Living Las Vegas

Real Life in the Shadow of the Strip

sponsored resources

Top Vegas Hotels: Bellagio, Luxor, Rio

Roads from the Ashes: An Odyssey in Real Life on the Virtual Frontier, by Megan Edwards

Escape the Heat at Big Bear

Round about July or so, when the triple-digit summer heat has settled in, I long for a fresh cool breeze to waft across my face. I could stand in front of an air conditioning vent, which takes care of the cool part. But fresh? Not very.

Fortunately, just a few hours’ drive from Vegas is Big Bear, California, a cool retreat with a snow-fed reservoir nestled in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest. Come summertime, the average daytime temperature is around 78 degrees – quite a difference from the 110 or so I get at home.

Big Bear is a collection of small towns surrounding the reservoir, which is called Big Bear Lake. It is a four-season vacation area, with skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, boating and swimming in the summer, and fishing and hiking year-round. I confess, I am not exactly the biggest fan of all that outdoorsy stuff, but even I enjoy a short walk through the woods, breathing in the earthy scents of pine, spotting wildflowers, and occasionally catching glimpses of ducks, deer, beaver and other wildlife.

On those trips when I am determined to see some animals, I make sure to stop by the Moonridge Animal Park, Big Bear’s zoo. The zoo’s inhabitants are rescued animals unable to live in the wild. Among the many residents are three grizzly bears relocated from Yellowstone, a trio of black bears, several big cats including a snow leopard and a mountain lion, assorted other mammals, and many birds, including golden eagles and bald eagles. Currently, the zoo is located next to Bear Mountain Ski Resort, but there are plans afoot to move it to the north shore of the lake next year.

The Big Bear Discovery Center, operated by the National Forest Association, offers information on hiking and biking trails. There is a selection of naturalist-led programs as well as nature walks, free trail maps, and assorted activities for kids such as panning for gold and building birdhouses.

Big Bear has several marinas that offer boat rentals. Visitors have a wide range of choices, including kayaks, canoes, waverunners, small fishing boats that will accommodate four to five fisherman, and pontoon boats big enough to host a floating party of 12. Boat tours are also available; the choices include a paddleboat and a pirate ship as well as more modern watercraft. The swim beach is also quite pleasant, and no watercraft are allowed in the area.

Big Bear has a full range of accommodations, from premium hotels and resorts to rustic cabins. There are plenty of bed and breakfasts available, too. Big Bear is fairly pet-friendly, with many accommodations allowing pets, so Fido can escape the hot weather, too. Personally, I like the whole rustic, mountain getaway concept, so I go for a cabin. OK, so maybe I go for the cabins that offer a Jacuzzi in front of the fireplace. That still counts as a cabin.

For me, no visit to Big Bear is complete without a bit of kitschy shopping in The Village, a shopping area located on the south shore, in the city of Big Bear Lake. Here you find the sort of shops every vacation town seems to have. My favorite is The Christmas Mart, AKA Der Weihnachts Mart, the biggest Christmas store I’ve ever seen. It has every conceivable Christmas village collection, plus ornaments of seemingly unlimited variety. Other shops carry the usual assortment of merchandise: candles, gourmet foods, Indian jewelry, crafts, fine art and photos, and souvenirs. And who can argue with movie theaters that include root beer floats among their refreshments?

To get to Big Bear from Vegas, take Interstate 15 south to Barstow, then take California State Route 247 south through the Lucerne Valley to State Route 18, where you turn left. You can’t really call this three-hour drive scenic, unless you like barren, desert landscapes. But the destination makes the trip well worthwhile.