Southern California is not only well-known for its mild weather year-round, it's also a great place to be in if you just want to quickly get out of the city and do a day trip excursion with your loved ones. The great thing about day trips is that you don't have to pack anything or worry about travel arrangements---
You simply get in the car and go!
Being just about a 45-minute drive from my place (with light traffic, of course!),
Lake Arrowhead is a great option if you don't want to go all the way to its bigger counterpart, Big Bear Lake. My favorite part about Lake Arrowhead is that they have a plaza right by the lake so you can enjoy a spectacular view while taking a stroll along the walkways.
Once you get there, you can choose between both indoor and outdoor parking spaces, it doesn't matter where you park---either spaces are free of charge. Retail shops and restaurants are scattered around the plaza and they are open most of the time, just like any other commercial plaza in your neighborhood---except for the patios, they are closed during winter season.
This is the by the entrance of the plaza.
I usually bee-line in here during winter time before my hiney freezes over to kingdom come.
Yep, they even got Coach up here.
The plaza is dog-friendly so don't forget to bring your furry babies during your visit!
You can ask for a patio seat so you can watch over your pet while you
pig out grab a quick bite.
That grass is fake by the way...Do you hear the landscapers rejoicing?
Okay, so where the heck is that lake that I was talking about? Hold on... I see water.
And...Tada!
If you prefer exploring by water, you can join a boat tour. I think the boat leaves every 30 minutes or so.
It can be a bit windy up there, especially if you're by the docks so make sure to bring a light jacket or cardigan if you're the type to get cold easily. Also, make sure to wear something comfy so you can move around freely.
As for me, I went for the ultra comfy look to keep up with my nephews so I opted for a billowy top from H&M, cropped pants from Zara a.k.a. one of my fat pants and nude sandals by Franco Sarto. Notice how I wore black here? It's spring time and that's clearly not stopping me from wearing my fave color. The key is to know how to balance your outfit. If you've got a black top on already, don't pair it up with dark bottoms. Instead, opt for anything light wash to tame down the dark hue or go for bright colors for a little kick.
I love how my top has pleats all over with a lace hem.
Okay, moving on---
before I bore your eyes out with fashion stuff
If you've got kids tagging along, like my hyper little nephews, they do have a little kiddie section complete with a carousel, bumper cars and even go-karts for your little speed racers!
My two little munchkins riding the go-karts for the first time, they could barely reach the pedal!
After go-karting, we went back to the store where we bought the go-kart tickets 'coz they wanted to add some sugar to their natural rush. Great idea, since I won't be riding back home with them. Mwahaha.
Funny how random that store was, it was filled with quirky little posters, quotes and signs like these:
And when you're done there, you can buy some duck feed to fatten up the
Cole-Haan's paddling around the lake.
We did all these things in a span of about 3.5-4 hours. Not bad right? Plus my sibs were doing some shopping in between!
I had so much fun just watching the kids explore down to the docks, eat candy, chill underneath a tree's shade... it goes to show you don't have to travel so far or spend so much to enjoy your day. Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I live here in SoCal, where nature is so close and accessible (traffic is an utterly different story)!
The adventure doesn't stop here, find out soon where we went for Easter Sunday! :)
Toodles!
