Big Bear

I'm always on the lookout for fun places we can take weekend trips that aren't too far away. Last fall I heard about Big Bear and requested them to send me some info. My friend and I happened to talk about it one day and she had also just requested a brochure. So, with Memorial Day weekend coming up, we decided kind-of last minute to take a trip and check it out. I am so glad we did! It was so beautiful and we had a fabulous weekend!

We stayed in a fun condo right next to the ski resort. It was perfect with a great view and surrounded by beautiful pine trees. When we first got to the condo Friday evening, Zac ran around looking at everything, checking out the balconies, etc., and kept saying, "This is wonderful! This is the best place in the whole world!" He was so funny and excited--it totally made us laugh. Here are a few of the highlights of our weekend at Big Bear Lake:

B- BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
I- Investigating the Great Outdoors
G- Great Hikes!

B- Boating on the Lake...Paddle Boats, that is
E- Enjoying cooler temperatures and PERFECT weather
A- Alpine Slide
R- Rocks, rocks, and more huge rocks

L- Lake (& lizards)
A- Awesome views
K- Kids in heaven and covered in dirt
E- Eating picnics and lots of yummy food

It was so gorgeous and fun that I took tons of pictures...I tried to cut them back but there are still a lot!

B- BEAUTIFUL!!!!!


There were HUGE pine trees everywhere. I'd never seen such huge trees or pine cones.




I- Investigating the Great Outdoors

Zac and Ryley exploring

Holding a little frog they found in the stream--YUCK!




G- Great Hikes!

We did a different hike all three days we were there. We took our time and let the boys stop to play, climb on rocks, find sticks, look at lizards, and pick wildflowers. They really help you to stop and appreciate everything along the way!

Woodlands Trail:
At the beginning of our first hike...look at the huge tree trunk behind them!





Castle Rock Trail:
Our second hike turned out to be a bit more of an adventure than we planned on...we thought we were going to an easy trail along a river, perfect for families, but we accidentally ended up at the Castle Rock Trail...moderate to difficult, 2.4 miles of steep climb with an elevation gain of 500 feet. Since we were already there and ready to hike, we decided that we'd go ahead and try it for a while. Kayden and Ryley were in the backpacks, so we figured that when we got tired, we'd turn around and head back.

Zac was always on the lookout for a good hiking stick for himself and everyone else. I'm sure Karalee and Ryan were always excited when Zac came up to them with a stick he had found for them to carry. :)

We ended up hiking the whole way and made it to Castle Rock at the top of the mountain! We were so glad we did...there was an awesome, unobstructed view of the whole lake from the top of Castle Rock. I couldn't believe how great Zac did hiking the whole way by himself. He's a tough little guy! And he even spent half his energy climbing on big rocks and collecting sticks for everyone along the way.

at the end of the hike, almost to the very top

View from the top of Castle Rock


Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail:

On Monday we found the easy trail we had mistaken for Castle Rock Trail. It was a beautiful walk along a stream and ended at a huge Champion Lodgepole Pine (one of the largest...it was 110 feet tall) and a pretty green meadow.



our little hiker





B- Boating on the Lake...Paddle Boats, that is

Monday morning we rented paddle boats and had fun paddling around the lake.
It was so relaxing that it even put Kayden to sleep.



E- Enjoying cooler temperatures and PERFECT weather


A- Alpine Slide

Mattt and Zac on the ski lift, riding to the top of the slide

Zac absolutely LOVED the alpine slide. I think he ended up riding it 5 times between Saturday and Monday. He loved it so much on Saturday when we went that we ended up going back to ride it again on Monday. After riding it with me, he told Matt, "Mommy was scared to ride the slide, but I wasn't!"



R- Rocks, rocks, and more huge rocks

One of the awesome things about hiking in Big Bear was that there were huge piles of rocks and boulders everywhere. They were really cool to look at, and Zac was in heaven climbing on them. There were so many great rock formations...we wondered how they all got there.


Zac's special "rock-throwing pose" when he'd throw rocks into the lake





L- Lake (& lizards)

We must have seen hundreds of little lizards on our hikes...they were running around everywhere on the logs and rocks. The boys loved finding and watching them.


the boys loved feeding the ducks

playing in the sand and water





A- Awesome views

On the Castle Rock hike--about half way to the top

from the top of Castle Rock




K- Kids in heaven and covered in dirt

I've never seen my boys so dirty before...we forgot the wipes on the hike, and this is what Zac looked like by the end. At least it's obvious that he was having fun!







E- Eating picnics and lots of yummy food

roasting marshmellows on the balcony of our condo

(Side note: This is Zac's "rock star" shirt. He absolutely loves it. One day he randomly started singing this little rock star song and doing a little dance...not sure where he learned it, but when I saw this shirt I knew he'd love it. I was right--it's his favorite and he'd choose to wear it every day if I let him. The day I bought him the shirt, the first thing he told Matt when he got home was that Mom had bought him a rock star shirt. Funny the little things that kids love.)




It was such a great weekend! Thanks Karalee, Ryan, and Ryley for such a fun time! We highly recommend Big Bear to everyone!