Kabelitz clan gathers for annual reunion

by Ellen Kabelitz

LW contributor

We have three wonderful daughters and seven precious grandchildren. The three families live in three different states, so you can imagine that planning a mutually agreeable date to get together is a huge challenge. But after six months of coordination, this year we chose to have our annual family reunion June 2326 at beautiful Big Bear Lake. With last fall’s wildfires in our local mountains, I had called ahead to check on the status of the area. Fortunately, Big Bear Valley was unaffected by the destruction.

The resort chosen for our stay was fantastic and right in the middle of the very walkable Village area of town where many cafes and shops are located. Each family had a spacious two bedroom suite with full kitchen which allowed us to make our own breakfasts, prep snacks and gather to eat whenever we wanted. The property also had a lovely pool, Jacuzzi and family game room complete with pool table, foosball and table tennis. The large lobby provided our group with plenty of space to push tables together and play a number of fun board games.

There were many family friendly activities in Big Bear. One thing we were all excited to try was the Alpine Slide. Open in 1983, it’s known as Southern California’s only authentic bobsled experience and offers a quarter-mile-long track with twists, turns and straightaways. I’m the cautious one in the family and was happy to know that there was a handbrake on the flatbed scooter we each rode on. Our middle daughter has always loved roller coasters and exciting rides at both Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. She took the slide that morning at full speed, not using the brake to fly around the banked turns on the course. On one curve her exposed shoulder and forearm scraped along the course wall, taking off several layers of skin — ouch! Officials at the bottom of the ride patched her up and filled out paperwork. She was sore but laughed it off. We then all trooped over to the recently updated bowling alley, complete with multiple video screens, popular music and blacklit lanes. Each bowler could have their picture taken and placed next to their running scores on the overhead board. Of course, my husband and daughters made goofy faces for their pictures, which added more laughter to our gutter ball attempts.

Our youngest daughter and I have birthdays one week apart in June, so the rest of the family surprised us one evening in our room with a delicious specialty cake, light up sashes and crowns plus presents. So thoughtful!

Another day we rented a pontoon boat for a three-hour ride around the lake. The weather was perfect and as it was midweek, we just about had the lake to ourselves. My husband, Bob, had spent the previous week at home examining and prepping his freshwater fishing equipment so that he could help the grandkids try their luck. No fish were caught but the 14 of us enjoyed the time on the water. And ssshhhhh! Don’t tell anyone, but each of the grandkids sat on Papa’s lap and took turns “helping” drive the boat.

The forest surrounding Big Bear Lake is very peaceful and our last day together we decided to tour the Discovery Center. It’s a great place to have hands on experiences and learn about animals and plants in that area. On the property are also several hiking trails and we all spent almost an hour walking and drinking in the beauty of God’s creation.

We had a blast in Big Bear! What a gorgeous area and not far from Leisure World. I would encourage any who are able to head up to the mountains. You will be as refreshed as we were.

The Kabelitz clan at their annual family reunion in June.