Well we made our first trip away from le bébe two hours away and into the snow of all places!
Big Bear has always been in the back of my mind since moving to Los Angeles ten years ago. I was baffled a place like this could exist so close to the year round sunshine.
Snow just two hours away? Skiing just two hours away? I’m starting to understand the California tax code!
Not to rival the scale of ski resorts in Colorado, the grandeur of the Swiss alps or the chic amenities of Aspen: this is a humble place.
And to be honest I haven’t heard the fondest of reviews about this little Big Bear Lake. But perhaps that was just the ticket in exceeding my modest expectations of the little town that could actually be the perfect snow escape? At least for one quick day and night with my hubby.
Shop Ski
We left as early as we could and probably should have left earlier but before we knew it the landscape had shifted from flat ugly freeway into mountainside views of nature we tend to forget exists in the big and beautiful state of California. Pine trees and snowcapped mountains flooded my window view as we climbed up to about 8,000 ft above sea level.
As the lake became more and more visible so did the snow as we rode on into the small town of Big Bear Lake. Log cabins, country restaurants and liquor stores lined the streets as we pulled into the overflow ski resort parking lot, parked and waited for our shuttle.
Big Bear Mountain Resort has two main ski/snowboard areas available: Bear Mountain, which seems geared towards snowboarders with a tricked out terrain park and Snow Summit, the more traditional snow sport mountain where we went. The number of runs are limited and it’s a relatively small mountainscape in comparison to most west coast ski resorts but it was charming, family friendly and the perfect amount of powder for the half day of skiing we ended up with.
And as the story always goes, the first part of day is always I pray, I pray and the second, aprés, APRÉS!
Since my last experience on skis went relatively well I went up the lift fairly confident in my ability to be okay, regardless of inevitable falling or difficulty slowing down and for the most part all of that was minimal. Outside of my finale performance sliding into the orange net on the last run of the day I was actually doing very well.
We even managed to make our way down a run completely on our own, with nothing but the birds and slits of sun peeping out through snow capped trees as as it made it’s way to set for the day. After ambitiously sliding off some small jumps my husband made us stop and bask in the complete silence around us.
The first part of day is always I pray, I pray and the second, aprés, APRÉS!
Though the mountain resort was small we managed to get everything and more of what we wanted from the experience; easy runs for moi and a little aprés action before the sun started to set.
Most importantly I wore the ski sweater I purchased last season while five months pregnant lusting for my next chance at champs in the snow.
And here it was!
Shop Cabin Cozy
Eager to get warm and bubbly we checked in to our little cabin in the woods at the modest, but charming Oak Knoll Lodge.
We stayed in cabin No. 2 and overall the place was cozy and cute with a charming fireplace that did a wonderful job warming us up all night long. It was the best option considering the nicest hotel in town was a Holiday Inn and the new Marina Riviera was still under construction.
I really wanted a woodsy cabin vibe and definitely got it. If we ever return, however, I will most certainly invest more time in finding a great house rental given the amenities weren’t that plentiful.
But the charm was real!
And there was a natural champagne bath that I {quite literally} dug.
In addition to a large tub I decided to soak my swollen ski feet in before sipping some more champs before dinner.
Shop Aprés Dark
After we freshened up I tried my very best to order an Uber to the Big Bear Village, however was quite unsuccessful so my husband played designated driver so that I could continue to aprés!
I was impressed how cute the main road was, still donning decorations from the holiday. Although the restaurant options seemed minimal what made it harder to find a place was the lack of outdoor seating and quite frankly lack of employee mask wearing by most establishments. Fortunately we found just the place and this little bear found just the right sized margarita at El Jacalito!
We had a great experience on their patio next to a heat lamp and heaping pile of warm white queso. Arthur loved the cheesy chili relleno and vegetable fajitas, and even though the tortilla chicken soup was out I loved the enchiladas and overall customer service.
After dinner we took a little stroll right into North Pole Fudge Shop to get some goodies for our parents and to enjoy back at the cabin. I was over the moon to find a huge peanut butter cup, the perfect compliment to a movie in bed.
Shop Mountain Morning
The next morning we slept in as best we could before hunting down some sustenance at Moonridge Coffee. The aesthetic alone was enough for my heart to burst all kinds of Ralph Lauren log cabin edition vibes but I was actually impressed that a coffee shop in Big Bear did a better job of making a less sweet vanilla almond milk latte than almost every bougie shop in Los Angeles.
Also the everything avocado toast which is basically a combo of avocado toast and an everything bagel was good enough to get me to eat breakfast before noon!
After sitting pretty on the rustic porch while we waited for our oder we headed back to our little cabin to enjoy one last fireside moment before getting back to the big city. Arthur impressed me with his fire building skills as I sipped my perfect latte on the porch and watched the kiddos go sledding across the road.
Just another exciting prospect of what’s to come when our little Parker gets to see snow for the first time. Sledding and likely supervising his mama on skis down the mountain. Xx
