Truckee, Where to Stay and What To Do

Truckee, Lake Tahoe, California began life as a stage coach stop, then a decrepit and lawless railroad town serving the needs of the builders of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. Truckee held onto its sinful ways well into the 20th century. Passengers still disembark each day at the old railway station but across the street the Old West facades house boutiques and some very good restaurants.

Truckee Today

Interstate 80 is the main way travelers get to the Lake Tahoe area from Reno to the East and Sacramento to the West. Much of Truckee today consists of strip malls and discount shops for souvenirs and sporting goods and weekend traffic jams. The Truckee Jail Museum and the Donner Trading Company can give you a glimpse into Truckee's past.

Nearby you can find a tragic reminder of Truckee's history at the Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum. It commemorates the fate of 89 westward bound pioneers who were trapped by the 22-foot deep snows of the winter of 1846-47. Only 47 survived, many by resorting to cannibalism.

Displays and artifacts at the park do a good job of describing the history of the area. The park also features access to hiking, camping, boating, fishing and waterskiing in the summer as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.

Truckee offers a wide range of lodging choices as well as restaurants and access to all kinds of activities. Lodging choices run from restored historic hotels to the most modern of family resorts. Activities in the Truckee area include a full range of water activities at nearby Donner lake tosummer hiking, camping and horseback riding and winter skiiing, snowshoeing and cross-country.

Truckee also boast some of the best choices in dining experiences to be found in the Tahoe area. Many tourists rush to the shores of Lake Tahoe, especially the South Shore and miss the fun and interesting history of the little Wild West town of Truckee.

Places to eat and stay include:

• Truckee Hotel is an updated 1868 lumberjack hotel at Commercial and Bridge Streets. 800 659-6921
• Donner Lake Village Resort Hotel and Marina, 15695 Donner Pass Rd. is at the west end of Donner Lake. 800 621-6664
• Loch Leven Lodge also on Donner Lake at 13855 Donner Pass Road 530 587-3773
• Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort is a complete year-round destination for families with activities for all seasons. Lodgings range from hotel rooms to condos and private homes. 6 miles southeast of Truckee on route 267. 800 466-6784
• Moody's offers a supper-club atmosphere and live music on weekends. 1007 Bridge Street. 530 587-8831
• Dragonfly offers Cal-Asian food at 10118 Donner Pass Rd. 530 587-0557
• Pianeta is an Italian trattoria on the main street of Truckee. 530 587-4694

Activities in the area include:

• Golf at the Coyote Moon Golf Course, Northstar and Old Greenwood
• Horseback riding at Northstar Stables
• Mountain biking at Northstar-at-Tahoe
• Winter skiing is best at Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sugar Bowl but a lower price can be found at such resorts as Donner Ski Ranch, Boreal, Soda Springs and Tahoe Donner