July 2019 Big Bear Today

Page 6—July 2019
Sunsets, 2 p.m. Queen tours sure bets
There’s plenty of ways to celebrate
Independence Day before and after the fireworks
light up the sky on July 4.
4th of July Fun Run at Meadow Park
has opening ceremonies befitting the
nation’s birthday. During the 8:55 a.m. national
anthem there’s a flyover with two
Super Hornet jets! U.S. Marine Corp Color
Guard presents the colors.
Then it’s time for 5/10/15K runs along
mostly level terrain at 9 a.m. for families
with strollers on up to competitive runners.
Awards ceremony is at 11 and there’s also
costume contest. Custom medals for all finishers
too. RunBigBear.com. veteran assisting
nonprofit Run Far.
25th Annual Independence Day
Fair is a fun-filled day under the pines at
the Convention Center with live music,
high altitude beer garden, family activities
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parts Big Bear Marina at 6:30 p.m., even
as other boaters are calling it a day. Typically
the breeze dies as the star drops, the
water settles down a bit and it’s a great time
to see the lake sights and sites.
Romantic in scope and a favorite with
couples who want to chat or cuddle, Saturday
sunset cruises feature scaled down
narration by Chris Bellows, the lake’s most
experienced captain, that’s heard on daily
lake tours. As with other Queen tours
guests can bring their own beer, wine
(there’s a corkscrew on board), champagne
or cocktails.
Fun Run, Craft Faire on July 4
and shopping from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Arts and
crafts booths feature unique one-of-a-kind
items including wire-wrap jewelry, home
and garden decor, candles, homemade
jams, health products, toys, vintage clothing
and much more. Watch as many crafters
make their wares onsite.
Enjoy cold beer, wine and cocktails
while listening to entertainment bythe
Cassandra Long Band on the outside
Wyatt’s stage. For youngsters there’s
bounce house, balloon artist, arts and crafts
and a variety of tasty treats.
Wyatt’s will be serving its famous
western menu featuring half-pound Angus
burgers, pound of wings, mound of nachos,
shaved ice, hot dogs and more. Admission
is free.
The Convention Center is on Big Bear
Blvd. at Division. Call (909) 585-3000.
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See sunsets and sights during Big Bear Queen lake tours
The boat provides meat, cheese,
cracker and vegetable trays at the stern on
sunset tours. Saturday sunset cruises cost
$25 and are from July 6- August 31.
The other sure bet is Big Bear Queen’s
2 p.m. tour, guaranteed to sail every day
of the week even if you’re the only person
on board. The recently-refurbished 60-passenger
paddlewheeler sails daily with the
longest running guaranteed tours on the
lake and has served as the perfect introduction
to Big Bear for countless guests.
The Bellows spiel started with Chris’
late father Dave, who was a longtime Big
Bear Queen captain; the Queen brand has
Xeriscape Garden Tour
See gardening with minimal water on
the 17th annual Xeriscape Garden Tour set
for Saturday, July 20.
The tour will include the DWP’s
Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, with
native plant expert Orchid Black on hand
to answer questions, plus a new DWP
Demonstration Garden that will make its
debut this year. Other popular features include
the Firewise home, the Expo and
plant/seed giveaway, and People’s Choice
voting.
Start the self-guided tour between 9
a.m. and noon at Eminger’s Nursery
(41223 Big Bear Blvd.) with a free tour
booklet. Call (909) 547-2237.
Big Bear Today
There aren’t many sure bets in this
world, but a spectacular sunset during a
Saturday evening tour aboard Big Bear
Queen is one of them. The only question
mark is to the degree of spectacular.
Is it one of the stunning yellow-togold-to
orange sky shows many evenings
serve up? Or is it something more spectacular,
perhaps augmented by cloud cover
or smog in the distant horizon to add hues
of purple and magenta to the color palette?
In any case enjoying the lake when it
is at its finest on Saturday sunset cruises is
a summer highlight. Big Bear Queen debeen
touring Big Bear Lake since 1965,
and captains with the last name Bellows
have guided most of them. The Bellows
family has been around since 1924.
Now Chris, who has skippered on the
lake for over a quarter-century, not just the
Queen but also Pine Knot Landing’s original
Sierra, is at the helm. The Queen sails
by the Zebra Room, Papoose Bay’s luxury
estates on one side and Forest Lease homes
on the other, Solar Observatory and more.
Big Bear Queen isn’t the largest boat
on the water, which allows her to go where
others can’t. Guests are right above the
water and can occasionally taste the spray
and hear the waves splash against the bow.
It’s an intimate, relaxed way to see sights.
With its bright flags flapping in the
breeze, Big Bear Queen has plyed the lake
waters for well over three decades since
arriving from Newport Beach. The boat
was recently spruced up with new carpet,
paint and trim and down below plus framed
old time photos depicting the lake history
Bellows so entertainingly presents. Plus
there’s an onboard potty and open bow.
Big Bear Queen sails daily at 2, plus
noon and 4 p.m. (10 passenger minimum).
Daily fares are $20, 65 and over $18, 12
and under $14, under 4 free.
Big Bear Marina (909) 866-3218.
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