Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
7/22/09 

Greetings Riders,
 
After going back and forth on this idea for about a year, it has finally happened. Cyclerides.com is now on Facebook! I have always liked the idea of being able to update you in between newsletters without sending out 8000 more emails just to tell you of an item or two. But now, Facebook seems to be the social networking of choice and is the most widely used, so as of today I have set up my page and will be working to update it over the next few days. Rest assured, I am not going to be telling you what I am having for breakfast, but if there is something that I think you would be interested in, I will add it as a comment to the page. So if you are on Facebook now, I am inviting you to "Become A Fan" on the Cyclerides.com Facebook page. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cycleridescom/108447575697 to add your name and bookmark this page. If you are not on Facebook, you can still go to the page, but you will not be able to communicate. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined.
 

The Ride To Big Bear Lake, CA

My 53rd birthday was about 3 weeks ago over 4th of July weekend and Mrs. C. told me we could do anything I wanted for my birthday. After a couple of other thoughts, I immediately said ROAD TRIP! Since riding through Big Bear Lake last year I had been wanting to go back to spend a couple of days and do some riding around there. At 6750 feet in elevation, it is certainly a good place to do some riding at this time of the year. Ahhh, but here is the rub. It is great riding once you GET there, but how do you get there without being exposed to extreme heat and succumbing to the elements going across the desert and through Palm Springs? Which is maybe one of the hottest places you can go. Good question.

If you want to go bad enough, anything is possible, even could be considered a challenge. I had the open door to pick my spot and Big Bear Lake was my choice. Now I just had to figure out how to survive the trip. Getting there is pretty easy. It is only about 310 miles from Phoenix to the turnoff of I-10 to Big Bear, and then another 30 miles to the top. So to get to the turnoff it is an easy 5 hour ride, and then another hour to get up the hill. So if you leave Phoenix at 5am, you will easily be past all of the major heat by 10am. Not a big deal. We didn't exactly adhere to my recommended schedule leaving at 7am, but it was still more than fine getting there. Coming home, that is a much different story that will be told later.
 
As I mentioned before, it was 4th of July weekend and Big Bear has one of the top 10 fireworks shows in the State of California, so I kind of had to get creative to find a place to stay. I stumbled across a place called Castle Wood Cottages, located just 2 blocks from the Village area that provided cabins that were all decorated in themes such as Gone With the Wind, Captain's Quarters, Enchanted Forest, Anthony and Cleopatra, etc. They have 10 cabins tucked back in the trees in all different themes that are equipped with all of the amenities including sink, microwave, fridge and Jacuzzi tubs. Since we were already in the themed lodging mindset after a night at the Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Park a couple of months ago, we thought it would be a cool idea to give it a try. 
 
The interesting thing about Castle Wood Cottages is that they market themselves as a couples only romantic getaway, no kids or pets. To get a real flavor for the place, the first night was spent in the 2 story "Gone With the Wind cabin". And yes, it was decorated just like the 1930's including a nice big picture of Scarlett O'Hara over the fireplace. A very cozy and comfortable place to spend the night. After doing some brief sightseeing around the area, we arrived on Friday afternoon at around 2pm. Got settled in, cleaned up and decided to relax with a cold beverage on the front porch of the cabin. After riding through 100 plus degrees, that 78 degrees with a slight breeze was feeling darn good. We headed to the downtown shopping district to take a look around and settled on Paoli's for dinner that night.
 
The next morning we arose from our bed in the loft of the Gone With the Wind cabin to beautiful blue skies and 64 degrees. Now that is the recipe for great day ride weather. By the time we ate breakfast and was on our way it was a perfect 74 degrees. We decided to take the clock wise route around the lake to keep the water on our right side and then connected with Hwy. 38. This exciting and gorgeous road takes you South of Big Bear winding your way up the mountain to over 8400 feet in elevation before descending through the pines and rock outcroppings back down to 1300 feet near I-10. Due to some time constraints from spending too much time around the lake and the temperature reaching the 90's, we turned around at the Oak Restaurant and Country Store at 5300 feet in elevation. We had gone 30 miles in one direction and were happy to turn around and do it all over again.
 
Hwy. 38 is an absolutely beautiful ride and a great surprise to us. It would almost be worth it to go over there just to do what I call the Big Bear Loop. It is approximately 100 miles and takes you around the lake, South on Hwy. 38, back to hwy 330 which winds you back to Big Bear. It would be well worth the trip to spend a day doing this ride and hanging out at Big Bear. But wait, there's more! If you have an extra day to stay, take the loop around Lake Arrowhead to the West of Big Bear. This is also a very pretty ride that will give you a panoramic view of the San Bernardino Valley and a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean 50 miles away. This is another 100 mile loop that will keep you rubber necking the entire way trying to take in all the views.
 
If you really want to make a day of it, you can extend your ride from Lake Arrowhead another 120 miles and experience one of the better California Mountain roads by taking the Angeles Crest Scenic Byway. Also known as California Hwy. 2. This road is a favorite of motorcycle riders in the Los Angeles area. It is 55 miles in length and runs from I-15  to La Canada at I-210. The elevation change is from 7900 to 1500 feet. It is said that this road offers spectacular views of the San Gabriel mountains and valleys as well as views of the Mojave Desert and Pomona Valleys. There is even a popular motorcycle stop along the way called Newcomb's Ranch where many movies have been filmed. I have not done this road myself, but it is on my list of things to do the next time I am there.
 
Saturday night we walked down to the lake to watch what is said to be one of the top ten fireworks shows in the state of California. I haven't seen the other 9, but would have to agree that it must be right up there as the fireworks are shot from a barge in the middle of Big Bear Lake. It creates quite a unique experience to see the reflect off of the lake. We spent Saturday night in the Castle Wood Egyptian themed Anthony and Cleopatra cabin.
 
Big Bear Lake is a wonderful summer destination for the whole family, but certainly as a place for motorcycle riding. Not only are there a couple of great day rides from this home base, but there is so much more to do. Not only can you take the time to relax at your cabin and enjoy the mid 70's weather, but you can take a boat tour on the lake, take a hike or ride the ski lift to the top for an excellent view of the lake and the surrounding area. And if you are really into the history of Big Bear Lake, go to the Visitors Center on the North side of the lake and watch the 15 minute video history. Very interesting how this town was settled.
 
The travel on a bike to and from Big Bear can be a little rough, but you will not be disappointed with the experience that you will have enjoying the surroundings and riding in the area.
 
On the way back we exited Big Bear Lake on Hwy. 18 to the North and made our way over to the Joshua Tree National Forest. If you have the time and the inclination, this is an excellent way to return to the Phoenix. I was totally surprised at the park. It is almost more about the boulders than it is about the Joshua Trees. But these are the biggest Joshua's that I have ever seen. The problem with going back this way is that it is going to extend your trip and put you into the middle of the heat on the way home. The park doesn't open until 8am, so you can't get the early start going this way. By the time we got through the park it was already 108 degrees on the way to 114 where we spent about 3 hours of our ride. It was Hot, Hot, Hot. But we were protected from the sun by our helmets and each drank a large bottle of water every 100 miles along the way in between stops. Leaving at 5am is the best way to do it in the middle of the summer and you will be fine.
 
Even though it was very uncomfortable for about 3 hours of the ride, it was a great 850 mile weekend ride and I can't wait to take another trip to Big Bear Lake and do these same routes again. If you plan to go, just google Big Bear Lodging and you will see many places to stay. I would suggest somewhere close to the Village area. Have Fun!
 
The Route to Big Bear: From Phoenix is approximately 350 miles to Big Bear Lake. Take I-10 approx. 310 miles to I-210/30 for 5 miles to Hwy. 330 known as the Rim of the World Hwy. that will take you to Big Bear Lake.
The return trip through Joshua Tree Forest: Take Hwy. 18 North out of Big Bear to Hwy. 247, to Hwy. 62, 29 Palms Hwy. to the Park entrance which is 70 miles. Take the 60 mile ride through the park and exit on I-10 just East of Indio. Take I-10 the 220 miles back to Phoenix.
 
Click Here for Maps
Click Here for 167 Photos

Useful Links:
As always, Google for yourself, but here are some links to start with.
Castlewood Cottages
Big Bear Lake Information
Lake Arrowhead Information
Angeles Crest Scenic Byway
 

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