When winter hits Southern California, I always find time for a trip to Big Bear Lake, one of my favorite mountain destinations for playing in the snow, relaxing in cabins and boutique hotels, and enjoying incredible lake and alpine views.
Last week was no different as the family and I checked into a great hotel room at Home2 Suites by Hilton Big Bear Lake (www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ontbeht-home2-suites-big-bear-lake/). Ideally located next to the lake, the ski slopes, and all the fun shopping and restaurants in town, the hotel had everything we needed for three days and two nights of snow fun.
Our suite was like a small house, with all the amenities. It came with two queen beds, a sleeper sofa, large TV, office desk area, and a whole wall lined with tons of cabinets and storage space. The room also came with a full kitchen, replete with apartment refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, dishes and silverware, microwave, coffee maker and an electric hot plate.
Beyond the room, the rest of the modern hotel is just as great. It offers complimentary breakfast each morning, movie nights for kids, a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor pool and Jacuzzi and more.
When not relaxing in Home2 Suites hotel, we were playing in the snow and exploring town. One of our favorite spots was Big Bear Snow Play (bigbearsnowplay.com), where me and my 7-yr-old son slid down a giant snow slope on big innertubes. We rented the innertubes for the day, so we got to go down the hill about 20 times.
Another fun adventure we experienced at Big Bear Snow Play is the Rope Course. This thrilling, aerial act had us walking between 12 and 35 ft in the air, balancing on ropes, crossing bridges and climbing through obstacles – all from the safety of a secure climbing harness.
The ropes course took us on a self-guided tour through more than 30 obstacles spread over 6,400 sq-feet on two levels. After snow tubing and navigating the ropes course, we grabbed some hot dogs and hot chocolate at Big Bear Snow Play’s Base Lodge.
Back at Home2 Suites we hit the indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Perfect for winter, the heated pool was comfortable, Jacuzzi was hot and the there we lots of lounge chairs and towels.
For dinner, we discovered Old Country Inn (www.oldcountryinnrestaurant.com/), a quaint, family-run restaurant & bar serving traditional American & German fare in a rustic space that is quintessential Big Bear.
For dinner I enjoyed traditional wienerschnitzel, with lightly breaded grilled chicken that was topped with homemade German gravy. This succulent dish came with homemade potato pancakes, red cabbage, and sauerkraut. We also sampled the incredible 16 oz rib eye steak with veggies and mashed potatoes. From the kids menu we ordered a burger and fries and chicken nuggets. For dessert we split the Landslide, a decadent and delicious mountain of vanilla ice cream, topped with melted hot fudge sauce and whipped cream, laying atop a fresh baked brownie.
After dinner we walked around Big Bear Village, the town’s charming center square of shops, restaurants, art galleries and pubs.
The next morning, I worked out in the hotel’s state-of-the-art fitness center and then joined the family for the hotel’s daily, complimentary buffet breakfast. Held in a large, light-filled room, the breakfast includes tasty items such as scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, fruit juices, an array coffee drinks, muffins, oatmeal and cereals, bread, and a make-your-own waffle station!
After breakfast we experienced the Big Bear Alpine Zoo (bigbearzoo.org), a zoo that is actually a rehabilitation facility offering injured, orphaned and imprinted wild animals a second chance in nature.
Officials say that the vast majority of animals brought here for rehabilitation are successfully released back into their native environment. “Those that remain with us on exhibit are either too injured or have been imprinted by humans and cannot be released back into the wild to care for themselves,” says the zoo website.
Highlights of our visit to the zoo include a massive grizzly bear moving around in a tunnel, a huge gray wolf roaming around his enclosure, cute little foxes and racoons looking for attention, and a large bald eagle eating a rat, while flapping his mammoth wings. The zoo is currently home to mammals, birds, and reptiles representing over 85 species and is located in San Bernardino County, the largest County in the contiguous United States.
After the zoo we had lunch at the Old German Deli, one of my favorite spots for authentic German sandwiches. For lunch we had delicious Schinkenwurst sandwich with a side of potato pea soup, and a German ham sandwich with potato salad. All sandwiches come with a choice of side, and a boiled egg and pickle. Schinkenwurst is a German luncheon cold cut, similar to bologna, that usually consists of pork, veal, and ham.
Back at the hotel we relaxed at the pool and then went to Stater Brothers Market and picked upa a hot, roasted chicken, rolls and some potato salad for dinner in our room.
After dinner the kids had a great time watching a movie in the hotel’s Kid Theater, where nightly movies are shown for the little ones. Each evening around six, kids can pick a movie they want, and watch it on a big TV screen, in big leather seats. And while watching, they can have free candy and snacks.
During our movie night, my son selected “The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge out of Water.” He had a lot of fun because he watched it with a large group of kids his age that were visiting from Guadalajara.
Big Bear currently has snow and it is a great time to visit for skiing, snow tubing, and playing by the lake. For more information on visiting Big Bear Lake, visit www.bigbear.com or call 800 4 – BIG-BEAR. For more information on the the hotel, visit: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ontbeht-home2-suites-big-bear-lake/
