I was fortunate enough to spend my vacation this year at R+L Carrier’s Big Bear Frontier Resort in California. My wife and I were a little unsure of what to expect and we were starving for information prior to our vacation. We were the first ones in our area to vacation at the resort so I thought it would be nice to leave this review for others considering Big Bear Frontier. I can easily sum it all up by simply saying, “I highly recommend Big Bear Frontier Resort and you should go as soon as possible“. I’ll add a little more for those curious about local shops, activities and sites.

The Rim Of The World

My wife and I flew into Ontario, CA airport on a Saturday in August,2008. We rented a car and drove up the mountain on an amazing route known as ‘The Rim Of The World’ CA18. CA18 offers one of the most incredible scenic views I’ve ever seen. Hair pin turns and elevations over six thousand feet, CA18 is an adventure in itself.

Big Bear Frontier Resort

Our check in time at Big Bear Frontier Resort was four in the afternoon. We arrived two hours early and the desk clerk told us our cabin was ready. The desk clerk, Richard, was friendly and made us feel at home almost immediately. The entire staff seems to go out of their way to ensure the guests have a great experience and enjoy their stay. The resort is managed by Roger and his wife Hilda. Along with Richard, staff members include Laura, James, Bre and Cher. They seem to work well with each other and you can tell they enjoy their jobs.

Our Cabin

The cabins are very nice and each one is unique in it’s own way. Our’s was a one bedroom with it’s own kitchen and full bathroom. We had a queen sized bed, flat screen color TV with cable and remote. The shower’s water pressure was so nice it was hard to get out. R+L  went out of their way to insure we had everything needed. The kitchen was equipped with microwave, can opener, refrigerator, stove, toaster and coffee pot. I was very impressed with the extras provided such as coffee, trash bags, pots, pans, dishes and utensils. The cabin had a rustic feel with the knotty pine panels and a fire place. Small details like hand made toilet paper and paper towel holders really add a touch of class. We had a ceiling fan that was perfect with the mountain August temperatures. 

Things To Do At The Frontier

Things to do right there at Big Bear Frontier Resort include swimming on the beach or the pool, Jacuzzi, horse shoes, basketball, ping pong and picnicking. They even have hundreds of VCR movies to pick from. There are VCRs in the rooms. I think one of the nicest things we did was just to sit out on our deck and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. The weather was perfect everyday and the setting is very relaxing.

On Wednesday R+L Carriers had an old fashioned BBQ on the lakefront park, which was literally right outside our front door. Richard showed up with a ton of food and we had hamburgars and hot dogs cooked on the grill. Plenty of side dishes, pop and great conversation was definatly the highlight of our day.

First Impressions

One of the first things I noticed about Big Bear Lake, after the incredible scenic views of course, was the overall size of the city. We excepted a very small and isolated town with a few shops and maybe a small grocery store. We were pleasantly surprised to see Big Bear Lake has everything you could possibly need. Just about every fast food restaurant, laundry mat, grocery stores and even a post office. You will find drug stores including Rite-Aid Pharmacy and Sav-On Drugs.

Food

If you’re like me and like to eat then you are in for a treat. You can find everything from expensive cuisine to hardy smoked BBQ, Chinese to down home country cooking. We really enjoyed Boo Bear’s Den where they had excellent food and karaoke. We also enjoyed a nice brunch at a nice Italian restaurant called Paoli’s Country Kitchen. I challenged myself to a huge BBQ dinner our first day at B’s Backyard Bar-B-Que. I had smoked BBQ brisket, pulled pork and baby back ribs. Yes, that was at one sitting and included all the fixings. I lost the self imposed challenge because I had to ask for a leftover container. I lost the challenge but won big for lunch the next day since we had a refrigerator and microwave. When it’s time for a snack I recommend you try a chocolate covered strawberry or some old fashioned hand dipped ice cream at the North Pole Fudge and Ice Cream Company.

Things To Do At Big Bear Lake

There’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Big Bear Lake. Our first day my wife and I drove around the lake taking in all of the great views and getting wonderful pictures. We toured the village area shops and spent way too much money . Then we enjoyed the heated pool and Jacuzzi right there at Big Bear Frontier. The beach was only a rock’s throw away and we couldn’t resist getting our feet wet.

Other things we did included a private horse drawn carriage around the village area to celebrate our twenty fifth anniversary. We also took a guided tour around the lake in Miss Liberty, a large two story paddlewheel boat. The tour last an hour and a half and we learned about the lake’s history and seen the lake front homes of many famous people. We also visited the local zoo which was about as unique as I’ve ever seen. The zoo is a small a friendly place where the animals were rescued and placed in areas to simulate their natural habitat. Animals that can be treated and released back to the wild are not on display. The animals at the zoo can no longer safely live in the wild.

I wanted to go on the Snow Summit’s Scenic Sky chair ride but that idea was vetoed by my wife. She’s afraid of heights. There’s so many other things to do it was hardly a disappointment.

Other things to do include biking, bowling, parasailing, boating, golfing, fishing, off-roading and much more.

Modern Convenience

You can find every modern convenience at Big Bear lake, including wireless phone and internet. Our Nextel/Sprint phones had strong singles almost everywhere we went. I also noticed a Verizon building in town so I’m assuming there’s a Verizon network. Internet at Big Bear Frontier was very weak. We could not get a clear signal from our cabin. I did manage to get online by going to the front office where the router is located. After that I decided to go to one of the two Starbucks coffee shops in town where I purchased internet access. They sell a day pass for about ten dollars. I should mention that there is a desk top computer with internet at the Big Bear Frontier office should you need to get online quickly.

Money

As far as vacations go, this was a very reasonable expense for us. With the airline tickets and rental car aside, we had a very nice time for less than five hundred dollars. R+L saved us a very large expense by providing our lodging. We could have spent less and still had a nice time. Keep in mind that Big Bear Lake is a tourist area and it’s in California so things may be slightly more than you are used to spending. We noticed that even the McDonalds was more expensive. Recreation can get very expensive depending on what you want to do. We only paid forty dollars for the horse carriage. The boat tour on Miss Liberty was only thirty dollars for the two of us on a weekday. The zoo was very inexpensive and eating can very from a cheap meal to a very expensive experience. You can rent a jet ski for eighty five to one hundred and thirty dollars an hour plus gas. Overall, we spent about eighteen hundred dollars when you add in the airfare and car rental. I believe the experience was worth every penny.

Our vacation at Big Bear Frontier Resort and Big Bear lake was an unforgettable experience and it was the perfect place for my wife and I to celebrate our anniversary. I’d like to thank R+L Carriers for making yet another fantastic vacation spot available to us. We truly enjoyed it.

More Pictures

1. Vacation
2. Big Bear Lake
3. Mountain Views
4. Frontier

Resources

Big Bear Frontier Resort
800-457-6401
www.bigbearfrontier.com

Big Bear Chamber of Commerce
909-866-4607
www.bigbearchamber.com

Big Bear Event Resource Office
www.eventsinbigbear.com

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