48 Hours in Big Bear, CA

Every year we try to do some sort of winter trip and since taking Avery to the snow for the first time last year was SO much fun for her and for us, we were excited to do it again! Work has been pretty busy for Joey and I and with him working Saturdays, it’s hard to really plan long trips. But we decided to do a quick Sunday-Monday night trip and since Big Bear is so close to us already, it was an easy destination to make happen.

When we got there, we were pretty shocked at how LITTLE snow there actually was! Last year, we went around the same time frame (about 10 days earlier to be exact) and the entire place was FILLED with snow. So that was a little bit of a surprise to us lol.

Luckily most places where you go specifically for snow related activities (tubing, ski resorts, etc), generate their own snow, so those places were stocked up with the goods, but last year we spent majority of our first day at our cabin making snowmen and drinking hot cocoa, just playing in the snow in the front yard.

Even without snow, Big Bear is just a beautiful place to unwind and relax. I love the vibes of staying in a cabin, burning a wood fire, and just relaxing. Over the summer, we spent a week in Lake Tahoe for my birthday and one of my fondest memories was staying up late drinking root beer floats and all of us (Avery included) falling asleep on the couch watching Disney movies. So on vacation, Avery gets excited and it’s become a new thing where she asks to stay up late and watch movies, so that’s exactly what we did this past weekend! That’s one of the best parts honestly, about vacation to me (at least the parent version of vacations lol), no routine, no schedule, and just going with the flow.

So, here’s how we spent our 48 hours in the mountains!

+ Mine Shaft Coaster, Big Bear Lake : on our way up, we saw this tubing/rollercoaster place off the side of the road and Joey wanted to check it out. Very quickly Joey decided he wanted to take Avery on this little snow coaster they have there and Avery absolutely loved it! Like most coasters, it was not recommended for pregnant mama’s so I sat out and just enjoyed watching them (when I could actually see them).

Afterwards, we went into town for lunch at Laguna Grill Restaurant ( a little Mexican restaurant that we’ve been going to for years when we’re in Big Bear). Then it was time to find some snow for Avery! We ended up driving to Bear Mountain and found some flat areas near the mountain for Avery to play in and build a mini snow man!

By the time we were finished playing in the snow, it was time to check out our cabin. We got there, unpacked, and relaxed on the couch for a few hours before getting ready to head out for dinner.

The cabin was SO cute! And I already can’t wait to go back, hopefully with more snow next time lol. We absolutely love Italian food and always do dinner at Saucy Mama’s in The Village in Big Bear. Our go- to order is a pepperoni pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, and an order of their garlic bread, which we share and end up bringing leftovers home afterward. If you keep your receipt from the restaurant, you can go next door and get a discount at North Pole Fudge and Ice Cream Co! Which is exactly what we did- get the S’Mores ice cream! You won’t be disappointed.

We sat in the shop enjoying our ice cream for a bit and then decided to take the rest home to finish nuzzled on the couch watching a movie. Joey and Avery fell asleep on the couch and I gave them a good 30 minutes before waking Joey up to say lets move Avery into her room and go to bed.

The next morning, we went straight to Grizzly Manor Cafe ( a local hotspot) and the only place Joey looks forward to eating breakfast at lol. There’s always a wait so be ready if you venture out that way, but their breakfast is HUGE and super good! Afterward, we went back into The Village to stop by my favorite little coffee shop.

I don’t drink coffee but swear by chai tea lattes and Copper Q in The Village has one of the best warm chai tea lattes I’ve ever had!

Afterward, we went back to the cabin to pack up before heading to the Big Bear Zoo! It’s super small but if your little one enjoys seeing animals, it’s cute and they have a little park inside where little ones can run around and play!

After walking around, Joey decided he wanted to go back to the Mine Shaft Coaster to take Avery on it again, so that’s what we did and then we planned on going tubing afterward on the way home, BUT little miss bean fell asleep in the car so we just hit the road home instead.