Enjoying that fresh mountain air!
After a 1/4-mile scramble over snow and rocks,

we reach the waterfalls!

"What the..." I muttered under my breath as I drove past decrepit trucks and homes in bad need of TLC in Frazier Park, right as I exited the 5 Freeway. "How can there be a resort community in these parts?" I wondered as I surveyed the unimpressive stretch of road ahead of me. It reminded me of the look and feel of a cheesy Russ Meyer B-movie.

It was April and I had set a business meeting with Pam McCaine of Pine Mountain Realty, to look into the feasibility of having her do some cable TV advertising, and what I was seeing wasn't at all the quaint little log-cabin resort community that I had seen on her website.

Fifteen minutes into the drive, the dreary Russ Meyer-esque scene somehow had transformed into a vista of pine trees and snow-covered mountain peaks. I rolled down my windows and breathed in the fresh pine-scented mountain air of the Los Padres National Forest.

The deeper into the forest I drove, the more I felt that I had somehow left Southern California. I was so enthralled by the utter charm of it all that when I finally stepped out of my car and into Pam McCaine's office, the first thing I said was, "I can't believe this place exists just outside of Los Angeles!"

Pam's office just so happened to also serve as the lobby for the Pine Mountain Hotel, which she owns and operates. "It's a B&B without the first 'b'" she quipped as she took me on a tour of the three rooms that comprise the hotel, which is conveniently located in The Village Center.

At $70 to $90 per night, I just knew that Corey and I had to do an impromptu weekend getaway so I made reservations to come back that Saturday.

And what a great weekend getaway that was!

After checking in, we walked over to a local pizza joint for lunch. Adequately fuelled, we proceeded to hike up a quarter-mile to the waterfalls, the trail to which was still partially covered with snow.

In the afternoon, we decided to scope out the other hiking trails. We had also intended to do some horseback riding but got to the stables too late so we decided to head back to the Pine Mountain Hotel and relax before having dinner at the Screaming Squirrel restaurant next door.

After a late brunch the next day, we decided to take a scenic drive to Ojai before heading back home.

Given that a nice, relaxing weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles was what we were looking for, Pine Mountain Club certainly fit the bill.

Here's what you need to know about Pine Mountain Club in a nutshell:

• 70 miles North of Los Angeles
• surrounded by 1.7 million acres of the Los Padres National forest
• mild four-season climate
• recreation opportunities include a 9-hole PGA-rated golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, rental horses, and a clubhouse with lounge, restaurant, and recreation room
• hiking, cross-country skiing, stargazing, and fishing are also popular.
• the Village Center offers shops, restaurants, gym, gazebo, multipurpose park, post office, and heliport
• year-round events such as the Lilac Festival, Oktoberfest, Music in the Forest Festival, and the Antique Car Show

ACCOMODATIONS

Pam McCaine, owner of Pine Mountain Realty and the Pine Mountain Hotel, is an absolute doll. Give her a call at (800) 733-4313 to see if she has one of the rooms available for the weekend. If she's fully booked, she'll always be able to recommend other weekend rentals- mostly log cabins- for you to consider.

DIRECTIONS

From Los Angeles go north through the San Fernando Valley on I-5.After you pass Magic Mountain and Castaic Lake, it is 25 serene miles to Gorman. Just after Gorman, take the Frazier Park/Mt. Pinos off ramp and turn left under the freeway. Stay on this road for approximately 13 miles, through the Frazier Park area into the heavily forested area above Cuddy Valley. At the "Y" in the road turn on Mil Potrero Hwy. It is another 5 miles through Los Padres National Forest to Pine Mountain Club.

For more information on stretching your budget, visit our main site at www.thecheapchiccouple.com !

On our crazy 48-hour roadtrip from Los Angeles to New York to attend Corey's best friend Jeff's wedding, there wasn't much time to do anything or than drive, drive and drive because we had to get to New York ASAP.

We stopped to fill up the tank as well as get sustenance (and I use the term very lightly) at this place called Kum & Go.

We had seen our first Kum & Go as we drove into the Midwest. I'm sure we weren't the first people to do a double-take. "Is that a gas station/porn place?!!!"

We knew that the name is supposed to evoke being able to fill 'er up and be on your way, but marketing-wise, whoever thought up the name is a genius, because the shock of the unintended sexual connotation certainly draws people-especially non-locals- in, just for the sheer novelty of it. (From what I've gathered, the locals say it's a pretty bad-ass convenience store as well. I'll take their word for it, since all we went for was the usual soda-and-Doritos.)

When we got to New York, we found one of the groomsmen wearing a Kum & Go shirt. "I just had to stop. I needed gas anyway. And I had to get the shirt, because it's a conversation starter", he said.