“This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house…”

Ok, more like nine people who decided to rent a house for a weekend getaway in Big Bear, California, but once we arrived, it immediately felt like an episode of The Real World. Even though we saw pictures of our digs ahead of time, anxiousness still covered us because we were unsure of what to expect.

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After a quick 2-hour drive from Los Angeles which included about 45 minutes up the winding mountain, we were at our house. Our hosts graciously provided us with a complimentary bottle of Chardonnay, which we popped open right away. The house included a hot tub and a garage full of games like air hockey, pool, and ping-pong tables, lots of things to keep us well occupied for the weekend. The house was also in a great location and just a few minutes from the lake, grocery store, restaurants and ski slopes.

Our first outing in Big Bear was to Hacienda Grill where the food was delicious and the margaritas were flowing. We eventually made our way back to the house to meet up with a few late arriving roommates and couldn’t contain our excitement as we planned the days ahead.
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The next day we did a little exploring and stumbled upon Big Bear Village, a quaint downtown style area with bars, restaurants, ice cream shops, an entertainment center to reserve tours such as helicopter rides, and even a horse and carriage ride.  The only problem we found with having a large group is the one restaurant we wanted to try – Peppercorn Grille -couldn’t accommodate us all, and we needed to have booked a reservation two months in advance. Luckily, there were a few other enjoyable options and we settled on Social Kitchen, an American eatery that boasts “fresh and eclectic food choices” including braised ribs, a variety of burgers, and seafood. We then ventured to the lake which offered breathtaking views. The sun was shining that day and glistened off the water.

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During the day, the weather was in the 60s, but the temperature dropped during the evening. The colder weather was perfect for taking a dip in the hot tub, which we took full advantage of.

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As Sunday morning came around, news of a snowstorm spread and we made an early exit back down the mountain. The snowstorm would later dump about five inches on the mountain, so even though we enjoyed the food and sights in Big Bear, we got out just in time