Christmas in the mountains
Cyndi Lamperts is a REALTOR® with Mountain Top Producers Realty in Running Springs. She helps families who fall in love with the mountains on a holiday visit and want a place of their own. Call (949) 338-9308. Confirm her license on the DRE public lookup.
Christmas is cold air, pine trees, cabins lit up, fireplaces, maybe snow, and families coming up. It feels different when you are surrounded by mountains and trees. Cyndi’s mom, Loretta: that visit is how some buyers first fall in love and start imagining their own place.
Seasonal celebrations, sporting events, concerts, and community gatherings show up through the year. Ask what is happening on the weekend you are coming, and confirm the date that year. Day to day around the lake is on living in Lake Arrowhead.
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Let Christmas feel like the mountains
Cold air, pine trees, cabins lit up, a fireplace, maybe snow, and family coming up. That is the feeling Cyndi describes. Cyndi Lamperts, DRE #02187485, Mountain Top Producers Realty: DRE license lookup.
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Get Thanksgiving ready for any weather
Sometimes the weekend is beautiful fall weather. Sometimes winter is already on the way. Have everybody together, and have the house ready either way. House prep: winter storm prep.
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Host the family in the mountain house
Families come up for the holidays, and some people fall in love with the area on that visit. The gathering works better when the house and the road are already thought through. Roads: winter access.
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Slow the day down in the town you picked
A Saturday in Lake Arrowhead starts with the lake and the Village, then the trees. A day in Running Springs feels like mountain life. A Big Bear weekend follows the season. Lake Arrowhead: living in Lake Arrowhead. Running Springs: living in Running Springs. Big Bear: living in Big Bear.
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Check the highway before you leave
Open Caltrans QuickMap, turn on chain controls when you need them, and call 1-800-427-ROAD. County snow information is separate from the state highway. QuickMap: Caltrans QuickMap. Chain controls: Caltrans chain controls. County snow: county snow information.
Thanksgiving: be ready for any weather
Thanksgiving in the mountains is about being prepared for whatever the weather decides to do. Sometimes you are enjoying beautiful fall weather. Sometimes winter is already reminding you it is coming.
Either way, having everybody together in a mountain home feels different. The house side of that weekend, including heat, pipes, and shutoffs, stays on winter and storm prep.
Hosting family in a mountain home
Families come up for the holidays. The house is where everybody gathers, and the weather can still turn. A holiday visit is also how some people decide they want the mountains for more than one weekend.
If that is the search, start on buying a mountain home. If you already have the house, get the rooms and the systems ready on the storm prep guide, then check the drive.
A Saturday in Lake Arrowhead, a day in Running Springs, a weekend in Big Bear
A Saturday in Lake Arrowhead
Start slowly. Coffee, breakfast, and some time around the lake and the Village. Then get away from the busiest areas and enjoy the trees, perhaps hiking or another hour outside. Later, come back for dinner and enjoy the lake as the day winds down. The day is about slowing down enough to remember why people love it here. More of that life is on living in Lake Arrowhead.
A day in Running Springs
Running Springs has a different personality. Let the day feel like mountain life: breakfast or coffee locally, time outdoors, the surrounding forest, a drive, stops at local businesses, and no rushing. The appeal is the location and the feeling of a mountain town. See living in Running Springs.
A weekend in Big Bear
Make it seasonal. In winter, skiing or snowboarding might be part of the weekend. In summer, think about the lake, kayaking, fishing, hiking, or mountain biking. Then spend time in town, eat somewhere local, and leave room to enjoy being there. Big Bear’s four-season recreation is a major part of its appeal. See living in Big Bear.
Before you drive up for the holidays
Check the highway before you leave. Open Caltrans QuickMap, turn on chain-control information when you need it, and call 1-800-427-ROAD (1-800-427-7623). County snow information is on the county snow page. The full road guide is mountain winter access.
Thanksgiving can still be fall, and it can already feel like winter. Christmas can bring snow. The house plan stays on winter and storm prep.
Holidays in the mountains FAQ
What is Christmas like in Lake Arrowhead and the other mountain towns?
Cyndi: Christmas is one of those times when the mountains can feel like what people imagined California could be. Cold air, pine trees, cabins lit up, fireplaces, maybe snow, and families coming up. It feels different when you are surrounded by mountains and trees. Cyndi’s mom, Loretta: some buyers first fall in love on a holiday visit and start imagining their own place. Cyndi Lamperts, DRE #02187485: DRE license lookup. Day to day in Lake Arrowhead: living in Lake Arrowhead.
What is Thanksgiving like in the mountains?
Thanksgiving is about being ready for whatever the weather decides. Sometimes you get beautiful fall weather. Sometimes winter is already reminding you it is coming. Having everybody together in a mountain home feels different. The house plan is on winter storm prep. The drive is on winter access.
What does hosting family in a mountain home take?
Families come up for the holidays. The house is where everybody gathers. Weather can be fall or already winter, so the house and the highway both belong in the plan. Storm prep: winter storm prep. Roads and chain controls: Caltrans QuickMap and Caltrans chain controls. If that visit is what makes you want a place of your own, start at buying a mountain home.
What would a Saturday in Lake Arrowhead look like?
Cyndi would start slowly: coffee, breakfast, and time around the lake and the Village. Then get away from the busiest areas and enjoy the trees, perhaps a hike or another hour outside. Later, dinner, and the lake as the day winds down. The day is about slowing down. Living there: living in Lake Arrowhead.
What would a day in Running Springs look like?
Running Springs has a different personality. Cyndi would want the day to feel like mountain life: breakfast or coffee locally, time outdoors, the surrounding forest, a drive, stops at local businesses, and no rushing. The appeal is the location and the feeling of a mountain town. Living there: living in Running Springs.
What would a weekend in Big Bear look like?
Cyndi would make it seasonal. In winter, skiing or snowboarding might be part of the weekend. In summer, the lake, kayaking, fishing, hiking, or mountain biking. Then time in town, a local meal, and enough room in the schedule to enjoy being there. Big Bear’s four-season recreation is a major part of the appeal. Living there: living in Big Bear.
What should I check before I drive up for the holidays?
Check the highway on Caltrans QuickMap at Caltrans QuickMap, chain controls at Caltrans chain controls, and call 1-800-427-ROAD. County roads are on county snow information. The mountain-wide road guide is winter access. The house, including heat and shutoffs, is winter storm prep.
Plan the holiday, or the house after it
Tell Cyndi which town you are coming to, and whether the visit has you thinking about a place of your own. She will help you start with how you would actually use it.