Southern California weekend
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Day trip
Lake Arrowhead
1. A gym-free workout in the snow Strap on a pair of snowshoes or skinny skis and hit the trails at Rim Nordic (about 10 minutes east of Running Springs), where there are miles of wintry panoramas to explore. Pack snacks and take five on the frosty boulders and fallen trees that make perfect picnic benches. $17 day pass, $15 equipment rental; rimnordic.com
BY Chantal Lamers photographs by amanda friedman
Why go now: A budget-friendly day of cross-country, snowshoeing, sledding, and skating is only an hour and a half from L.A. Wait ... snow? Where? In the San Bernardino Mountains, 26 miles west of better-known Big Bear Lake. Elevation: 5,191 feet Population: 13,000, which can triple with weekenders when it dumps. (And February can see 11 inches of snowfall.) What you won’t find: Downhill skiing What you will find: A picturesque lakeside resort town dotted with mountain cabins, waterfront mansions, and an old-school Tudor-style hub. The village mix: Postcard shops, caramel apples, pizza pies, Pendleton plaid throws, and—in a snazzy touch— a Coach outlet (lakearrowhead village.com). Next-door neighbors: Arrowhead is surrounded by the villages of Blue Jay, Rimforest, Skyforest, Cedar Glen, Running Springs, and (no relation to the TV series) Twin Peaks. Hollywood throwback: Hard to imagine now, but film stars flocked to these pineforested hills back in the 1920s. During Prohibition, mobster Bugsy Siegel ran a brothel and speakeasy in town. Explore more on page 46 »
Sunset February 2011
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Southern California Day trip
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Getting to Lake Arrowhead
3. Pay respects to the waffle
The town is 80 miles east of L.A. Take I-210 east to Waterman Ave./State 18 to State 173. lakearrowhead.net
Overlooking the lake in Arrowhead Village, Belgian Waffle Works
Lake Arrowhead
is the spot for light and crispy waffles like the Hot Apple Annie (cinnamon ice cream, walnuts, hot apples) and the Benedict Belgian, best paired with hot buttered rum or Hot Apple Spider. $; 28200 State 189; 909/ 337-5222.
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Running Springs
2. Downhill, without the skis
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SoCal’s oldest and largest snow-tube playland, Snowdrift Park, is five minutes down the road from Rim Nordic. Start on the kiddie slopes and work up to a plunge down 90-foot-long screamers. Snow machines are on standby in case Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. $12/hour, including tube; 34600 Rim of the World/State 18; 909/867-2640.
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4. Outfit your cabin Less than 2 miles from Arrowhead Village, Timberline in the Glen has a mix of French antiques and mountainy finds like cast bronze antler trophies, twig lanterns, red upholstered ottomans, and handsome old duck decoys. 28956 Hook Creek Rd., Cedar Glen; 909/337-4200.
3 more local faves in and around the village Lace up your skates
Shop for artsy finds
Pick up a book
Sunset February 2011
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