Shore Is Fun : Water play at Lake Gregory brings a touch of nostalgia

I hadn’t been to Lake Gregory in more than three decades but I still had vivid memories of paddleboarding with my buddies as a teenager, trying to strike up acquaintances with young ladies on the water by accidentally bumping into their paddleboards. This approach almost never succeeded, much to our puzzlement.

Now, of course, with a wife and a 9- and 4-year-old child, I am a careful voyager. But, in a nostalgic mood, I wanted to revisit the scene of my many failures. And I figured the lake would be an ideal playground for the kids.

My wife, Tia, was not so sure. She usually plots our vacations, with the same care generals devote to military campaigns. I had planned this one, finishing the job in five minutes, by dialing the phone number of the second inn mentioned in the Crestline Chamber of Commerce’s recording.

For reasons I can’t fathom, Crestline (altitude 4,700 feet)--the site of Lake Gregory--is not as well known as its higher-up neighbors in the San Bernardino Mountains, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. My wife pointed out that Crestline wasn’t even listed in the 1,000-page AAA Tour Book for California/Nevada.

“Is it safe?” she asked. The question--the kind that my parents never would have had to ask in the 1950s--caught me off guard. I stammered, “Well, yeah . . . I guess, if any place is safe these days.” But it got me to thinking. So, when we arrived in Crestline, I bought the local weekly newspaper and scoured it for bad news. I was relieved to find nothing but a minor burglary.

Crestline seemed unchanged from 1966. Divided by Lake Drive, a narrow mountain road, it was still the same funky little town, with a theater in a World War II-style Quonset hut. (OK, a McDonald’s also has moved in, to the consternation of some locals.) And, ringed by tall pines, oaks and cedars, Lake Gregory, with its azure water and 2 1/2 miles of white sandy beaches, still looked lovely.

Our room at the Crestline Inn cost $65 a night and I was pleased by more than just the price. When I asked about check-in time on the phone, the clerk said, “Oh, how does 11 a.m. sound?” It sounded fine; I am really tired of big-city hotels with a check-in of 3 p.m. and a check-out of noon (in which cases, I vainly tell the clerk, “But you don’t understand--I’d like to have a room for 24 hours. . . .”)

The Crestline Inn, east of the lake and about a half a mile from the water, didn’t resemble an alpine lodge. It was basically a motel plunked down in the mountains. But it was clean and had a swimming pool, which the children immediately invaded. The Inn also had a coffee shop and bar, which I hadn’t known about. As it turned out, my fears of late-night reveling were unfounded. By 9:30 p.m., it was quiet. (Nor had I pointed out to my wife a terrifying poster I had seen next to a building about a quarter-mile away: “Punk Concert Tonight. Free Admission.” I never did hear any rock sounds and wondered in retrospect if it was a joke meant to frighten away tourists.)

That night we dined in town at the Mulberry Tree, a charming, converted cottage with about six tables. We were so pleased that we dined there again the second night.

The big moment for me was our visit to Lake Gregory (admission: $3 apiece). On the east end of downtown Crestline, it was a drive of a bit over a mile from our motel. The beach would be packed with people by noon.

My wife was pleased to see that it was a family--not a singles--resort. I fondly surveyed the area where I had once parked my beach towel (I’ve always associated the smell of Coppertone with Lake Gregory.) As a Beach Boys song blasted out of someone’s radio, I could almost imagine I was 16 again. Or 36, anyway. And I was reassured by the presence of the north beach’s same lone tree, where I remembered the older folks seeking shade, much to our amusement.

“I’m putting my blanket under the tree,” I said.

Lake Gregory, constructed in the 1930s and operated by San Bernardino County, is roped off into two sections. One is for boating, fishing and Aqua Cycles (three-wheeled vehicles that you pedal across the water); the other is for swimming and paddleboarding. In recent years, some tall fountains have been installed on the south side in the non-swimming section. They are supposed to be off-limits, but a couple of teenage Aqua Cyclists ventured into the area, squealing as they were pounded by the falling water.

The fishermen were in a good mood. Earlier, on a quickly curtailed walk on a scenic fitness trail (the 4-year-old wasn’t interested in things scenic), I talked to one teenager who had caught eight fish off shore the previous day, gone back to the cabin for a rest, and come back a few hours later and caught eight more.

Visitors can fish off the south shore of the lake without paying an admission price (you just pull of St. Moritz Drive into a parking area). Anglers wishing to go out in a boat, however, must enter on the north side and pay the admission price; cost of the boat is $5 per hour plus $25 deposit.

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Sarah tried out a paddleboard ($2 per half hour) but found it a bit too unwieldy for a 9-year-old. Her eyes opened wide though when she looked across the lake and noticed a feature that was new to me: a water slide. We walked around to the south shore and found shrieking kids (and some adults) clutching rubber mats as they whizzed down a winding 300-foot slide, eventually plopping into a small pool adjacent to the lake.

We bought her the $6 all-day pass. She had found her life’s calling. Of course, 4-year-old Jamie eventually had to try it. When a tot tries the slide, the lifeguard who mans the pool is informed ahead of time and catches the little one off the slide. (All sliders wear life jackets.)

Afterward Jamie confided, “It was fun. But I don’t want to do it again.”

Before leaving Crestline, we took to the lake once more. I rented an Aqua Cycle ($6 per half hour) and took Jamie out for a spin. He loved the grown-up responsibility of steering us, though he showed a disturbing tendency to want to collide with other people on Aqua Cycles.

“We don’t crash,” I sternly lectured him, feeling every bit the hypocrite.

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Budget for Four

Crestline Inn (two nights): $130.00

Lake activities: $24 admission, $21 lunch, $4 paddleboards, $12 Aqua Cycles, $10 water slides: 71.00

Dinner, Mulberry Inn (two nights): 72.00

Breakfasts: 28.00

Gasoline: 12.00

FINAL TAB: $313.00

Crestline Inn, 562 Valley Drive, Crestline, CA 92325; telephone (909) 338-1545.