Among the many hikes in the Big Bear Lake area, Cougar Crest Trail provides great views of the area. While Cougar Crest Trail has a significant uphill climb, it is done over a steady pace. This is a fairly moderate hike that can be done with older children. Cougar Crest Trail starts in Fawnskin, across…
Castle Rock Trail is probably many people’s favorite hike in Big Bear Lake. It is a short, mile and a half round trip with great views. However, the big attraction of this hike is the large boulders. This is our pictorial guide to hiking Castle Rock Trail. The hardest part of the Castle Rock Trail…
Big Bear Lake is a great area for hiking. For families with children, some of the hikes can be a little strenuous. To get children excited about hiking in this area we suggest the Woodland Trail. Woodland Trail Interpretive Loop is a fairly easy 1.5 mile hike with 16 signposts highlighting trees, plants and other…
Yosemite National Park in California is rightly seen as one of America’s great attractions. It is a place of unsurpassed beauty with countless outdoor activities for all ages and skill levels. It is also the Disney of National Parks. Everyone wants to go. Proper planning is essential to avoid what could become a nightmare of…
Whitewater rafting is a great family activity. Over the years, the Cole family has done rafting trips in California, North Carolina and even Italy. Our favorite trip was probably the one we did whitewater rafting on the American River in California’s Gold Country. This post is a guide to our trip whitewater rafting on the…
Catalina is a 75 square mile island off the coast off southern California. This makes it about the size of New Providence island in the Bahamas, home of capital city Nassau. While Nassau is a crowded busy place, Catalina is the opposite. There is only one town of note on Catalina, Avalon with a population…