2025-06-05: Big Bear Lake

Milestones

• 30th time camping in 30 months (SHOW ON MAP)
•  1st time camping with my friend Doug.

Boyhood Home

When I was 13, my parents and I moved to Fawnskin, CA (which is on the north shore of Big Bear Lake). The three of us lived in a 1,000 sq.ft. cabin with waterfront access. My Dad bought a Hobie 14 (a small catamaran sailing dinghy, introduced in 1967 and designed for single-handed sailing). I loved sailing with Dad on the lake so much, I took a sailing class in 8th grade. I graduated from Big Bear High School in 1979, and those years were some of the most fun of my life.

So when my friend, Doug Thomson asked if I wanted to go camping in Big Bear, I was all in. The weather was fantastic, and the skies were crystal clear and blue.

We had camp-neighbors on one side but no one else on the other 3 sides. Once we got settled, Doug broke out snacks and we started telling stories.

After snacks, Doug opened a bottle of wine, and we talked for another coupe of hours. We got hungry a little before dark, and Doug started a fire. I brought Kielbasa (polish sausage) and he grilled it. We had sausage a potato salad.

Doug and I talked until almost 11pm. It was a fun, relaxing day.

The next morning I made coffee, and we headed out for a bike ride.

The bike path connected to the campground, so we were able to ride straight from our campsite. The slope of the trail was easy and there were only a few people on it. It curved through a gorgeous forest.

I was very anxious to get close to the water’s edge. I knew the trail wound around the contours of the lake, and we got some great views.

The surface of the water was like a sheet of glass.

Postscript:

On June 11 2025, the newspaper USA Today came out with their “10 Best Lakes in the Nation”, and Big Bear Lake was voted #1.

“An expert panel nominated their top picks for the best lakes in the country, then readers voted for their favorites.”

Clearly, my travelogue (which came out 6 days earlier) was able to generate enough “buzz” to push Big Bear Lake over the top. How ‘bout THAT?… in your face Tahoe and Shasta!