The Artist Presently Known As Ed

Crestline

In my youth, about 1982-83 I know the old man took Eda and I up to this area on a couple of occasions for summer weekend trips. In fact, the trip to Big Bear in 1983 over the Independence Day weekend was the last trip we ever made as a family unit. And I have not been up to that region since.

Deciding that Kelli and I have been making short trips more and more often, this trip seemed a relatively easy one to do. I have to say though that I had only a sketchy plan that did not really involve the usual things up there: winter sports, boating, hiking. I just sort of wanted to reconnect a bit, refresh my mind what was up there. It turned out that Crestline was pretty much a drive-through only.

Lake Arrowhead sign

I also recall going to Lake Arrowhead when I was a pup. Or so I thought. We drove there and found what amounted to a circus of tourist activity. Okay, it was mid August and rather hot, so the place was crawling with the Los Angeles set. I didn't realize that this was their playground. I didn't really do my due dilligence on this trip, so we just winged it.

Lake Gregory

Finally the first place that I definitively remember being at as a young'un. I do recall Lake Gregory. And yet in the little bit of preparation that I did back home, the name didn't register with me at all. But as soon as I spotted this lake I recalled it and some of the town around it. To the left of the road from which this was shot, I recall since our camping rig was a motorcycle and trailer with a tent built upon it, we used to have a pretty inconspicuous presence that could let us get away with parking in the corners of business parking lots or other spaces that now seem rather unconventional for camping.

I recall in that 1982 period I had just been turned on to pop music and took my little old transistor radio with me everywhere I went, sleeping with it even as it was tuned consistently to the Mighty 690, an AM top-40 station that was in fact audible up on the mountain about 150 miles from home! I was tuning in to whatever was big then: Journey, the Go-Gos, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Styx, Michael Jackson, etc. I distinctly recall the radio up there one night. Or going around hunting crawdads and cooking them up to eat not far from the lake shore.

Lake Gregory from above

Lake Gregory again. The small town is about center of the frame on the far side of the lake. We took a bit of time to walk up and down some of the town, stopping into a few antique and junk shops on the piggy quest. That seemed kind of ridiculous. I really don't know what I was hoping to achieve at the place but for a trip down memory lane. Still, the pristine beauty of the mountains and trees was nice, if a little tempered by so much traffic and so many people.

The Quonset Hut

I pretty much took this for the benefit of a friend who has a quirky fascination with all sorts of odd things, including the Quonset Hut design. I have to admit, it is kind of amusing to see what people have done with these strictly utilitarian things. I don't mean to congratulate the artfulness of the added structure however. As I assume my James Howard Kunstler voice, you can see what nonsense passes for architecture in America. All these little towns up on the mountain were rather random collections of architectural ideas, some bad, some worse, and a few being okay—those mostly somehow being ones that respected the fact that they are 6,00-8,000 feet up. There were many that played up the alpine terrain and evoked something you'd expect to see in European nations.

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 1

The first of many of our little stops for scenic breaks as they presented themselves between Gregory and Big Bear.

Road to Big Bear Kelli 1

The San Bernardino area in the lowlands is far nicer to behold from several thousand feet above it all, and above the smog ceiling.

Road to Big Bear Kelli 2 big smile

My wife is adorable.

Road to Big Bear Kelli 3 goofy

My wife is goofy.

Lakeview Point sign

If this wasn't the peak in elevation before Big Bear, it was pretty close and makes for good fodder in an online album.

Dirty car window art photography

This art is so intellectual you will never get it in four lifetimes. Or maybe my car is so dirty you won't be surprised it has been at least a year and a quarter since I washed it last. (And then it was about five years prior to that.)

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 2

We're in love. It is our seventh anniversary, after all.

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 3

We're goofy too.

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 4

We're happy to be out of town.

Road to Big Bear Kelli 4 cute

"There's so much beauty in the world..." —Ricky Fitts in American Beauty

Road to Big Bear Kelli 5 overlook

Tempting as it is, I don't recommend jumping.

Road to Big Bear Kelli 6 happy overlook

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 5

Road to Big Bear Ed & Kelli 6

Road to Big Bear treetops

When away from the tourists, the place is gorgeous.

Road to Big Bear rock wall

As long as the Earth is already torn up for the sake of a road, I may as well stop to appreciate what it looks like.

Road to Big Bear with truck

Road to Big Bear Kelli 7

Road to Big Bear first view of Big Bear Lake

This is the first view of Big Bear Lake. Shimmers like a jewel, it does. As long as you can't see the tourists...

Road to Big Bear over the hills

It's hard to imagine this beautiful place being just a stone's throw from the biggest megalopolis on the west coast.

Road to Big Bear ascending

I like the colors.

Road to Big Bear ascending 2

I like the colors here too.

Road to Big Bear ascending 3

There is a great top-of-the-world feeling about this. The elevation on the mountain gets up to over 8,400 feet.

Big Bear Lake at dusk

We got into the Big Bear Lake area around 5 and stopped at our hotel shack to freshen up. We were about two blocks from the shore, but walked rather more than that to get some dinner, seeing a few nice vistas before sundown.

Big Bear Lake at dusk 2

It really does have a magical appeal...without the tourists.

Big Bear Lake main drag

If I had to compare it to a local town, I'd have to say Big Bear Lake was a bit like Alpine or Ramona. Big enough to be somewhere but not overwhelming. Spread out, for sure. It seems like no sense was put into how to build a town around it. Half our walk from hotel to dinner on the quay was without a sidewalk. It was a bit harrowing at times.

Big Bear Lake Bar-B-Q

Something in me says to do as the Romans do. In Big Bear, it does not seem right to seek out the English pub or the sushi house. We headed down the road that leads left of here, out onto a quay that juts into the lake. The place was one of those mid-century places with pretty rough cut looking wood, still made to appear as the trees the furniture and framework was made from. Naugahyde booths. Red and white pattern table cloths. Very 70s. We sat outside though.

Big Bear Lake at dusk

On the way to the restaurant.

Big Bear Lake at sundown

My camera is pretty good resolution, but since I have so many shots to process, I give it over to automated work in Photoshop and some of the gradient stuff gets rather chomped in the effort to reduce for satisfactory web file size, like in the sky here.

Big Bear Lake at dinner

We chose to sit outside for the quite nice sunset, and because indoors was rather noisy. But this place had a second building across the driveway where a band was blasting their blues and soul stuff at earsplitting levels, or at least with all the windows open. That was slightly more pleasing than the ambient noise of kids and tourists.

A place like this can get the meatloaf and potatoes right. And did they. I wish I had their recipe. But damn. They can really blow it on the veggies. A rather small styrofoam ramekin with woefully over-steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and (gag) zucchini? Kelli at least had the pulled barbeque pork sammich and cole slaw. That was pretty good too. They also had some interesting natural potato chips with an interesting sauce that I think was a ranch dressing mixed with some kind of asian BBQ sauce. Interesting and addictive, especially since this was our first real meal of the day, having gotten by on road food all day long. I left feeling stuffed.

Big Bear Lake Bar-B-Q

The place was hoppin' but we wanted to go see a bit of town.

Big Bear Lake shimmering dusk

Yup. Once the traveling stopped, the scenery could be enjoyed, even if this drive way was just a rather utilitarian thoroughfare.

Reflective signage

I rather enjoy the look of shooting signs at night, particularly reflective ones. You'll see more of that.

Big Bear Lake Bar-B-Q at night

I was quite full from the taters, meat, and more taters. Too full. I seem to be good at bombing myself with that same kind of meatloaf-and-mashtaters on trips like this. There was a precedent in 2004 when I did a number on myself on our honeymoon up in Ferndale, CA. Same thing. Too much appetizer bread, taters and meatloaf, but that time it was way too much beer, as I ended up having to drink the entire pitcher because Kelli just wanted one glass of wine! I think I got carb poisoning that night. This night was a bit like that all over again, particularly after our next stop for the night—the bar.

Big Bear Lake main drag at night 2

Long exposure makes everything more fun at night.

Big Bear Lake main drag at night 1

I love long exposure shots.

Big Bear Lake main drag at night 3

Something about these rustic towns makes me want to do this. I did this in Lone Pine back on the Death Valley tour.

Big Bear Lake village

We rather fortuitously happened past the village on the walk back. There were a few shops still open and we took some time looking around a Native American goods shop. After that most things were closed but it was nice and romantic along the walkable streets with cute shops all around, each catering to tourists and those with disposable income, but each offering a little something to prompt commentary.

Big Bear Lake village sign

It would be nice to stay and dwell during the day, but really things like this try my patience, and we spent too much time on the drive in checking out shops at places we had no intention of buying from. Better to just go with the romantic stroll with my lady.

Big Bear Lake karaoke bar

I was feeling pretty brutalized by the dinner, and was ready to retire. I think to do this drive we got up rather earlier than I wanted (we left from our night's stay in Claremont, CA, getting a head start on the trip). I was feeling pretty beat, having been in a go-stop-go-stop mode all day, driving the roads and sightseeing. But we got drawn toward a pub in the village and went in. It was odd. The lights were on! Had me baffled. I mean, who goes to a bar to see people in full color? LOL. The karaoke was fired up and we stayed for about 12 songs or so, nursing our pitcher of Sam Adams. As you can see, it is a wonderful color to behold, and it was years since I had a Sam on draft. But tonight I was having a hard time justifying more heavy matter in my tum. I was tired and groggy already. Beer didn't help much. The walk back to the hotel was just a couple blocks.

Not exactly the Ritz-Carlton

It wasn't exactly the Ritz-Carlton. Nor was it exactly the Motel 6! It was more like the Motel 4.39. It had its own brand of semi-rustic charm. I don't really care much though. But it did make a Motel 6 seem rather sophisticated. It seems like it was an independent location that was gobbled up by Wyndham, and they had not yet gotten to redoing it. So it had its 1960s-something look with perhaps a bit more appeal than a remodeled chain hotel, but it was rather dingy and surely needed upgrading.

Hotel room looking out

It was lake-close, not lake-front. Just two blocks away. We don't go for the flashy stuff. Good thing because we got the panorama of an empty lot. Not really a big deal. This trip was rather hastily put together.

Sunday at the lake

Waking up and walking a couple blocks to the lake was nice. It was warm and clear. We stopped by an art show that had some quite interesting bits, but of course it was all looky-loo stuff for us. The natural beauty of the lake finally spoke to us with our short walk around a few feet of shoreline here. At least there were minimal tourists.

Sunday at the lake 2

Sunday at the lake 3

Sunday morning wood

Got wood?

Sunday morning wood 2

Extra woody.

Kelli's cute

My wife is cute. And since this is our anniversary trip, I am entitled to post a bunch of pictures of my love.

Kelli's cute 2

And since I pay $240 a year for hosting, I get to put up whatever I want...

Kelli's cute 3

Kelli's cute 4

Kelli's cute 5

Ed self portrait

I dunno what it is but this camera just keeps insisting that I extend my arm and shoot a picture of myself. A few of them turn out rather okay.

Home of the Hangover

Now this one is pretty low. Free delivery for your booze? I hope there is a referral to an AA group included with the goods. Doesn't it speak ill of a person who gets his booze delivered? Already had too much to drink, maybe?

No Boating No Swimming

Considering the place is built on recreation, methinks this is a bit counterproductive and spoils the fun. I wonder if this indicates that you have to pay to have fun here. None of that illicit fun.