Cabin on a Lake in CA?
 

I envision a small house or cabin in a woody area of California on a lake--possibly near a small quaint town. Does this place exist only in my imagination or have you been to a place like this?

You can find that at Lake Arrowhead, or Big Bear in Ca.

Donner

Donner for sure, or any one of a number of other Sierra lakes and reservoirs. Donner has lots of lakeside cabins, the lake itself is gorgeous, it is near Lake Tahoe for more beauty and sightseeing, and is right outside Truckee which certainly qualifies as a quaint small town.

Is that anything to do with the Donner Party - the one's that ate eachother?<BR><BR>

Yes, these donners!!!!!

Interesting...how did they eat each other?! Take turns? "ok, now you eat my thumb and I get your left ear."<BR><BR>Anyway, Tamsen Donner fed the kids the family dog for Christmas. Notwithstanding the gruesome past, Donner Lake is very pretty. Another thought is to look for something to rent at Fallen Leaf Lake, west of South Lake Tahoe. Gorgeous. Any you can climb Mt. Tallac. Or, you could graduate from Stanford, be an alumni and have access to Stanford Sierra Camp there. Just a thought.

Having grown up in the midwest and now relocated to California, I am always in search of the perfect summer cabin; remnants of a childhood spent on the water. The thing that has continued to disappoint me is that the lakes here are so cold, even in the summer. Are any of these lakes "swimming lakes?"

Outside of Mammoth at a place called Twin Bridges or Twin Lakes. It has an excellent restaurant with cottages.

Great replies! Thanks. <BR><BR>Sharon: good question! I am a CA native--but I long for a warm lake myself. The lakes near Tahoe are beautiful but they are cold from the snow run off. I wonder if there are any lakes in warmer parts--any near the Gold Country? Anyone? <BR><BR>Please keep the ideas coming--I am feeling relaxed just thinking about it.

Maybe Bass Lake would work. You'd be at the mouth of Yosemite which might add crowds, but plenty of scenic appeal. And Fresno gets hot, so the lake should be warm for swimming.

Tamarack Lodge.<BR>www.Tamaracklodge.com is where I went and really enjoyed it a few summers ago. The restaurant is outstanding and the area has a lot to offer. You could also check out www.sunset.com for articles about cabins as I know they did a wonderful article a few years back on cabins on lakes in the Western US.

Big Bear Lake or Lake Arrowhead. But Lake Arrowhead is a private lake, so you're going to have to rent a place with access to the lake. There's also a very nice time share that you might be able to rent from for a week.<BR><BR>Big Bear Lake is larger and offers boat rentals, but it is a busier lake.

Check out Lake Almanor. Water temperature in the 70s during summer. Near the small town of Chester.