We've Got Snow, You've Got Skis, Let's Talk

Posted on 11/29/2019 in Big Bear Vacation Rental.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to dig out your skis. We last spotted them hanging behind your tent and precariously close that old can of paint in the garage. This is the one time it’s truly fun to dig through the garage, because those slopes won’t ski themselves.

With the opening of ski season comes some of the best times in Big Bear. The holidays are magical in the forest, and there’s plenty of fun things to do off the slopes as well. Some of our properties have their own private sledding slopes where you can walk out back with the kids and start your snow adventures right away.

If you’d like to have a great time with the family snow tubing, Big Bear Snow Play is a great choice. They’re open daily from 10am to 4pm with night time glow tubing on weekends from 5pm to 9pm. We especially like Big Bear Snow Play because their “magic carpet” transports you back to the top of hill after your run to enjoy another wild ride down the hill. And the glow tubing after dark makes it even more fun.

A winter visit to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo can be another great excursion for the family. The animals often exhibit different behaviors during snowy times, and the keepers still schedule informative presentation in the amphitheater every day with one of the zoo’s animals. The zoo is a great opportunity to get up close with some of the wildlife that roams the forest and hill surrounding Big Bear.  Visit their website for more info at this link.

Do you have fond memories of family bowling nights? We sure do, and it’s another great activity you can plan during your Big Bear stay. The Bowling Barn has 16 lanes with computerized scoring. There’s also an arcade for the kids and the Alley Oops Sports Bar with darts, pool tables, and HD tv’s to watch sporting events. And it’s all fun and games until somebody keeps throwing gutter balls. Check out their website at this link.

You can start your next getaway by viewing all of our Big Bear cabins and luxury estates at this link.  Or give us a call at 310-780-3411, and we’ll help you choose a great property for your perfect holiday getaway.  And if you’d like to explore any of our other destinations, you can be assured that we’re committed to providing top quality cabins, estates, and condos for your next vacation getaway.  We have offices in Newport Beach and Big Bear. Here are links to our properties in Nuevo Vallarta and La Quinta.

 

Have More Christmas Guests Than Beds?

Posted on 11/22/2019 in Uncategorized.

We’re coming up on the season when many families face a good problem. They end up with more guests coming for the holidays than they have room for. If you have more Christmas guests than beds, it’s the best of all possible problems. But it’s also one that can add stress at a time when you’d really prefer to relax and concentrate on enjoying the season. This is a problem we help families solve with great results.

Many of us have fun memories of large family get togethers that ended up with aunts and uncles sleeping on sofas with living room furniture moved to make way for rollaways and inflatable beds. While the memories are often fond ones, the aches, pains, and lost sleep from the makeshift sleeping arrangements are not. It takes just one guest like our Uncle Harry sawing logs all night to make the next day a bit more bleary eyed for the rest of us.

Sure, we’re biased, but we really do have a much better alternative. Keep all the fun family time, but get rid of the lost sleep and long bathroom wait times. Bring your family to one of our luxury Five Star Vacation Rentals in Big Bear this Christmas. We’re usually booked solid every Christmas, so it’s best not to delay.

Christmas in Big Bear is truly magical. We usually have a good amount of snow. And there are hillsides and fields all around the area ready for your family’s downhill slides, snowball fights, and building a youngster’s first snow man. The Village is a great destination for great shopping, meeting Santa, and enjoying a fine meal.

But the best part of the experience is the time you’ll enjoy with your friends and family. Choose a property with plenty of room for everyone, and the morning grumbling will change from lost sleep and a line for the bathroom to the bad jokes dad is telling and shooing the kids away from the presents. It’s a great difference and a Christmas you’ll all remember with smiles.

 

To plan your holiday getaway, view all of our Big Bear cabins and luxury estates at this link.  Or give us a call at 310-780-3411, and we’ll help you choose a great property for your perfect holiday getaway.  And if you’d like to explore any of our other destinations, you can be assured that we’re committed to providing top quality cabins, estates, and condos for your next vacation getaway.  We have offices in Newport Beach and Big Bear. Here are links to our properties in Nuevo Vallarta and La Quinta.

Plan Your December Big Bear Getaway

Posted on 11/15/2019 in Five Star Vacation Rentals Thanksgiving.

We’re entering our favorite time of year, and we’re standing by to help you plan your December Big Bear getaway. Use our online booking and search feature to see what properties are available at this link. The holidays are upon us, and Big Bear is a favorite destination for many of our guests. The winter weather transforms Big Bear into a beautiful and whimsical destination. It’s a great time for many southern California kids to get their first chance to build a snowman, slide down a snowy hillside, and engage in a family snowball fight.

Christmas in Big Bear can be the start of a new family tradition. Since many of our properties can easily accommodate a dozen or more guests, it can be a perfect option for gathering extended family and friends together in the luxury and comfort of a Five Star Vacation Rentals cabin or estate. And if the weather cooperates, you may all find yourself waking on Christmas morning to a wintery snow fantasy right outside your windows. It’s an entirely different experience when Christmas morning involves gathering everyone from their different parts of the cabin instead of waiting for them all to arrive from different parts of town or across the country.

After you finish opening your presents on Christmas morning, you may want to head over to Stillwell’s restaurant for the Christmas buffet running from 12 to 3. Choices include signature entree items, a carving station, omelettes, a waffle and pasta bar, hot and cold sides, soup and salad, home made desserts and unlimited champagne or mimosas for the adults. Reservations are needed, so plan ahead and visit their website at this link.

The skiers in the family usually find the slopes are great right around Christmas time, and they will be open all through the holiday season. In addition to skiing, Big Bear Snow Play is a great place for the entire family to enjoy inner tubing down their slope and riding their “magic carpet” back to the top again to do it all over again. Head to The Village to take holiday pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus every weekend from 10 AM – 4 PM through December 22. And all season long The Village will be decorated with twinkling lights.

To plan your holiday getaway, view all of our Big Bear cabins and luxury estates at this link.  Or give us a call at 310-780-3411, and we’ll help you choose a great property for your perfect holiday getaway.  And if you’d like to explore any of our other destinations, you can be assured that we’re committed to providing top quality cabins, estates, and condos for your next vacation getaway.  We have offices in Newport Beach and Big Bear. Here are links to our properties in Nuevo Vallarta and La Quinta.

Do Thanksgiving Differently This Year

Posted on 11/08/2019 in Five Star Vacation Rentals Thanksgiving.

We really love Thanksgiving with the family. It’s one of the few times of the year we get to spend time with friends and relatives from all over and get caught up. This is a holiday built around a meal, so time in the kitchen is a usual extension. And while many of us enjoy the cooking, you may want to do Thanksgiving differently this year. Big Bear has several great restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving day, and it’s a great opportunity to spend more time with everyone, rather than have your handful of cooks disappear for the hours leading up to the feast.

Peppercorn Grille enjoys some of the best reviews in all of Big Bear, and they’re serving a traditional turkey and trimmings meal on Thanksgiving day. They’re located in The Village at 553 Pine Knot Avenue in Big Bear, and you’ll want to make your reservations as early as possible. Your hosts are Julie and Mike Hastings. Julie is a lifelong Big Bear resident, and opened the restaurant with the goal to provide great food and great service in a great environment. Most diners agree she pulled it off. Reserve online or give them a call at 909-866-5405.

If your group is inclined to enjoy a Thanksgiving journey down a barbecue path, our choice in Big Bear is Jasper’s Smokehouse and Steaks.  They’re offering their full regular menu on Thanksgiving, so you can choose from a great selection of barbecue ribs, chicken, steaks, sandwiches and all the fixins. They’ve got a selection of domestic and imported beers, or just settle in with a frosty glass of southern sweet tea. Be sure to grab a slice of the chocolate bliss cake before you leave. You’ll thank us. Jasper’s is located at 607 Pine Knot Ave. Or give them a call at 898-866-2434.

In the mood for some Asian food this Thanksgiving? Dynasty has an amazing menu featuring most traditional asian dishes but also Maine lobster and Peking duck. They also have a great wine selection and a full bar. This will be a great option if you have vegetarians in your group, as they have a good selection of entrees for them as well. They’re located at 40989 Big Bear Blvd, or give them a call at 909-866-7887.

Of course, nothing will make your family time more enjoyable than the hours you’ll spend together relaxing in front of the fireplace at your Five Star Vacation Rentals cabin or estate in Big Bear. To plan you holiday getaway, view all of our Big Bear cabins and luxury estates at this link.  Or give us a call at 310-780-3411, and we’ll help you choose a great property for your perfect holiday getaway.  And if you’d like to explore any of our other destinations, you can be assured that we’re committed to providing top quality cabins, estates, and condos for your next vacation getaway.  We have offices in Newport Beach and Big Bear. Here are links to our properties in Nuevo Vallarta and La Quinta.

Plan Your Holiday Getaway

Posted on 11/01/2019 in Five Star Vacation Rentals Thanksgiving.

As we welcome the month of November, our thoughts necessarily turn to the holidays. We’ve been not so subtly reminded of their pending arrival as we go about our usual shopping with their yearly push of holiday merchandise. But now really is the best time to plan your holiday getaway.

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and it’s one of our busiest times. Many families make a yearly trek to one of our Big Bear vacation rentals to assemble their far flung family members in the comfort and luxury we offer. It’s an entirely different holiday experience to have a rambling luxury home or estate with enough room for everyone to have a bedroom or bunks for kids compared to years past with various nearby motels, and mattresses and rollaway beds scattered throughout our homes creating an obstacle course in the process. We love spending time with our families, and the fewer obstacles we encounter, the better.

Big Bear is our most popular destination, and Thanksgiving usually finds snow on the ground making the experience that much better. If you’ve never greeted a Thanksgiving or Christmas morning with a snow-covered view out your windows and a roaring fire in the fireplace, it is truly an experience you should put on your bucket list. With cups of steaming coffee and hot chocolate shared among your family and friends, it’s impossible to stop the great stories of shared childhood experiences, loving memories of those we miss, and excitement about what our shared futures hold. It’s just a better experience. As the season progresses our availability gets scarcer, so it’s wise to make your plans early.

All of our properties come with fully-equipped kitchens, so you can encourage the chefs in your group to dive in, and create a great Thanksgiving or Christmas morning buffet. After your meal, bundle up and go for a great walk through the pines as the kids tag along throwing the occasional snowball or pleading with you to build a snowman back at the cabin. It’s a holiday time everyone will fondly remember and want to repeat every year.

Our goal is always to create a pampered feeling that will enhance your visit to Big Bear. To plan you holiday getaway, view all of our Big Bear cabins and luxury estates at this link.  Or give us a call at 310-780-3411, and we’ll help you choose a great property for your perfect holiday getaway.  And if you’d like to explore any of our other destinations, you can be assured that we’re committed to providing top quality cabins, estates, and condos for your next vacation getaway.  We have offices in Newport Beach and Big Bear. Here are links to our properties in Nuevo Vallarta and La Quinta.