THE $25 DEAL

By Chris Erskine

Dec. 21, 2008 12 AM PT

Take advantage of the recent storms with a day of inner-tube sledding at Big Bear Lake, two hours from Los Angeles.

The deal: For $25, you can barely swing lunch at most ski resorts. But that’ll buy an all-day pass at the tubing hill at Magic Mountain Recreation Area, five minutes from town in Big Bear. Children ages 2 to 6 are admitted free with a paying adult. All passes include inner-tube rental and access to the Magic Carpet, a large conveyor belt that whisks you to the top. To ensure the slickest sliding conditions, the park grooms its runs the same way ski resorts do. The park also includes the Alpine Slide, a twisting bobsled-like attraction. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; Christmas Day, hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Information: (909) 866-4626 or (909) 585-0075. For deals on other Big Bear Lake activities, or to book lodging, call (800) 424-4232 or go to www.bigbear.com.

-- Chris Erskine

Travel & Experiences

Chris Erskine

Chris Erskine is a nationally known humor columnist and editor who retired from the Los Angeles Times in 2020. Previously he wrote for the Sports, Travel and Saturday sections and edited with the paper’s features staff. As an editor, he has been a part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams at The Times (for his graphics work on the Northridge quake and the North Hollywood bank robbery). He is best known to readers for his weekly humor pieces on life in suburban Los Angeles. His latest book, “Daditude,” released in 2018, is a collection of his favorite Times columns on fatherhood. He has written two other books, “Man of the House” and “Surviving Suburbia,” which reached the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. The Chicago native has also worked for papers in New Orleans and Miami.

THE $25 DEAL

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