When we finally got to the mountain we began the trek up to the resort which was at 6,800 feet. We took a couple pictures along the way before it got too dark.
We got our room key from Lori and checked out the building and suite where we would be staying. It was really nice, with a good-sized living room, kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom with a king-sized bed, small dining room, a washer and dryer, and a cute deck with a grill and patio furniture.
The view from our deck- not too shabby.
We had dinner that night with Bob, Lori and Ellen in their suite which was in the building next to ours. Then we hung out and chatted for the rest of the night. After going back to our room, we decided to see what Big Bear had to offer for late-night food. We weren't expecting much, but we started with a bar that seemed promising. They had just closed their kitchen, but when I asked if they knew of a place that was open they said Denny's. Sure enough, there was one five minutes from the resort. Not only that, but they had a number of other franchises up there like Starbucks, Taco Bell and Domino's. It was a pretty happening place, with a few other resorts in the area and plenty of shops and restaurants. The thing that cracked me up was that you could never forget where you were- they wouldn't let you. Every business had Big Bear written next to it, even places like Denny's and Starbucks. And they all had some sort of bear statue or wall art as well. Cai mused that there were probably more bear statues than there were real bears up there. :)
The next day we woke up in the afternoon (I know, another shocker) and were told we had missed the dusting of snow that fell that morning. Cai and I had breakfast with the fam and then drove around Big Bear Lake. It was a chilly day with fog rolling in over the lake, and it rained/sleet/snowed a bit on our voyage. We felt like we were right back home, not only with the weather but the colorful foliage as well. We'd both been looking forward to another climate and Big Bear didn't disappoint! Cai mentioned how nice it was having a place so close to us that had more noticeable seasons than in Orange. I agreed.
This is the size of the salt and pepper shakers in the kitchenette. I put a quarter in front of them for a reference point!
Grillin' at one in the mornin'.
On Sunday we decided to get up at a more reasonable hour because we wanted to go on the ski lift toward the summit. Cai made us some eggs and toast and we ate while listening to Bob and Lori talk about their time share meeting. There was no super fun prize, but they did get lunch. When we were properly bundled up and equipped with Kleenex we bought the tickets for the lift and made our way up the hill.
Once we reached the Summit View Haus we had about 45 minutes to walk around before the last chair down the mountain. It was a beautiful clear day, a bit warmer than Saturday, and perfect for taking pictures.
On the way back down I took some pictures from the lift, although I didn't trust myself to hang onto the phone for too long. Cai was also relieved when I put my phone away (geez, you'd think I was a klutz or something). :)
Since Bob and Lori went down before we did, Lori got a couple pictures of us on the lift.
On the ride back we decided to look for a spot to watch the sunset. We found a place off the beaten path and got these pictures.
When we got back to our suites Cai saw a rabbit sitting completely still near the office building. He even managed to get a couple pictures of it before it hopped away. I was impressed it wasn't scared of the flash after the first one.
Bob, Lori and Ellen decided to eat their leftovers for dinner, so Cai and I went to a Mexican place that they recommended called Azteca Grill. The food was delicious and Cai tried everything they had at the salsa bar. At first I thought we had found the one place that didn't have a bear statue, with all the brightly-colored paintings, tapestries and masks on the wall. But then I noticed one small clay piece of art with a beehive and a couple bear cubs crawling on it. Of course!
We went back to hang out with the fam some more before retiring to our room. Lori had mentioned to us that the outdoor hot tub was only surrounded by a short gate, and someone might be able to reach over and unlock it. And if that was the case we'd probably be able to get a good half hour in there before security drove by the area. I didn't feel like going in but I walked over with Cai (it was directly across from our building) and he went in for a dip. I sat on the side in a chair that was nestled behind a fairly large bush. Security drove by in their golf cart twice but didn't notice us. I was hoping my black winter coat would be a good camouflage in the dark and apparently it was! We made it back to the room completely undetected. :)
To finish the night, Cai put together some nachos to continue the Mexican theme and we watched TV until bed. The next morning we got up at 10 a.m. and had breakfast before packing up everything. We all left at noon and followed each other down the mountain to a line of orchards near the bottom. We bought some delicious cider and a couple different kinds of apples before leaving for our place.
This is the oldest chestnut tree in the state at Snow-Line Orchard.
It was a great trip and a nice change from the Orange atmosphere. Thanks to Bob, Lori and Ellen for the invite and the room and we'll see all of the Waegells at Thanksgiving!
