GUYS. Have you ever been to Big Bear? NO? Well, GO. It’s soooooo fucking cute. I can’t even. Like it’s the cutest little town on the most beautiful mountain next to the most stunning lake. Not going to lie, I could never do the drive myself. I’m lucky my boyfriend drove us there and back because the roads are WINDY AS FUCK (windy as in lots of curves, not lots of wind lol). And the drive is like on the edge of a mountain for like half of it. It’s totally safe but I’m scared of everything so I’m happy I just got to appreciate the view and didn’t have to worry about dying! That was my boyfriend’s job!

I didn’t even feel like I was in California. The entire place is covered in pine trees and trees with red and orange leaves. Like Big Bear has seasons. SEASONS. LA is hot girl summer all year round. The Autumn weather and greenery in Big Bear was like a breath of fresh air. 

Big Bear reminded me a lot of Colorado. It was just a cute little log-cabin town with antique shops that sold Christmas and Halloween decorations and cafes that had all types of warm, delicious drinks like hot chocolate, egg nog, pumpkin spice, etc. They really embrace the seasons in Big Bear and it made my heart feel all warm and cozy. There was even a giant fireplace in the middle of town and little haystacks and carved pumpkins. It was the cutest. 

Also everybody in the town is like friends or related and they all trust each other. In one of the stores, my boyfriend and I were the only ones in the store and the owner legit was like “Hey, im going to drop something off at the post office real quick, don’t steal anything!” and like left us in the store. Legit so funny and adorable.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few places with vegan food. We ended up going to Copper Q which I will write about obviously but we also passed a place called:

 Frusion: Juice N’ Coffee Bar

They had the words “vegan options” on their window which I appreciated because I can spot the word “vegan” a mile away. They had avocado toast, bowls, etc. and even an entire vegan smoothie section. It looked really yummy but I wanted something a little more warm and hearty!

Apparently these places also have vegan options according to Happy Cow

• Big Bear Brewing Company (veggie burger, soft pretzels, etc.)
• Dank Donuts (vegan donut options)

But we ended up going to 

Copper Q

This place was so cute. It was a cafe that also sold holiday decorations and also held cooking demonstrations every Saturday. Also, like 20 people came in while we were there and just ordered hot chocolate and lattes and went about their day. So cozy and fun. There are a ton of vegan options here from vegan pastries, vegan sandwiches, vegan drinks, etc. They even had vegan whipped cream for lattes, different vegan cheeses, and vegan cream cheese for bagels.

I ordered the vegan pumpkin scone, the meatball marinara sandwich, an “everything bagel” (which they called “the works”) with vegan cream cheese, tomatoes, capers, and red onion, vegan wedding cookies, and a strawberry arnold palmer.

The pumpkin scone was incredible.  Like so soft and flavorful and the frosting on top was delicious. Highly recommend to eat as you wait for your food! They do take a little long but they are a small cafe so I appreciate them!

I also got these decadent wedding cookies to-go for my sister back in LA and they were also 10/10. So soft and sweet and the powdered sugar on top was everythinggggggg.

The arnold palmer was delicious as well. They added strawberry syrup to it so it was so unique and refreshing. My boyfriend liked mine so much that he ordered a large of it.

The bagel was next level incredible. Just so scrumptious and amazing. Like I wish I could have one every single day when I woke up. The bagel was so tummy and the cream cheese and the toppings just took it to the next level.

The meatball marinara with vegan cheese was also really yummy! I don’t love “veggie/quinoa meatballs” and would prefer “fake meat” meatballs but these were yummy and filling and the bread, sauce, and cheese really made it delicious. They had an impossible burger too which I would love to try if I ever came back.

I was so full that I took half the sandwich and bagel to go but they I ended up eating them for another meal so it was a win win!

Definitely go to Big Bear if you haven’t and if you love cozy, heartwarming vibes. The drive back during sunset was magical. All the mountains and the view and the trees were engulfed in orange light. I felt like I was in a  real life screensaver or Bob Ross painting!