At the end of September, we ended up booking a very last-minute Airbnb mid-week (Wednesday through Friday). Our quaint and cozy little cabin was about a five-minute walk from Big Bear Lake Village.
Daniel already had the days off, so after our distance learning on Wednesday was finished, we packed up our things, our dogs, and we were off! Given that the kids still had school - with all the books, computers, and even art supplies - it felt like our luggage doubled in size! Was it worth booking the trip while having to do distance learning from the cabin? My thought is that no, it was not. IF the Airbnb was a one-stop-shop, i.e. the place had a pool and our objective was to simply relax, swim, eat, and enjoy the place itself, then the answer would be a resounding YES. However, our Big Bear cabin was definitely not that! The location was convenient and it was a cute space, and while we knew many (if not all) trails were closed due to the fires, our objective was still to explore Big Bear Lake. On our only full day (Thursday), it was difficult to do so with school and homework – I think we barely made it out in time to rent a boat!
When we first arrived Wednesday evening, we headed out to Big Bear Lake Village and enjoyed a charming al fresco dinner at Teddy Bear Restaurant (yummy chicken pot pie) and had dessert at the North Pole Fudge & Ice Cream Co. Ice cream, candy, chocolate, fudge – it had everything you would expect and some fun novelty items as well (like chocolate rocks and all KINDS of bark), needless to say, the boys were happy! Another local spot we got to check out was Tropicali (who would’ve thought poke bowls in Big Bear?), delicious food and drinks, and the cool vibe blew us away!
On Thursday we rented a pontoon from Big Bear Marina (who we highly recommend). It was our first time renting a pontoon, and we had a wonderful time, even the dogs loved it! It felt liberating and free to drive the boat out on open water! I don't know if it's because we've been stuck indoors most days of the week, but the experience was invigorating and we were all in high spirits! The boys said they felt safer in the pontoon as well since it was a lot more stable than the aluminum boat we previously rented (which feels like it might flip over when you stand up) – so this definitely upped the enjoyability factor for them. Also, Daniel thought he caught the lake’s biggest fish when the line flew off the reel and actually snapped! I was trying to get a video but accidentally failed to hit record in all the frantic excitement – it didn’t matter though because we later found the line (when it happened a second time) on the propeller. He caught the lake’s closest propeller! And THAT, my friends, is why they tell you to turn off the engine when you fish! 😂
This trip made us want to buy a lake-front vacation home (#goals) but I suppose it’s one step at a time! For now, it’ll have to be coming back to rent a pontoon again. 😊 There were also a couple stores the boys were interested in checking out - candle-making (at the Village) and panning-for-gems (down the mountain a bit) – so we will most definitely be coming back for another visit, complete with another boat ride, exploring the trails, and other activities we missed! While it was lovely being walking-distance to the Village, next time the plan is to be lake-front, so do expect a “morning coffee with a view” Instagram post coming soon. 😉
Peace and Love,
Jinny and Daniel
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