Stargazer Inn
For our 2nd wedding anniversary we spent the weekend up at Big Bear lake. Just getting there was an adventure. On the Friday it started snowing up on the mountain and the status of the two roads up the mountain changed to snow chains required. There being no need for snow chains in San Diego, we hurriedly packed our bags into the car and set off on a wild goose chase to find some. No joy. The hostess of the bed & breakfast we planned to stay at pointed us in the direction of a Pep Boys in Redlands, at the foot of the mountain and we were very relieved when we found chains there.
We crawled up the winding Route 38 up the mountain through light snow and almost zero-visibility fog, taking it turns with other cars to be the poor point man with the job of spotting the bends barely a car-length ahead. Luckily conditions weren’t bad enough to require us to get out in the cold and dark to fit the snow chains. Just over 4 hours after leaving home we arrived at the Stargazer Inn.
We can not recommend this Inn highly enough! Doreen made us feel right at home immediately, being so warm and friendly, and she attended to every detail to make our stay fantastic. Champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh flowers, yummy yummy breakfasts and great conversation. Stargazer is tastefully themed around Astronomy and the wonders of the night sky. The place is full of telescopes, books, videos and framed astro-photographs, Doreen even has her own 11″ reflecting telescope in a dome in the garden. On the Saturday night we had a star party, where a knowledgeable local astronomer gave a slide presentation and took us out to the observatory to view some night objects. Great fun. There are only 5 rooms and each is individually styled and named. We stayed in Cassiopeia. There is a special treat in store when you go to sleep at night. Go and stay there to find out!
It was a busy but relaxing weekend. We spent some time in the Stargazer’s heated indoor pool and sauna, and spent Saturday afternoon at a local spa being pampered. We can recommend dinner at the Peppercorn Grill in town. Another little-known but delightful side trip is to the local zoo. It’s a tiny tiny chunk of land but has a very impressive population of Bears, Wolves, bobcats, eagles, a snow leopard and lots more.
There is definitely a lot more to do up on the mountain than just ski. If you go, you MUST stay at the Stargazer. Tell Doreen that Graeme and Tamara sent you.
