Meetings, paperwork, meetings, and… teaching. At the beginning of the week, especially Wednesday, I’m a mess. So on Wednesday, I put in a sub request and booked an AirBnb in Lake Arrowhead.

…and immediately, I felt free. My mind felt free from my daily “teacher” brain and I dove into my library to find a book (The Secret Life of Bees) and started watching “The Haunting of Hill House.” It lives up to the hype – go watch it now!

I slept in, worked out, blah blah blah at home. I hoped to miss the traffic.

I made a pit stop at Riverside Food Lab to try out Monty’s, with their impossible burger. It was really pricey at $11 for a single burger (the patty was small) and $7 for the giant shake that I couldn’t finish.

I stopped for a short hike to Heart Rock in Crestline to stretch my legs.

I drove by Lake Arrowhead to Cedar Glen to finally visit Road Trip.

The employee there suggested going to Lou Eddie’s for an early dinner.

I made it to the lake and stopped in the Lakefront Tap Room for a glass of mulled wine overlooking the water. Nothing says fall more like some warm mulled wine!

I stayed in a room in log cabin in Twin Peaks. I stayed in the cowboy and Indian-themed room with a fire place and window seat.

In the morning, my host made breakfast and we chatted for awhile before I headed to Strawberry Peak Fire Lookout. I got a little education about the fire lookout and a panoramic view.

Other recommendations:

• Hotshots Coffeehouse in Blue Jay
• Belgian Waffleworks on the lake

The Lake Arrowhead area was extremely relaxing. The lake itself was beautiful, better than Big Bear for the views; however, it’s private so I was only able to walk around a bit. Most hotels and AirBnbs have lake passes though!