If you’d like to get a taste of winter snow, but you’d prefer to do it from the warmth of the indoors, the Grey Squirrel is the perfect place to cozy up for a couple days. Our cabins include kitchens, family rooms, dining tables, bedrooms… you’re not going to get the cooped up feeling of being in a hotel room, and every time you glance out the window you’ll see a blanket of the white stuff.

Big Bear has Blockbuster and Redbox locations where movies can be rented, and each of our cabins has a DVD player and new flatscreen TV. In the Village, the Big Bear Book & Bean has great used books — each of our cabins has a couch and armchair, along with a fireplace, and you can curl up for a good read. If you bring up some board games, the dining table in your cabin is the perfect place to play. If you forget, you can borrow a deck of cards from our front desk.

If you venture around our grounds and collect a few pine cones, you can bring them back into your cabin’s kitchen, pop them onto a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake them in a low 200 degree oven for about half an hour. This will melt the sap, eliminate any stickiness, and give the pine cones a lovely shine, making them the perfect souvenir. Check out ideas from the Pine Cone Lady to create crafts and more from your pine cones: http://PineConeLady.com/#axzz1k6i9JRox.

Even if you’re not a skier, even if you’re not big on cold weather, you can still enjoy the snow this winter season. Aside from everything we’ve mentioned, Big Bear also has two movie theaters and a bowling alley — lots of choices for all of the indoor-types out there!

If summer vacation seems a long way off, and you’re worried about travel destinations being packed over Spring Break, then don’t wait for your getaway — come up to Big Bear the weekend of Feb. 4-5! That weekend will be a great one for a visit, and here’s why:

First off, Winterfest is going on in Big Bear. It’s a brand new event presented by XOS Productions that will kick off Friday evening with a tented DJ concert. Saturday’s events include free entry from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with food, music, vendors, interactive games, snow play, and activities for kids. The Rail Jam will run from 3:30-7 p.m., it’ll be a battle of the sexes snowboarding contest, and a tented DJ concert will finish the day from 5 p.m. to midnight.

After a busy day at Winterfest on Saturday, you’ll be happy to relax on Superbowl Sunday — and you’ll be glad you’re at the Grey Squirrel. Every single one of our cabins has been recently outfitted with a new flatscreen TV, perfect for watching the game. Each cabin also has a fully equipped kitchen, so you can whip up your chips and guacamole, or seven layer dip, or chili, or whatever your family’s tradition is. If the barbecue is what you love, we’ve got 21 of them, all ready for you. All in all, you’ll have all the comforts of home while still being able to get away.

Call us at (800) 381-5569 to book now. Learn more about Winterfest — and purchase concert tickets — here: http://xosbattleofthesexes.com/events-3/xos-winterfest-2012.

Many students have a full two weeks off for winter break, and while a few lazy days at home are always nice, we know the time together goes more smoothly when there are activities planned that everyone enjoys. We’ve been there, we get it, and we can assure you that Big Bear is a destination everyone will be happy to spend a couple days at. A few ideas of things to do:

A Luge for all family members

Take the plunge and try the Greatest Zip Lines

Get everyone out in the snow. Our grounds are perfect for building snowmen, making snow angels or having snowball fights, and the area right behind us offers great sledding potential if the snowfall is heavy enough. For skiers or snowboarders, we’ve got discounted lift tickets to Bear Mountain and Snow Summit (some restrictions may apply during the holiday season.) Being outside in the snow burns off an incredible amount of energy, and your kids probably won’t even realize all the exercise they’re getting, but you can be sure they’ll sleep soundly through the night!

Lazer Tag, Bumper Tag, Roller Coaster

If you’ve got shoppers in your family, The Village is the place to be. There’s shops and restaurants galore — from pizza to fudge, from home decor to clothing — you’ll find it all at The Village. If you’re here before Christmas, you’re sure to find some last-minute gifts. If you’re here after the holiday, great sales on seasonal items are a given.

Other activities can be found at the Bowling Barn, or the movie theater, or at Alpine Slide, which features miniature golf, go-carts and bobsleds. You can also cozy up in your cabin at the Grey Squirrel with a movie, board game, or a good book — we have fireplaces in every cabin so you’re sure to be comfortable.

Cruise the village area on a rented Segway

Just two nights away can make a big difference to the holiday memories and perspective that your kids take back to school with them in January. Call us today, and we’ll find the right cabin to suit your needs.

Gathering a group for a ski trip creates an experience everyone will remember for years to come. Whether it’s made up of family, friends, classmates or coworkers, you can be sure that a ski trip will get everyone out of their ruts and routines and into an amazing shared experience.

Here at the Grey Squirrel, we’ve got deals to help make your ski trip more economical. Stay with us during the week, and we’ll give you 25 percent off your lodging and ski lift ticket. Book with us on weekends, and receive 15 percent off your lodging and lift ticket.  Mention this blog post, and receive AN ADDITIONAL 10 PERCENT OFF on top of those discounts! These deals are good through the winter, and lift tickets can be used interchangeably at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. We’re not fans of hidden fees and sneaky catches, so there is only one caveat to this deal, and we’re very up-front with it: at least half the occupancy of the cabin needs to be purchasing the ski lift tickets. So, if you’re staying in a cabin that sleeps 14 people, and only one person is purchasing ski tickets, we cannot apply the discount to that cabin.

We have cabins and vacation rental homes to fit groups of all sizes, from two to 15 people. If your group is larger than that, we’ll work with you to reserve multiple cabins that are close together. For example: Mink, Squirrel’s Nest, Brewers, Plum Ticket and Pappy’s Place are close to one another and can accommodate a total of 68 people. Whether you’re a high school or college group, a collection of neighbors and friends, or planning a family reunion — we’ll make your home-away-from-home just right for you. We also offer a close by Mountain Transportation Bus that provides easy access to slopes.

Call now to make your reservations! We’ll make the process easy, and you and your group can start planning the other details of your trip — like who’s driving, and who’s in charge of bringing movies and board games along!

The calendar may say fall, but it sure feels like winter already in Big Bear! We’ve got snow on the ground early this year. Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are both open for business already; this may be one of the earliest winter season starts our ski resorts have ever had!

When people hear there’s snow, they always think of skiing. Big Bear has some of the best slopes in the state, in our opinion, and is definitely the place to head for Southern California skiing. At The Grey Squirrel, we have discount ski packages available when you book with us, along with Zipline and Segway Tour packages. Because — oh yes! — there are lots of other activities that you can do in the snow besides skiing! Snowboarding, tubing, snowmobile rides and snowshoeing all offer excitement and the chance to experience the season in new ways, and we’re happy to assist you in selecting the right options for your stay.

Of course, nothing bonds a family like building a snowman together, or having a good-spirited snowball fight. Our grounds at The Grey Squirrel lend themselves perfectly to both activities, with a large open area as well as lots of trees. There’s also an area just behind our resort that is perfect for sledding if the snowfall is heavy enough.

So you see, snow means more than just skiing (although the skiing is great!) There’s something for everyone, with all sorts of outdoor choices that can help your family get out of their daily ruts. We hope to see you soon!

Thanksgiving is a time for family, feast, reunion and fun. Do something different this year and spend the holiday in Big Bear! It’s especially easy to feel like you’re at home-away-from-home at the Grey Squirrel, because all our cabins come with kitchens — complete with stove, oven, fridge, and microwave — so you can create your meal right here. We’re even offering a free turkey upon check-in to the first five families who book with us for Thanksgiving night! (As of this post…call for confirmation of qualifying.)

Full Kichen at Log Haven for full Meals

We can sleep anywhere from 2 to 14 people at our main resort cabins, and our private vacation rental homes sleep from 2 to 15 people. Cozy up in one, or spread out into several of them — we’ll make the booking process easy, either way. You’ll be able to relax on our grounds; use our playground for kids; play basketball, tetherball, volleyball, badminton, shuffleboard, or croquet; try out our chipping green, or kick a ball around on our large grassy field. Or make yourself comfortable in your cabin, curled up with a good book or movie in an armchair or on the couch.

Family Gathering in Squirrel's Nest

Once the tranquility of Thanksgiving day has passed, there’s lots going on in Big Bear. Nov. 25 is the tree lighting ceremony in the Village, complete with a visit from Santa. From Nov. 25-27, the Mountain Christmas Boutique will be held at the Convention Center — a perfect spot to find holiday decorations to take home, or presents for those on your gift-list. Plus, performances of “A Christmas Carol” will be going on at the Performing Arts Center on Nov. 25-27 as well.

Any way you look at it, there’s something for everyone — including the Lake, and all of Big Bear’s hiking trails, of course! So gather your family together and caravan up to Big Bear. We’d love to have you stay with us this Thanksgiving!

It’s hard to believe, but there are only about 12 weeks left until Christmas! The holidays are a great time for family reunions and getaways, whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s or any other occasion. In Big Bear you can almost always count on snow in December, which makes for all sorts of family fun — from skiing to snowball fights.

Here at the Grey Squirrel, our huge grassy area becomes the perfect spot for building snowmen — there’s plenty of room to spread out and make a whole family of them! If there’s enough snow, there’s also an area directly behind us that is perfect for (free!) sledding. All of our cabins have fireplaces so you can feel cozy and warm when you come back inside. Each cabin also has dishes, a microwave, refrigerator, stove and oven, so it’s easy to make yourself at home and whip up a batch of hot chocolate or whatever else sounds toasty.

On our main resort, we have 19 cabins which sleep from 2 to 14 people. We’ve also got 18 private vacation homes to rent out which sleep from 2 to 15 people, so we’ve got you covered, no matter how large your group may be. Pets are OK too; we know that they’re part of the family and the holidays wouldn’t be complete without them!

So — take some time this week and get in touch with your family. Find out when their school holidays are, pick some dates and give us a call — we’ll take care of the rest, making sure everyone’s cabins are close together. It’ll be a getaway you won’t forget, and you’ll make some great memories to close out the year with.

The incredible colors of fall usually visit our Big Bear trees in October, which is only about five weeks away! The beauty is incredible — yellows, golds, browns, oranges, reds — you name it, the hues we associate with fall will be everywhere. Our trees at The Grey Squirrel are stunning this time of year, local hiking trails are truly a sight to behold, and a wander through Big Bear’s Village is sure to put you in a seasonal mood.

If this sounds like the right time for a trip up the mountain, you’re right. There’s lots happening in October. If you’re looking for something that really feels like autumn, you’ll want to coincide your visit with Oktoberfest or Halloween. Oktoberfest runs weekends beginning September 17 through Oct. 29, and we’re offering special deals and promotions to tie in with it. Boo in the Zoo is where the kids will want to be — it’s Oct. 29 at the Moonridge Animal Park and includes a Pumpkin Patch, Scarecrow Land, Witches Lair and more. If the first weekend of the month works better for you, Troutfest is Oct. 1-2, which always draws lots of anglers and excitement!

41st Annual Big Bear Oktoberfest. All week-ends 9/17/11-10/29/11

The colors of our autumn leaves are one of nature’s gifts, and you won’t want to miss it. October in Big Bear usually also brings crisp air and blue skies — all in all, it’s fall at its finest. We’d love to host you at The Grey Squirrel and be your home away from home as you explore the mountain!

School is starting, and some amount of chaos accompanies that each year no matter how much we prepare. It’s culture shock going from the lazy days of summer into the momentum of class — we know, we’ve been there! Sometimes it helps to know there’s a little summer addendum planned… a couple days to reclaim our stake on summer, because hey, the season’s not over for more than a month! So take a few weeks to get used to new routines, and then give yourself a breather from it all with a weekend in Big Bear.

There’s lots going on up here in the weeks leading to autumn. Fall Festival on Sept. 3-4 features beautiful arts and crafts for sale, and Wine Walk in the Village on Sept. 17 offers tasty wine samples and hors d’oeuvres. There are other activities too, and with our sunny 70- and 80-degree weather you’ll be able to really enjoy the outdoors.

The Lake is filled to the brim, and it’s truly scenic to anchor in the no-wake zone near the new bridge. At The Grey Squirrel we have a “Rock the Boat” package with Pleasure Point Marina with 20% off your lodging Sun-Thurs, and 30% off a half-day weekday pontoon rental. We’ve also got discounts and coupons for lots of other activities — from golf to the sky chair to lunch at the top of the world. And, we’re getting our deals for Oktoberfest nailed down right now so stay tuned for those!

There’s something for everyone, and there’s probably no one who wouldn’t benefit from a final summer hurrah before we settle into the changing of the seasons. We hope you’ll join us for a final summer getaway!