If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Have you ever dreamed to switch your surfboard into a snowboard over night? Well you can! When you are in Southern California, the great advantage of the diverse landscape is that you can be at the beach in San Diego, Los Angeles or Orange County one day, and in the desert or in the mountains the next day. Big Bear is only a 3 hours drive from San Diego, and a great change of décor in just a few hours.
Discover Big Bear – Attractions:
The drive up the mountain is preparing you for a different background. The palm trees are far behind, the colors changing and the houses are quite different. Big bear offers some exciting activities and attractions.
- Bear Mountain and Snow Summit Mountain are the two ski resorts in Big Bear California. All year long the two ski resorts here in Big Bear are great places to spend a couple days. During the summer, it is always nice to leave the warm beaches for a while and go enjoy the fresh air of the mountains. Ski lifts are open to bring you up the mountain and take you to nice hiking trails. In the winter you can enjoy the beautiful winter atmosphere in the white snow. The Snow Summit resort caters more to skiers, and Big Bear Mountain is a resort for snowboarders. You can enjoy the snow park and a few nice slopes. They both are small resorts, but still very impressive so close to the coast!
- The Solar Observatory is another great attraction in Big Bear. Who would have thought to find the largest solar telescope of the world in a ski resort in California? Well yes, it is in Big Bear! And it is in the Lake… wonder why? Because water prevents heat waves that could affect the telescope.
- Moonridge Zoo is not the typical Zoo. It is more of an animal rescue park. Injured animals, “rejected” from zoos are sent there and taken care of, even sometime taught how to be on their own and release into the wild. The goal of this park is to preserve the alpine wildlife. So you can observe all sorts of animals and birds in their wild environment. A great description of the park can be found here with more details.
Discover Big Bear – Lodging:
When visiting Big Bear California you have quite a few lodging options. There are a lot of hotels available, as well as cabins and townhouses for rent.
- Cabins are the most typical experience. They are a nice change and will give you the feeling you are in the middle of the Swiss Alps. That’s a way to enjoy your vacation! When you are traveling in a group, renting a cabin can be an advantage, because you can share one accommodation without sharing a room. You can find very different prices for cabins rental depending on the location and amenities you are looking for.
- There are a lot of hotel choices in Big Bear. Check online or when calling, ask for special deals. There are lots of hotels offering the AAA membership discount in Big Bear. Also during ski season, hotels offer special weekend or midweek deals where you can buy 2 one-day lift tickets with a room, for a great price. You can find some information here but this is not the entire list. Deal Base also gives great insights on special deals. The Lakefront Lodge has a lot of choices from cabins to master bedrooms, and the best location to enjoy the beautiful Big Bear Lake in the summer, and easy access to the slopes during the winter. Also, some of the most popular hotels are the Vintage Lodge and Timberline Lodge, but they both have their price. Of course, you will also find the typical hotel chains such as Best Western and Motel 6 in Big Bear.
Big Bear is a great way to experience two completely different worlds in very little time in California. Beaches on the coast, and mountains 3 hours away! It’s amazing! And once you’re going up the ski lift, don’t forget to look back and see the desert, it is truly breath taking!
Related posts:
One Response to “Discover Big Bear, California”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Fox Rent A Car, Fox Rent A Car. Fox Rent A Car said: Go skiing in California: http://foxrentacarblog.com/2009/11/discover-big-bear-california/ [...]