At the last minute, I decided to go to Big Bear Lake this past weekend. Big Bear is a recreational lake at 6700 feet up in the San Bernardino Mountains about 3 hours east of Los Angeles. It was great to escape the summer heat, traffic, crowds, etc.

I had a great time hiking past lodgepole pine and Jeffery fir trees up to viewpoints overlooking the lake (the Cougar Crest and Slipknot trails for anyone interested). The reward for that effort was a stop afterward at Tail of the Whale, a dive bar that sits lakeside where you can sit on the outdoor patio and listen to a band play Jimmy Buffet songs. Most memorable meal was definitely the marinated chicken and fresh corn that we barbecued accompanied by a nice bottle of wine. Entertainment was provided by the colors of a purple and pink sunset.

If anyone is visiting southern California and interested in a short side trip that takes advantage of some of California's natural features, it is hard to go wrong at Big Bear.

Mark back at the grind in Los Angeles