Sightseeing
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Shopping Areas
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Kings Beach:
Downtown district
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Northstar:
Village at Northstar
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Olympic Valley:
Village at Squaw
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Tahoe City:
Downtown district
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Truckee:
Commercial Row, Brickelltown
Visitors’
Centers
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Incline Village:
969 Tahoe Blvd., (800) 468-2463
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Tahoe City:
380 North Lake Blvd., (530) 581-6900
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Truckee:
10065 Donner Pass Road (Depot), (530) 587-8808
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Tahoe City
Tahoe City,
located at the junction of the West and North shores, is
a popular area of shopping and dining out with a number
of historical sights within easy walking distance. At
the wye (the
junction of Highways 89 and 28), visitors can see the
Tahoe City Dam,
Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and
Fanny Bridge
(so named for the posterior views of visitors). There’s
also the
Gatekeeper’s Museum, featuring historic
photos, Native American baskets and local historical
memorabilia. Take a walk down to
Commons Beach
and look for the old jail near the parking lot. Above
Commons Beach is the
North Tahoe Arts
Center featuring works by local artists and
gift shops. In the center of town, also overlooking
Commons Beach, is
Watson’s Cabin.
Built in 1909, the cabin serves as a living history
exhibit showcasing pioneer life on Lake Tahoe.
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Gatekeeper’s,
$1-$3, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed.-Sun. until June 15;
daily until Aug. 31; Wed.-Sun., Sept. 1-30, (530)
583-1762.
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Watson’s
Cabin, noon-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. May 24-June; Wed.-Mon.
July-Labor Day, (530) 587-8717.
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Arts Center,
free, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wed.-Mon., (530) 581-2787.
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www.visittahoecity.com.
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TART
Olympic
Valley
The Olympic heritage of
Olympic Valley, host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games in
1960, is evident to this day. The symbolic Tower of
Nations and Olympic Flame greet visitors at the entrance
to the valley. 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 the valley and Lake
Tahoe. At High Camp, enjoy swimming, ice skating
(year-round), hiking, full moon hikes, stargazing,
tennis and dining.
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
University of California,
Davis, operates a science education center, the
Thomas J. Long
Foundation Education Center, in the Tahoe
Center for Environmental Sciences on the Sierra Nevada
Campus in Incline Village. Exhibits include a virtual
research boat, biology lab, 3-D visualization lab and
docent-led tours of this award-winning “green” building.
Exhibit themes include why Lake Tahoe is unique and how
science and research are used to restore and protect
Lake Tahoe for future generations.
East Shore
The mostly undeveloped
rocky slopes and hidden beaches of the East Shore offer
visitors access to the back country through
Spooner Lake
State Park.
Sand Harbor State
Park is one of the most popular beaches on
the Lake and is home to the
Lake Tahoe
Shakespeare Festival (July 10-Aug. 17).
$6 Spooner, $8 Sand Harbor. (775) 831-0494.
Thunderbird Lodge
Historic Site is the former Whittell estate
and provides a peek back to the “Old Tahoe” lifestyle.
The magnificent lakefront home features the Lighthouse
Room, Old Lodge, 600’ underground tunnel (with a former
lion cage), Card House and Boat House, home to the 1939
wooden boat “Thunderbird.”
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Tours daily
June-Sept. by reservation, $39 adults, $19 children
(under 6 not permitted), includes shuttle, (800)
468-2463.
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No on-site
parking.
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Tour boat
from Tahoe Keys Marina
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(888)
867-6394, ext. 3.
West Shore
The
West Shore
from Tahoe City to Emerald Bay is marked by small
hamlets and several historical sites and popular state
parks. Sugar
Pine Point State Park offers beach access and
is home to
Ehrman Mansion. Further down is
D.L. Bliss State
Park, sight of an old lighthouse (once the
highest elevation lighthouse in the country), and
Emerald Bay State
Park. Visitors to Emerald Bay can tour
Vikingsholm
Castle, hike around the beach, relax on the
reach or boat to
Fannette Island
(the Lake’s only island), which is home to an old
teahouse. Call for tour hours.
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Sugar Pine,
(530) 525-7982;
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Bliss, (530)
525-7277;
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Emerald Bay,
(530) 541-3030.
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TART
The new
Tahoe Maritime
Museum is open in Homewood featuring guided
tours, exhibits and hands-on activities for kids.
Northstar
Northstar-at-Tahoe offers
free scenic
lift rides to the top of the mountain on the
Gondola, Tahoe Zephyr Express or Vista Express
chairlifts. The resort offers hiking trails and dogs are
welcome on leash.
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Start at 10
a.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 23-June 19 (open May
23 & 26);
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daily June
20-Labor Day;
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Friday-Sunday
Labor Day-Oct. 5. Free.
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Visit
www.northstarattahoe.com.
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TART
Truckee
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 and eventually a town on
the bank of the Truckee River. The areas surrounding the
Truckee Depot
is a bustling shopping district with
Commercial Row
and
Brickelltown. Stop by the visitor’s center in
the Depot for a walking tour. Visit the
Old Jail Museum
on Jibboom Street.
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 up.
(530) 587-8437. TART
The ill-fated Donner Party
suffered through the harsh winter of 1846-57 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 themed-1800s. The park features beach
access to
Donner Lake, natural trails and boulder
fields.
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Daily 9
a.m.-4 p.m.
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(530)
582-7892.
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TART
Donner Summit
Bridge on Old Highway 40 has spectacular
views of the area. The bridge affords visitors views of
Donner Lake, Old Truckee, mountain peaks, and the
magnificent rock walls for which Donner Pass is famous.
Motorists can stop at McGlashan Point, a scenic overlook
adjacent to the bridge. From I-80 eastbound, take the
Soda Springs exit and continue to Donner Pass; from I-80
westbound, take the Donner Lake interchange to Donner
Pass Road, then turn right.
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