Mountain Newcomers

Undaunted by the snow pictures on the webcam, we are about to become the proud owners of a 40 yr. old mountain house with numerous leaks, dry rot, poor insulation and a family of varmits. Husband expects me and the three kids to "enjoy" every weekend sanding decks and replacing toilets. Don't want to exchange husband, so here we go... Questions: Are there any public pools for the kids? What summer activities are there for kids? Is there a long wait in line for the contractors/carpenters in the spring? I already read all the stuff on this site about driving in the snow - Husband grew up in Madison, WI, so we should be okay there. Know something about the moths in the summer. Which side of the lake is the "warm" side? Is gardening a waste of time? Any advice/condolences you can give would be appreciated.

Welcome to the Mountains. If you need a handyman please look in the classifieds section under Handyman/ JOHNNYB HANDYMAN . Good luck and if you need help please give me a call.

In what community is your cabin located?

You bought my cabin? That is perfect description of my house. There are a lot of things to do, some are even legal.

Arrowhead Woods

The mountains stay pretty cool in the summer, and I don't know of any public pools. In fact, I don't know of many private pools. If you live in Lake Arrowhead Woods, you have Lake Rights, and you can have a boat on the water, and there is a swimming area on the N/E side for those with Lake Rights. And, sad to say, there are not many ways to entertain young people in this area. But, there's always snowboarding in the winter, and hiking in the summer. And then there's the option of going up to Big Bear, which is a much larger community, and offers much more in the way of entertainment.

Welcome!!! There's a pool in Agua Fria that I believe has memberships of some sort. Also, Lake Gregory is a blast in the summer. They have water slides for the kids. Good luck with the house & do give JohnnyB a call, he comes highly recommended.

As a Lake Arrowhead Woods property owner, you have full use of the lake. There are a couple beach areas to take the kids swimming. Of course, you can go boating and fishing as well. There is a small private park next to Grass Valley lake for Arrowhead owners with a very nice setting for picnics. The Lake Arrowhead Country Club offers memberships for use of their pool and tennis facilities as well. Enjoy.

ALA info
http://www.lake-arrowhead-ca.com/arrowhead_lake_associati...

http://www.icecastle.us/about.html
Ice skating training sessions, etc.

http://www.mountain-skies.org/
Scroll through their calendar of events

How old are the kids? That can make a difference in what there is to do. Get your beach club pass with ALA so you can swim in the lake. Aqua Fria pool sells some seasonal memberships and offers lessons through parks and rec. What part of Arrowhead Woods is your cabin? Driving in snow in the mountains is different than driving in snow in other areas. I used to live in New England. Be very careful. Coming up on weekends leads to full-time living.

Welcome JuneBug
I live in Angelus Oaks which is on the other side of the mtn range over by Yucaipa.

Here's a pic of my home. It was a dump when we bought it but our place is living proof that with alot of elbow grease and little love you too can have a gem! Good luck.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q244/mountain_sprite/O...

One piece of advice...if you don't have a fireplace insert with a blower...get one.

Well granted I have not been there for years, but I was on a swim team that practiced near the middle school there. I am not sure though if it was a public pool or not, just how funny it was to be taking swim classes while it was snowing. Depending on the ages of your children there is always hiking, going to the creaks and fishing was a favorite activity of mine growing up. I am not sure if you still can hike there, but over by Heaps Peak, yes the dump area, on the Running Springs side if you hike towards the desert side of the tower, there is some huge docile deer that are awesome to watch. There are several other things that are a blast to do up there, just get a little creative.

Welcome to the best place that I have found to be in the summer! Your kids are going to love it. So much to do. Your husband was smart to buy at this time, the deals are incredible. As a long time resident, I have heard hundreds of people tell me that their parents or grandparents had a cabin up here and sold it at some point. They wish it would have been kept in the family. I understand your concern about having to work while you are on vacation. It sounds like your husband finds this type of thing relaxing, that doesn't mean you have to. You can make the sandwiches and lemonade, do the shopping, take the kids on a hike or to the lake to get them 'out of his hair', etc.. See how that works out. Moms find Lake Gregory relaxing, just take a book and a lawn chair. Fun place for kids. Also, shopping in the Village is fun for adults and kids. Make sure you take evenings off to go out to eat and see a concert in the Village. They have free ones every Saturday and it's always a good show. Well, I wish you luck. Keep a Cabin Journal with photos and funny stories--that will be priceless later!