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The historic town of Truckee’s beginnings date back to 1848 with the discovery of gold in Colma and silver in Virginia City, prompting the need for a road to connect the two. By 1863, the first white settlement was established near Donner Lake and was originally known as Gray’s Station for Joe Gray, the first white settler. The town grew quickly as a frequent stagecoach stop and route for the Central Pacific Railroad. The town became a rowdy mountain town filled with railroad workers and loggers, gambling houses and saloons. During these early days many of Truckee’s historical homes and buildings were built including The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868), the town’s oldest building. Today, the area surrounding the Truckee Depot is a bustling shopping district with Commercial Row across from the Depot, and Brickelltown a few blocks to the west. The Truckee Donner Historical Society has a wonderful walking tour available online or at the Visitors’ Center in the Depot highlighting all of the historic sites. www.truckeehistory.org, www.truckee.com. TART Truckee Donner Railroad Society operates the Truckee Railroad Museum, located in a caboose next to the Truckee Depot. Exhibits include the train’s role in logging, fighting snow on the railway, the role of Chinese emigrants and a children’s area. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. & holidays. www.truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com. TART The KidZone Children’s Museum is a great place for kids up to age 7 with interactive exhibits, science and art classes, the BabyZone for newborns to 18 months and the Jungle Gym for toddlers and older. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., until 1 p.m. Sun. Locals first Tues. $1. Free rides from Kings Beach Thurs. & Sat. (530) 587-5437, www.kidzonemuseum.org. TART The ill-fated Donner Party suffered through the harsh winter of 1846-47 camped around Donner Lake and Truckee. The Donner Memorial State Park features exhibits and artifacts on the Donner Party at the Emigrant Trail Museum and the towering Pioneer Monument, built to commemorate those who came to California in the mid-1800s. The park also features trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $8 parking, $7 62+. (530) 582-7892. |
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Olympic Valley The Olympic heritage of Squaw Valley USA, host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games in 1960, is evident to this day. The symbolic Tower of Nations and Olympic Flame still greet visitors at the entrance to the Valley (5 miles north of Tahoe City on Highway 89). The Olympic Heritage Museum at High Camp (el. 8,200’) at Squaw Valley USA features historic memorabilia, photographs and a video presentation. High Camp is an attraction in itself. Visitors travel to High Camp via the Cable Car with views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains. At High Camp, enjoy dining, ice skating and snowshoe tours, along with lift access to Squaw. Cable Car ticket required. OPENS NOV. 23. (530) 583-6985, www.squaw.com. TART Tahoe City Tahoe City, located at the junction of the West and North shores, is a popular area for shopping and dining out with a number of historical sites within easy walking distance. At the wye (junction of Highways 89 and 28), visitors can see the Tahoe City Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and Fanny Bridge. There’s also the Gatekeeper’s Museum/Steinbach Indian Basket Museum, featuring historic photos, Native American baskets and local historical memorabilia. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment. Fri.-Sat. $4-$5, military free. (530) 583-1762. TART In the center of town, look for Watson Cabin (open in summer) built by Robert Watson and his son in 1909 located on the lakeside above Commons Beach. The North Tahoe Arts Center features works by local artists and a gift shop. Wed.-Mon. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (530) 581-2787. www.visittahoecity.com. TART North Shore Highway 28 curves around the small communities of the North Shore from Tahoe City to Incline Village with shopping areas and restaurants dotted along the lake. Included are Kings Beach, which features the Kings Beach State Recreation Area, Crystal Bay, where casinos and dining are the highlight, and Incline Village, which has an abundance of shopping. TART The Cal Neva resort, straddling California and Nevada, hosts Tunnel Tours on the history of the resort starting in 1936, with stories about the owners and colorful characters, stars, musicians, mobsters that visited. Guides talk about past and present paranormal happenings. Tour the property inside, outside and underground. 2 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 5 & 6 p.m. Fri.-Sat. $10. (800) 225-6382. TART University of California, Davis, operates a science education center, the Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center, on the Sierra Nevada campus in Incline Village. Exhibits include a virtual research boat, biology lab, 3-D visualization lab and docent-led tours. Ages 8+. Daily 8 a.m.-6 p.m. or by appointment. (775) 881-7566. TART Incline Village & Crystal Bay Historical Society maintains a local history exhibit focusing on 1870 to 1970 along with a “Bonanza” exhibit in the Starbucks building, corner Tahoe & Village Blvds. Daily. TART The Mark Twain Cultural Center in Incline Village has become a historical and cultural center featuring memorabilia and documents about Mark Twain collected by historian and Twain impressionist McAvoy Layne. Wed.-Sat. 1-5 p.m., plus ongoing shows. (775) 831-2820 or www.ghostoftwain.com. TART East Shore The rocky slopes and hidden coves of the East Shore offer visitors access to the back country through Spooner State Park, with cross-country trails and wilderness cabins. $10 parking. (775) 749-5349. Visitors can drive through one of the area’s natural wonders – Cave Rock. The area is named for the small caves above Highway 50 that were cut by waves when the lake was 200 feet higher during the ice ages. Cave Rock is not a rock, but the neck of an old volcano. West Shore The West Shore from Tahoe City to Emerald Bay is marked by small hamlets. Eagle Rock, one of the lake’s famous natural sites, is a volcano plug beside Highway 89. In Homewood, visitors will find the Tahoe Maritime Museum featuring guided tours, exhibits and hands-on activities for kids. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. $5, free members & 12 and under. (530) 525-9253 or www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org. TART Sugar Pine State Park in Tahoma has marked trails for cross-country skiing and visitors are welcome to snowshoe through the park. No winter camping. (530) 525-7982. TART Donner Summit Donner Summit, just west of Truckee, holds the record for the United States’ snowiest April. On April 1, 1880, a storm dumped 4’ of snow on the Sierra Nevada west slope within 24 hours. A massive snow slide near Emigrant Gap buried Central Pacific Railroad’s tracks under 75’ of snow, ice and rock. For the rest of the month, storm cycles continued to flow in, dropping a total of 298” on the Sierra Nevada, the most April snow anywhere in U.S. history. Donner Summit Historical Society has a museum in Soda Springs at the corner of Old Highway 40 and Soda Springs Road. They also have created a 20-mile long interpretive driving tour along Old 40. Maps online or at museum. www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org. The Western Ski Sport Museum, showcasing the history of skiing, is at Boreal Mountain Resort. Exhibits include snowshoes from the 1850s, ski equipment from the 20th century and a pair of 8-foot-long skis used by John “Snowshoe” Thompson, a legendary mail carrier. Fri.-Sun. during ski season, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (530) 426-3313, ext. 113, www.auburnskiclub.org. TART |
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