! It didn't seem like a fair trade to us, but we were trying to save money by not booking airfare. Big Bear is about 2 hours from anywhere in Southern California, so it made it our logical choice for a close getaway. As I said, the scenery was breathtaking and the weather was perfect, but since the girls weren't old enough to mountain bike or hike, we struggled to find activities.


We were able to find a little petting zoo, a children's museum in Lake Arrowhead and went on a small tour boat ride around the lake, but otherwise we spent lots of time playing at the playground and swimming in the Lodge's indoor swimming pool. Who wants to swim indoors in the middle of summer?



But Big Bear sure redeemed itself in the winter!


It was picture perfect. We enjoyed a great breakfast at the Teddy Bear Cafe and then headed to Snow Summit Ski Resort. The parking lot fills up fast, but they have shuttles running continuously so you don't have to carry your gear too far. I recommend renting your skis and boots at a local sporting goods store before heading up the mountain. It sure saves time and the hassle of waiting in line once you get up there. I also recommend coming up mid week, if possible. The lines are so much shorter and you may get more individualized time in a lesson. We put our older daughter in a 1/2 day lesson, which gave us time to teach the little one the basics. It's important to note that kids ski free through age 6, so teach them while they're young! Snow Summit has a nice bunny hill for beginners and was a great spot to teach the girls how to get on and off the chairlift. There is a ski run for every skier and snowboarder.


They also have a small daycare if you have a little one too young to ski. If you are just there to watch or need to take a break, there are plenty of viewing spots, picnic benches and outdoor restaurant seating areas to choose from.

Big Bear doesn't just offer ski resorts, either.
There are a few sledding and tubing locations and plenty of shopping in the quaint downtown area. You can also take a break from the cold and see a movie or play at the arcade.