Weekend Escape From LA to Lake Arrowhead: Hiking and Virtual Activities With Family While Socially Distancing

This latest adventure was inspired from nearly a year ago. While I was traveling through Alaska for work, Kevin was invited by our friend Kim to do a road trip adventure from LA to Lake Arrowhead. Located high in the mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest, Lake Arrowhead is only a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles and 3 hours from San Diego. To be honest, I had no idea the place even existed. For all I knew, Lake Arrowhead was just a popular brand of bottled water that I’ve seen at Walgreens. But Lake Arrowhead is a real place — and as you’ll see, incredibly beautiful and relaxing.

If Kevin and I ever went on The Dating Game, without a doubt, we’d be able to correctly answer whether we’d rather be at the beach or the mountain. Let’s just say, we both react the same way that vampires do when in the sun. And don’t even get us started on sand. The beach is pretty much like torture for us. Clearly, we’re meant to be together!

Anyway, with all this social distancing going on, Kevin suggested we do a weekend Airbnb in Lake Arrowhead. If we’re going into the mountains, we typically stay in Idyllwild — known for it’s bohemian vibe and K9 mayor Max, a friendly Golden Retriever frequently seen around town wearing a tie.

But Kevin suggested we mix it up. He knew I’d approve of Lake Arrowhead from his visit last year and seeing all the cute shops and wine bars. Clearly, he knows what I like! So check out our top picks for your next trip to Lake Arrowhead. And if you’re looking for some fun activities to do inside, we’ve got you covered. We’ll also share some of our latest online activities including a virtual escape room and more.

Traveling from LA to Lake Arrowhead

The drive from LA to Lake Arrowhead takes just 2 hours by car. Make sure you fuel up at the base of the mountain. As you’re winding your way up the steep mountain, the last thing you’ll want to worry about it running out of gas. Also, you’ll want to make sure you have all your important phone calls out of the way. We both have AT&T and had virtually zero reception. Once in Lake Arrowhead, you’ll also likely have reception issues (with the exception of around Lake Arrowhead Village). We suggest syncing your phone up to Wifi calling if you’re planning to phone home or text. Or you can always completely disconnect. How many places can you do that?

Airbnb in Lake Arrowhead: A Stylish A-Frame Like Out of Architectural Digest

Once Kevin suggested a weekend in Lake Arrowhead, I began my search for the perfect place to stay. That’s when I came across a newly-constructed Lake Arrowhead Airbnb with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. It looked stylish in the photos but was even more impressive in person. We had a few virtual calls while staying there, and pretty much everyone immediately asked where we were. I’m shocked that nobody believed me when I said we did a few “upgrades” to our West Hollywood condo.

This place was huge. Did we need 3 bedrooms? No. But how could we pass up such a stunning spot? It felt like we were in an episode of MTV cribs. Rates start at $225 a night. But the place books up early, so make sure you book far in advance.

Virtual Activities While Enjoying the Airbnb 

While coronavirus has changed some of our travel activities, it certainly hasn’t slowed us down. In fact, we’ve been busier than ever. And love that we get to experience things with our friends and family that aren’t nearby. We’ve done a virtual wine tasting with our family at Paso Roble’s Daou Vineyard. And invited our friends from San Francisco to do a virtual double date at a Napa Valley Vineyard. Here are some of our favorites while at the Airbnb in Lake Arrowhead —

For the Foodie: A Virtual Cooking Class

We don’t cook at home very often. But now that we have more time on our hands, we’ve been trying out our culinary skills. One of the very first virtual activities we set up for our Airbnb escape in Lake Arrowhead was a Thai cooking class with Eatz Culinary School. We’ve taken several classes with Chef Niki Tehranchi at her school in LA and love how she breaks it down and turns the experience more into a dinner party with friends.

She offers both in-person classes as well as virtual cooking classes each with different themes. We decided to join her 3-hour “One Night in Bangkok” course where we made such Thai staples as fresh spring rolls, coconut soup with mushrooms and Pad Thai. Most Airbnb’s come fully equipped with cooking utensils and pans. We just suggest buying all your ingredients before you leave LA, especially if you’re doing a Thai class with some of the more difficult-to-find ingredients like tamarind juice or rice paper. Virtual classes are limited to 25 people and start at $30 per person. Sign up on the Eatz website.

For the Puzzle Solver: A Virtual Escape Room

Miss Jezebel allegedly has murdered her husband. But how did she do it? And what is her actual real name? These are just two of the questions that we had to solve with 60out’s Miss Jezebel Escape Room, based out of downtown LA.

I read about this unique virtual escape room a few weeks ago while looking for a fun activity to do as a group. Kevin and I immediately thought of our cousins since we did an escape room together a few years back in New York City. It isn’t your typical escape room — where you get to touch objects and move things around yourself. It takes even more team work as you guide a real-life actor through the room to uncover clues behind the murder mystery. Some of this is scripted, but you’ll find a lot of moments that feel similar to improv where you tell your character what to say — even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Case in point? Our alias name was “Doug Bo” (a combo of the name of our dog, and our cousin’s husband who couldn’t join). Our profession? A truck driver. Not exactly the most seductive career when trying to get clues from Miss Jezebel! Oh well, we still made it out with a few minutes to spare.

The full experience takes about 1 hour, and costs $25 per person. The standard virtual experience is set up for 5 people, but you can add on additional guests for $25 each. Oh, and things can get a little raunchy, so we’d say it’s pretty much an R-rated room for those 18+. Sign up by visiting the 60out website.

For the Artistic: A Virtual Pottery Class

Arranging a virtual pottery class with Still Life Ceramics couldn’t be any easier. They offer a variety of courses online, including their popular “Rosé and Clay” class held every Friday at 5 PM, live on Instagram (@stilllifeceramics) with artist Sasha Wachtel. All you need to do is order from Rappahannock Oyster Bar, selecting the “Package” option from the menu. It is $35 and includes a bottle of wine and a pound of clay.

Even if you’re not a crafty person, you’ll be able to follow along the step-by-step instructions with this virtual ceramics class. Instructor Sasha Wachtel has worked with clay since she was introduced to wheel throwing at the age of 12. The “Rosé and Clay” classes last about 1 hour total and the private ones can go a little longer if your private party includes newbies like us. Now full disclosure, we took a pottery class a few years back at another pottery studio in LA. It was a little more advanced, where we used a wheel to make ceramic bowls. And well, let’s just say, Kevin’s came out looking like “one of a kind.” Though, I personally loved how the instructor tried to frame it by saying that it was so unique, someone couldn’t even make that bowl if they tried. Now that’s one positive spin! Luckily, no wheel was involved in this class and the mug was actually a lot easier to make. And who knows, maybe we’ll actually be able to use these? If not, at least we had fun. Check out Still Life Ceramics full list of classes here.

For the Active: Our Top Picks for the Best Hikes

Last but not least, you are in Lake Arrowhead after all. So you’ll likely want to get out and see some of the sights. One of the best things about Lake Arrowhead is its proximity to some fantastic hiking trails. If you’re looking for a pretty challenging one, you might want to consider Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail. This 4.6 mile out and back trail doesn’t seem like much initially. But we can tell you, it is a tough one. Not only due to the steep inclines but it is very easy to get lost. We probably added about 2 extra miles with all the wrong turns. With that said, it’s gorgeous and we loved meeting all the other lost hikers like us!

One helpful tip is to keep your eyes open for the meditation rocks, piled up along the way and indicating you’re on the right path. The final scramble, which involves some bouldering, makes all the effort worth it when you see the views. Bring plenty of water and take your time climbing up the rocks. This was one of the tougher trails we’ve done.

For those of you looking for a much more low key hike, we suggest the easy Heart Rock Trail. The 1.7 mile loop is mostly shaded and geared for people of all ages. And if it’s any indication at all, even our lazy dog Doug could complete this one! If you haven’t already guessed it, the major highlight of this hike comes midway to see a carved out rock in the shape of a heart.

Even Doug the dog seemed to be impressed by the heart.

And there you have it. A weekend in Lake Arrowhead — mixed with activities from the comfort of home and some of the best hikes you can find. Looking for more fun ideas to do while staying socially distanced? Check out our favorite urban hikes in LA, including a walk through LA’s historic Mount Washington neighborhood. Like road trips? Visit our top picks for a weekend in Joshua Tree for your next vacation in lockdown. Finally, check out all our quarantine ideas including a drag queen, sangria-making class. Clearly, we haven’t skipped a virtual activity idea that exists!