On Sunday, 12.5.2021, my partner and I went up to the city of Big Bear Lake, which is up in the San Bernardino Mountains, slightly less than a 2-hour drive from our apartment in South Pasadena. We hadn't been there in a number of years. It is on the south rim of the actual lake called Big Bear Lake, and the city of Big Bear Lake is adjacent to the unincorporated community of Big Bear City, which I find odd, being that it's unincorporated, yet calls itself a city. Confused? Surrounding the area are various sites to go skiing. But, it hasn't snowed yet this season, and it was bright and sunny when we went (but cool). There were some ski areas we passed by that looked like they were doing the artificial snow thing. But later this week, there's a chance of snow in the mountains and rain in the lower elevations...
Big Bear is sort of a tourist trap. It becomes a "winter wonderland" for some people in southern California, when everything gets covered in snow. I remember as a kid, staying a weekend here with my family one winter, and sliding down a snow-covered hill in an inner tube. I went into a little dip and flew up and then got thrown from the inner tube and fell flat on my face in the snow, and then other people on their inner tubes started running into me.
Anyway, I took a few random pictures and for shits and giggles, decided to post them... and then you'll see why we really went up to Big Bear.
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
I'm wondering why Big Bear hasn't become a mecca for gay bears during the summer Pride months.
Photo by me
Some weeks ago, my partner and I got to talking about momos, which we love to eat, and we kind of joked "we should do a momo tour of southern California." Well, right after that, we ended up having momos somewhere in Orange County (Placentia, I believe it was), and then over the weekend I saw that there was a Himalayan restaurant in Big Bear, and I said "Hey, let's go to Big Bear and have some momos." And he said "OK."
So, while the Mexican restaurants, pizza places and burger and beer places were crowded, we went here:
Photo by me
They had some nice thangkas.
This one is the White Tara.
Photo by me
And this one is Amoghasiddhi Buddha.
Photo by me
Their momos were delicious, as was their apricot stuffed naan. Mmmm, mmm!
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me
Photo by me