Convergence in Big Bear, CA

I have been thinking about software convergence lately. This weekend I was visiting Big Bear, CA with my family where a cultural convergence was happening. The annual Big Bear Film Festival, a motorcycle rally and Oktoberfest all happening at the same time. What does three distinct events transpiring in a very small town create? A peculiar cultural convergence of Hollywood hipsters, motorcycle club members and rural rednecks. This peculiar convergence is not a dissimilar result from many software convergences. At least this cultural convergence is fun to watch.

I had a great time with my family. Big Bear always delivers on the promised reprieve. This trip was spontaneously arranged mid-week. Tara and I spend our Thanksgivings in Big Bear and she suggested we drive to Big Bear and find a suitable cabin for our Thanksgiving trip.

For this weekend Tara found an adorable farmhouse for rent. The owner did a fantastic job decorating the place. However, the neighborhood was less than appealing. My Facebook description of the farmhouse:

We rented a cute little farmhouse. It’s nice. Other than the shitty neighborhood replete with dick rednecks partying loudly all around us…Oh and owner said it was “near” the airport. Seriously, the runway is literally in the backyard.

Thankfully the airport in Big Bear is just a little air strip for small personal airplanes. Still, with two little ones, the airplanes coming and going were not welcome. Worse yet were the raucous parties of cursing twenty-something Caucasians that drove jacked up American made trucks that appeared as though they should be participating in a monster truck rally. These twenty-somethings also dressed as though they were lead characters in rap music videos. Yet another peculiar convergence.

We did find a cabin for our Thanksgiving trip to Big Bear. Cozy Hollow Lodges is less than a mile from the village and it has a playground. We drove by and checked it out before we left town.