Visiting Big Bear is becoming an end-of-summer tradition for us just before school begins. We love that it’s close, only a few hours away, but allows us to escape the city.

This year, we decided to check out Mammoth Lakes, on the eastern side of the Sierras. It definitely lived up to its rave reviews.

Last weekend, before temps reached into the triple digits (yikes!), we ventured out to a nearby canyon that has recently undergone some updates for a mellow day hike.