com; Lake Arrowhead Village;
ride/lesson/cruise from
$45/55/60) and rambling
the village’s shoreline
boardwalk. Or you can
just drive the scenic
15-mile lake loop by
starting on Hwy 173, then
turning left on Grass
Valley Rd. West of town,
the 1930s Strawberry
Peak Fire Lookout (www.
nationalforestassociation.
org/strawberry.php; 1029
Strawberry Lookout Rd, off
Bear Springs Rd; h7am-5pm
May-Dec, weather permitting)
lets you inspect its
fire-finding tools and
photograph 360-degree
mountain landscapes.
54 p329
The Drive » Back on Hwy
18, drive east and buckle up for
the most jaw-dropping stretch
of the scenic byway, with vast
canyon views and crazy-steep
drop-offs that will have you
clutching the wheel white-
knuckled. Veer right at Running
Springs and again at Big Bear
Lake Dam to stay on Hwy 18
into Big Bear Village.5 Big Bear Lake
Weekenders flood the
low-key mountain resort
of Big Bear Lake. Snowy
winters lure scores
of ski bunnies and
snowboarders to its two
mountains (with 55 runs
and 26 ski lifts), whilesummers bring hikers,
mountain-bikers and
water-sports enthusiasts
looking to escape LA’s
stifling heat. The main
thoroughfare, Big Bear
Blvd (Hwy 18), streams
past roadside motels
and cabins and skirts
pedestrian-friendly
Big Bear Village, with
its souvenir shops and
busy restaurants. Swim
Beach, near the village,
has lifeguards, making it
popular with families. For
more privacy, rent a boat,
kayak or waverunner and
get out on the water. Big
Bear’s winter ski resorts,
Bear Mountain & Snow
Summit (%800-232-7686;TRIP HIGHLIGHTBig Bear Discovery Center