Notes on the ride to Thelma’s Restaurant.
At Bear Valley Dam we will turn left onto CA 38 and run along the north shore of Big Bear Lake. Big Bear Lake is the jewel of the San Bernardino National Forest and known for excellent fishing and summer water activities. We pass through the village of Fawnskin, once the hub of lakeside activity, serving as a stagecoach stop and tourist attraction with hotels and dining. The town’s main landmark is the Fawn Lodge, built in 1924, but now closed. Look for the Big Bear Solar Observatory, on your right, as we skirt Serrano Campground. We run along the north side of Big Bear Airport before turning right at its east end. A zig and a zag and we are in the parking lot. Thelma’s Family Restaurant & Bakery. Time to eat!
In 1884 Frank Brown built an unusual dam here to supply irrigation water for the Redlands area. The single-arch granite dam formed Big Bear Lake, then the world’s largest man-made lake. Engineers claimed the dam would not hold, and declared it “The Eighth Wonder of the World” when it did. The old dam is usually underwater because of the 20-foot higher dam built 200 feet west in 1912.
Big Bear Solar Observatory is a university-based solar observatory. It is operated by New Jersey Institute of Technology. BBSO has a 1.6-meter clear aperture Goode Solar Telescope, which has no obscuration in the optical train.
Don’t forget to register for this ride, here.
