We had wanted to try rainbow trout fishing at Big Bear Lake, but we were aware that the picturesque lake, which sits at 7000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, is both a summer and winter playground for several million people living in the Los Angeles area.  That’s why we decided to drive to the lake during the off-season. 

There’s a special time of year between early September when the kids go back to school, and the middle of November when the snow-bunnies start to appear on the slopes surrounding Big Bear Lake.  During that period, you will find both the lake and the village downright quiet, --and when compared to the summer and winter seasons, the price of lodging is much more appealing. 

On our first morning at the lake, we opted to get our bearings by taking a narrated boat tour.  When we checked into the lakeside Lagonita Lodge, and inquired about tour boats, the front desk clerk assured us that we could depend on the captain of the ‘Big Bear Queen’ to provide us with pertinent information and interesting tidbits about the lake and its history.  The ‘Queen’ turned out to be a Mississippi paddleboat replica that took us around the more than 22 miles of shoreline in complete comfort.

 

We boarded the Queen just before noon and introduced ourselves to the ship’s captain, Chris Bellows.  The weather was excellent, with a pleasant temperature in the mid-70s.  Big Bear boasts sunshine 320 days a year -- a good reason why the location is a favorite of Hollywood filmmakers and TV producers. 

About 15 minutes into our excursion, we were fortunate to see an American bald eagle soaring high above our boat.  The eagles migrate to Big Bear Lake each fall from the colder climates of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.  We were surprised to learn from captain Bellows that our national bird has a wingspan up to eight feet, and weights between 10 and 14 pounds.  He also said, “It’s not unusual to see several bald eagles on any given winter day.”

Half way through our tour, we pulled into one of the lake’s many coves, where our captain called out to a waterfront cabin owned by the late Mel Blanc, who you will remember was the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other famous cartoon characters.  The captain’s call brought a jolly looking fellow out of the cabin and onto the front porch.  He lifted a waiting megaphone and replied to our captain in a loud voice, “badeep, badeep, badeep, that’s all folks.”  It was Mel Blanc’s son Noel.  He takes great delight in greeting excursion boat tourists with some of his dad’s famous dialogue.  Nice guy -- good impersonator, too.

We took note of a sizeable marina as we passed by another sheltered cove.  We thought it might be a good place to rent a boat for an afternoon of angling.  Captain Bellows suggested that if we planned to fish, we should make inquiries with Big Bear Charter Fishing. 

After disembarking the Queen, we drove the short distance to Holloway's Marina where we found Mike Marzell, the operator of a pontoon boat for Big Bear Charter Fishing.  Among other things, Mike told us “The rainbow trout are hitting well on worms today.”  Mike also seemed to know where the fish were biting, so we decided to hire him and his boat for a few hours.  We brought our own fishing equipment, but didn’t need to fetch it because rods, gear, and bait, were all provided with the charter.

 

Mike’s lovely wife Trish joined our party to help with the deep water trolling rigs the couple preferred for catching trout.  It didn’t take long before we had our first rainbow flopping around on deck.  Five more one and two-pounders quickly followed our first catch.  Mike and Trish seemed to be having as much fun watching us, as we were having catching the fish.  It was a great outing.

 

Our fishing time was up a little after four in the afternoon, and we decided to seek out the Visitors Center in the village to see what attraction might fill the rest of our day.  The center’s affable Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, Dan McKernan, suggested we try a late afternoon off-road tour.  Not the kind of thing that would normally appeal to us, but we thought it would be interesting to write about, so we signed up.  We were glad we did. 

We hooked up with Big Bear Off-Road Adventures.  The off-road vehicle utilized by owner Doug Walton and his crew is really something.  It looks like a khaki painted convertible panel truck without sides, but there the resemblance ends.  This machine has big tires and is awesome in appearance and performance. 

 

Within minutes of departing the parking lot at Big Bear Village, we were dashing along a dirt road and heading for the mountains on the north shore of the lake.  It wasn’t long before the dirt road turned into a bouncy narrow boulder-strewn trail.  It was an exciting ride. 

 

We asked our guide Doug if he knew of any old abandoned gold mines in the area.  He replied, “There are a good number of them in the San Bernardino National Forest wilderness.”  In a short time, we found and investigated three mines, circa 1850.  We were surprised that the openings to the mines were so accessible to the public, but the mines are in remote locations, so we guessed that was the reason for not having safety fences.  Gazing into the seemingly bottomless mineshafts, one could only wonder of the difficulties the miners faced as they worked deeper and deeper into the dark earth.  We were also impressed that these 150+ year old mines had wooden superstructures still in place and relatively intact.

 

The sun was beginning to set as we exited the third mine, so we headed back to the Lagonita Lodge for a well-deserved rest. 

The next morning we packed up and started our drive down the mountain and on to our next destination.  We reminisced about our fun filled day at Big Bear, and talked about how we would be recommending it as a first rate family vacation destination to our readers.  If you haven’t been there, -be sure to give it a try.

Mammoth Lakes resides on the edge of the Long Valley Caldera, a large area that subsided after an enormous eruption 760,000 years ago. In fact the same magma chamber that was the source of the heat that eventually caused this great eruption. Mammoth Lakes enjoys unique opportunities as the Town is entirely surrounded by the Inyo National Forest and is home to the world renowned winter recreation facility of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. With so many great attractions such as biking, camping, skiing, hiking, swimming and lots more. Mammoth is a great place for a vacation.

Some interesting facts I found out is that the highest peak is 11,053 feet. The town is 24.8 square miles, with a population of 7,093 people. An average snow fall per year is around 395 feet.

Snowboarding

Since the Olympic winter games in Nagano 1998, the Japanese have developed a fondness for winter sports. From ice-skating to skiing, every sport practiced in the snow or on ice has gained popularity. Initially there were only a lot of skiing places around Nagano, but the rising popularity of skiing has led to the birth of a lot of skiing areas with good facilities. While Nagano is still popular, a lot of Japanese choose for Hokkaido now. Being more Northern than Nagano, there are areas with guaranteed snow and the facilities are growing to an agreeable level. With all this attention to skiing, it is easy for snow-boarders to use the facilities too. Being not as popular as skiing, there should be no trouble for you to find your snowboard gear in any skiing area. Even the après-ski is bound to be as fun as it would be in one of the expensive ski-resorts in the Alpes. So Japan is good to go.

Skateboarding

While skateboarding can be done in Japan and is regarded as cool amongst the youth, there are some obstacles to overcome. Skate-parks are rare and only located in the big cities. Most of them are indoor skate-parks and since there is little choice, you can grow bored and you get no alternative to choose from. As for boarding outside, it can be hard to find places suited for boarding. Almost in every town the police won't be happy with your performance. So good luck with finding a private place that's good for skateboarding. There are some places in the big cities, where you can hang out with fellow skaters, but they are rare and not easily discovered. The same goes for finding gear. You can find some skate-shops, but they will not be cheap and only a few can get you everything you want. I think if you have some skateboarding Japanese friends, you're good to go, but just going there by yourself you'll be completely lost.

Wave Surfing

Geographically Japan is interesting for wave surfing. The reefs near Okinawa and the weird cracks under the sea near Kyushu can bring you some weird waves. In Okinawa all year through and in Kyushu in summer, surfing gains popularity. It's considered as one of the cool sports and more places where you can buy or rent equipment are starting up. Most of the equipment is imported from Australia and the quality is pretty high. Since surfing in Japan is still in growth status, you can find untouched havens and so on. I would really recommend Japan for the experienced surfer. If you are not yet very experienced, you may want to try some more touristic places in Okinawa. Or you can always try to find a Japanese friend who likes to surf and knows a certain area pretty well. Like I said Japan has some weird waves and you better be careful before throwing yourself into the water.

Wind Surfing

Japan has a lot of sea and quite enough wind. For the conditions for windsurfing you will never have to look far. But climate-wise and equipment-wise you are better off South in Kyushu or Okinawa. Wind surfing is not extremely popular in Japan. It doesn't mean that you can't find it anywhere but you will have to inquire first. Either there is a club and you'll find everything or people will stare at you like you've asked them whether the synchronized swimming team practices in this part of the sea. In some places they will even have a synchronized swimming team, but no windsurfing. So in short: you will not have to complain about circumstances, but more about material or finding a club.

1. Vail

   By far the best ski and snowboard resort in America, Vail is number one on our list. It is over 7 miles wide, and on 80% of the mountain you'll find clear blue skies and open terrain. If you like wide plains and powdered back bowls, Vail is the best place there is. Ranked the largest ski resort in the world, Vail's official site claims on busy days you will only find 4 people per acre. Not to mention the quaint European styled town that really is one of the best in America. One last upside is that Vail is located in Colorado, so if you have the money only a fortunate few can make it over there each year.
   

2. Whistler

   Though not “technically” in America, I am putting this on the list at number 2. Whistler is located in British Colombia, Canada, so they get all the benefits of being farther north. More snow and an average colder temperature means Whistler is open a long time. This mountain is also one of the largest in the world, with over 200 skiable trails and 8000 acres.
   

3. Heavenly

   This is one of my favorites, even though it might be a bit controversial. One of the best mountains I've seen in California, Heavenly makes up for its size in quality. The largest in California, Heavenly has 4800 acres of skiable terrain and 95 trails. The reason I like it is because you're in California, and the sun is always shining. Another great thing is Heavenly is open until May 4, when a lot of other mountains have to close in late April. Heavenly really represents it name well… it's heavenly.
   

4. Beaver Creek

   Look, I'm not putting this on the list for skiing. Beaver Creek is on this list because it is the most family friendly ski resort in America. The town is modern to the utmost, with actual escalators (If you believe me!) leading up to the base of the mountain. Beaver Creek also sports some of the best eateries and hotels in the country, making it a great place if you're not a hardcore skier.
   

5. Stratton

   Alright, so I'm a little biased from New York, but I had to put at least one east coaster on the list. The East and West coast aren't really comparable, but I think Stratton is the best representative of the East. Almost an exact inch by inch model of the town of Vail, Stratton strives to be close to it's west coat buddies. Now some of you are wondering, we'll why didn't you put Killington or Stowe on the list, I mean, they are much bigger. But I believe in quality not quantity, and Stratton definitely has that as an advantage.