Dan and I visit Big Bear Lake frequently and we like to stay in different places each time. I need the blog material! When we went for the Jeep Jamboree Weekend, we had the pleasure of discovering the Sleepy Forest Cottages. We picked the cottages after reading many rave reviews and getting an amazing deal through Expedia.

Located on a quiet residential street right off of Big Bear Blvd, Sleepy Forest Cottages is a family owned and operated business. The cottages are all scattered in a pretty wooded area and each one is completely unique. Ideally located, Sleepy Forest Cottages provided a good mix of nature, yet, is just a short walk from the action in Big Bear Village. This means you can easily walk to the wine bar, which is high on the list of important qualities in a Big Bear accommodation.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by owner Bob Pool, who was extremely gregarious. He had a ton of recommendations for places to eat and things to do. He clearly loves to get visitors excited about his city.

In the reception area, there are all kinds of goodies, like snacks and flavored coffee creamer! There is also a DVD collection, which is available to check-out for free. Bob and his reception area definitely made us feel like valued guests in his cottages.

Bob put us in cottage sixteen. Here are a few things that surrounded our cottage. I love the cow sign!

Here's Dan in front of our cottage.

It was huge inside and loaded with amenities. In particular, we loved the jacuzzi tub and the fireplace. It was really convenient to have a fridge, sink and microwave. The cottage had cupboards stocked with dishes and utensils. We had such an early start with the Jeep event, that it was great to be able to have a quick breakfast in the room. If we had a more time, we could have grilled on the BBQ's that were just outside of our cottage. Bob had all of the BBQ equipment to borrow, so there was no need to bring anything.

The room couldn't have been more adorable or more comfortable. The only slightly bizarre things were the red light in the bathroom and the couch that was a little too close to the television. On one had, it was nice to have that couch as an extra sitting space, but it unnecessarily cramped the room. Those were minor complaints though, because on a whole this is a wonderful place to stay and a new favorite in Big Bear.

As soon as we bought our Jeep in January, we couldn't wait to test it on the trails. Our first off-roading was in the mountains surrounding Big Bear Lake on the North Shore side.

Prior to hitting the trails, we stopped by the rangers station to get a map and to buy our Adventure Pass. We frequently noticed signs mentioning the Adventure Pass while driving in the Angeles National Forest. It's necessary to have if you wish to park your vehicle in the forest, you don't need it if you're just driving through. As we intend on doing a lot of off-roading and hopefully some hiking, the Adventure Pass is a must have accessory for our Jeep. It's also a nice way to support our local parks.

We spent about five hours off-roading in Big Bear, most of the time we were completely alone on the trails. We only saw one little chipmunk scurry in front of us. No other wildlife, except for birds.

It was mid-February and we were really hoping to find some snow, but with the unseasonably warm winter, this was all that we could find. The weather was brisk, but the sun was shining.

The trails were marked with ratings from easy to most difficult. A majority of the trails that we explored were flat and easy.

However, we did go on a trail that was rated the most difficult. This is how I handled it.

And when it became too much, I refused to stay in the Jeep as Dan drove down the steep trail.

Now that we've taken the Jeep out a few times and we've done far more harrowing trails, I'm not so chicken. I know that this picture makes it look pretty mild, but trust me, it was steep! I shouldn't have been walking down it in my Uggs.

Normally, I wouldn't advocate graffiti on nature, but I like this photo.

Our drive included a lot of dirt, tree branches scraping the sides of the Jeep and loud "clunk/clank" sounds as we jostled along. In the end, there were a few minor scratches, but mostly, the Jeep was just blanketed in dirt.

Nemo suffered a dismembered tail during an epic battle with a large tree branch. He just kept swimming.

In early May we will be back in Big Bear for the Jeep Jamboree. We can't wait to tackle the trails and really push our Jeep to its limits. Check out the official website for the event here.

http://jeepjamboreeusa.com/event-detail/62/