By Laura Medina
Apples Bed & Breakfast, in Big Bear Lake, California; is everything that Laurie Kagan wants in a bed and breakfast inn, even in an hotel.
As the new owner, Laurie retains the original warm hospitality from the previous owner but refreshed it then revamped it.
Building upon its nineteen years tradition of throwing weddings, Laurie Kagan built a bridal suite, where the bride and the bride's maids get ready for the ceremony then it turns into the honeymoon suite...
You don't have to a newlywed to come up there.
Apples Bed & Breakfast Inn is as big as it is accommodating...
This scribe wishes the more corporate hotel chains do this for their guests, a common kitchenette for all the guests to share, around the clock, whenever they want.
Coffee bar, tea bar, apple cider (of course), a mini soda refrigerator and real ice box, an ice refrigerator. Oh, how I wished this during sultry, sweltering, and burning hot Palm Springs's Coachella, an all-access soda bar and ice machine. Laurie is wise; and this is up in Big Bear Lake, where it's thirty degrees cooler up in the mountains.
This is the common living room where the common kitchenette is located.
This is where warm conversations are being made.
Since Apples Bed & Breakfast is up in the mountains, Laurie thoughtfully maintain the Victorian fireplace, put out a box full of cozy blankets, and set up a grand piano and a DVD library to keep everything cozy.
In keeping with its Victorian architecture, Apples Bed & Breakfast maintains the Victorian tradition of doing afternoon tea. But there, they call it "appetizers" during afternoon tea hours of 4pm to 5pm...then you have to go out to dinner to discover Big Bear Village.
They put out the sparkling cider because they don't have a liquor license.
Don't be bummed out. They're handmade cheese and olives cheese ball and pimento cheese ball are a hit with the fancy crackers, fresh grapes, dried apricots, chocolate-caramel pretzels, regular pretzels, and fancy nuts,..until 5pm.
Don't worry, for you late-night snackers, they politely lay out a dessert buffet, from 7pm to 9pm, with lemon Bundt cakes and bowls of lemon curd and whipped cream that the staff made from scratch. Nothing like catered home-cooking.
When it's time for dessert, you'll be returning to a night-time fairy land, out in the back yard.
Laurie Kagan was smart enough to use twinkling Christmas lights year-around, making the back yard into a fantasy fairyland.
During the day, Apples' back yard can be transformed into a wedding venue or a wedding expo venue...
You can also rent the back yard for really fancy family gatherings.
Apples Bed & Breakfast has two large "cottages" to hold conferences. In just case, hobbyists doing scrapbooking around the clock...
Their "conference cottages" have their own kitchen to help you keep on keeping.
In this relaxing and recharging bed and breakfast, you can retreat to your Victorian bed chambers...
It's the details that make or break the whole picture. A modest-looking thermostat turns on and control the fireplace.
The ample bath tub doubles as a Jacuzzi.
Laurie installed a vanity boudoir, with a tilting makeup mirror, a chair, and makeup wipes. The dental cups are crystal goblets.
If, oops, you left your shampoo behind. No worries. Laurie thought ahead and put up a shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel dispenser.
A full breakfast happens each day, at a reasonable hour of 9am. What people outside of Big Bear Lake call brunch, Apples Bed & Breakfast calls it breakfast.
People tend to get full, after wolfing down the grilled sausages, quiche, yogurt fruit cup, and another cup of fresh fruit with a pitchers of fresh orange juice and iced water. The staff gives out cellophane bags for the home-made scones. Yes, they understand.
This home-made, made-from-scratch breakfast will get you out in the mountain fresh air, invigorated by fresh pine trees, that reminisces of licorice.
It's a 180 degrees flip from burning hot Coachella.
A cool refresher for the soul.
To locate Apples Bed & Breakfast, it's a bold shade of a pink (Laurie Kagan's husband picked out the "Girl Power Pink") Victorian house on 42430 Moonridge Rd, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
It's around the bend from Big Bear Lake itself and the village of Big Bear, California.
Here is some movie trivia for y'all.
"Beverly Hills Christmas, the Sequel" was filmed at Apples Bed & Breakfast. Laurie Kagan filled in a cameo role that Shirley Maclaine turned down.
How's those apples?!
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