If you are from the Los Angeles area then you have most likely heard of Big Bear Lake, as it is one of the most common vacation destinations year around. Being only two hours from LA and having two ski resorts, It's a perfect winter destination for the avid skier / snowboarder that have the weekend or two days off. Maybe you’re more of a hiker and just want a place to relax with some views. There are countless trails on AllTrails that you can hit based on your level of experience in addition to scenic road access roads. Being completely surrounded by mountains and at an elevation of 7000+ feet, Big Bear Lake is a perfect camping destination!
King:
Dad's always dragging me to new places and luckily for him this one didn't disappoint. We got to go hiking, played down at the lake and even camp like we did in the past!
The first day we arrived into Big Bear Lake, King and I just did a loop around the entire lake. Okay to be honest we did it twice. After the first drive there were too many places that I wanted to stop and pull over at! The drive is so peaceful and beautiful! It was hard to find a place to pull off and snap a photo our two but when you found those few spots it was totally worth it. With these few pull offs were great for King to get some energy out after our drive in. That is when we stumbled upon Boulder Bay Park, meet a few other dog owners and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon walk with a view of the lake and the distant mountain range. There is even a small dock at the park that King wanted to walk out on and probably even had the idea of taking a small paddle around the coves cool water. The design of the park is not large enough to do any off-leash playing for larger or high energy dogs. There are some great smaller patches of grass you can lay out for a picnic or play with any smaller dogs or puppies.
King:
Make me lay in the car for almost eternity and there is nowhere for me to run free?!?! Dad I am a butterfly just trying to stretch my wings you have to understand!
During our second drive around the lake King and I came upon a market that takes place every Tuesday on the corner of Division Drive and State Street. We arrived a little late and some of the shops had already closed up but we were still able to walk around a decent amount and it was enough time for King to get into a little trouble. Everyone there was so friendly. From some simple friendly conversations to a few people wanted to come up and meet King. At one of the booths there was a life sized yellow lab stuffed animal. King originally was not too sure of it since it was not moving. As he got closer he started to realized it was a stuffed animal and even wanted to pick him up! The owner of the fake pup was very nice and let King check him out for a little but I felt deep down King wanted to take him home lol.
King:
Still am unsure what was up with that dog... She didn't move at all and always was starring at me no matter where I was. I was even polite and let her have an opportunity to sniff my butt but she didn't do it! Is this the robot dogs that are going to take over my job?
One of our favorite finds was Village Drive. There are so many great shops in this area, public fire pits and places to sit and relax if you need to. Village Drive is on the south side of the lake and only a few minute drive from Snow Summit Ski Resort. If you enjoy checking out the local beer scene or just the atmosphere of those micro breweries then Big Bear Lake Brewery should be a definite spot on your list to hit. It's right on Village Drive and when we were there they had cornhole and a few other outdoor games set up to enjoy! Right across the street from Village Drive is the Big Bear Visitor Center if you want to check out everything that this mountain destination has to offer! Like all of our locations Big Bear Lake is extremely dog friendly. Most shops have water bowls outside and some even allow you to bring your pup inside with you. These quant destination towns are some of King and I's favorite travel spots! Also within Big Bear Lake there are a surprising amount of bear statutes... In some areas there is one if not two at each house. King of course wanted to pose by one!
King:
Dad kept making me pose in front of these scary bear statues. Like after the robot dog I'm not messing around with these things at all!
Although King and I love to stay at local airbnb’s and have enough room to spread out and relax weAlthough King and I love to stay at local airbnb’s and have enough room to spread out and relax we went more of the minimalist camping route this time. Having lived out of the van for 15 days when we crossed the United States, one night would not be an issue at all. We pulled off to a small parking lot on the north side of the lake, backed in, opened up the back and watched the final moments of the sunset fade away. It was a quiet little lot with minimal car traffic. King and I were out in a second and up at 5am for a beautiful sunrise over the lake. went more of the minimalist camping route this time. Having lived out of the van for 15 days when we crossed the United States, one night would not be an issue at all. We pulled off to a small parking lot on the north side of the lake, backed in, opened up the back and watched the final moments of the sunset fade away. It was a quiet little lot with minimal car traffic. King and I were out in a second and up at 5am for a beautiful sunrise over the lake.
King:
This may have been one of our nicest sunsets. Dad and I just got to stretch out in the van and relax. He even had a treat for me too!
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