Looking for something to do for a 3-day Tahoe/Truckee getaway? Look no further, here’s the plan! 

My name is @hannahbrie and I’m going to take you on a 3-day adventure through some of my favorite parts of North Lake, Truckee and South Lake. 

This next visit you can enjoy our beautiful home as well as being a part of the community. Each of us can start by traveling and packing more thoughtfully. Starting with how we travel, pack, and our actions! Join our Traveler Responsibility Pledge and make a difference by changing the little actions that can play a bigger role.

Sign the Pledge and let’s enjoy a first day in North Lake Tahoe! 

Day One | North Lake Tahoe

Clear Bottom Kayaking: First stop is in Kings Beach, CA. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, plenty of water in your hydroflask, and don’t forget to pack your patience. Head over to The Wild Society and finally check off the iconic clear water kayaking! Any time I paddle, I try to pick up any trash I see in the lake. On a hot summer day, there’s no better excuse to jump in than to pick up some trash and #LeaveNoTrace. 

Clear Bottom Kayaking Lake Tahoe California

Where to Lunch: After a morning paddle it’s time to grab lunch at Garwoods. Sitting right on the lake it offers great views and fancy drinks. The most popular being the classic Wet Woody that happens to be one of the many stops featured in Treasures of Tahoe Rum Tour on the website! 

Via Ferrata Adventure: Next stop is in Squaw Valley for Tahoe Via Ferrata. This was a first for me. We climbed the iconic Tram Face by being attached to a cable system for the ultimate Tahoe adventure. It was so unique to see a different perspective of the ski resort. Switching up the white snow capped runs for green and luscious mountains! It was a surprising change. Highly recommend it! And of course, I would recommend ending your day with a well earned glass of wine at Uncorked Wine Bar right in the village! If you end up trying this out, let me know what you think!

Tahoe Via Ferrata North Lake Tahoe Squaw Valley

Day Two | Truckee, CA

Breakfast Fuel Up: First stop was Drink Coffee Do Stuff located in downtown Truckee. The team is busy roasting around 3000 pounds a week, which happens locally. Fun fact: they roast at elevation allowing 10-15% more flavor which coincides with their slogan: more sweet less bitter. Keep an eye out for an upcoming event featuring some of the best baristas from all over the world competing for a $1000 prize at the 1st annual Lake Tahoe Latte Art Throwdown.

Truckee Trails Foundation: After we were fueled up on coffee we met up with the Truckee Trails Foundation trail crew and volunteered a couple hours learning about the hard work and thought that goes into keeping our trails available for us all to enjoy. We  installed a new sign, helped hikers identify the trails, cleared unnecessary and unsafe clutter, and dug a water spillway redirecting water runoff – all of which plays a bigger role than one might think. Interested in voluntourism? Check out this roundup of outdoor volunteering opportunities in Truckee-Tahoe.

Truckee Trails Volunteer

Where to Lunch: Once we were all dirty from the trails, we headed to Alibi Ale Works to grab some lunch and learn how they help keep Truckee sustainable. I was happy to learn that Alibi is the only brewery that uses Lake Tahoe water while brewing. Therefore, it is not chlorinated making it the purest beer. They utilize seasonal fruits and veggies from local farmers and the Tahoe Food Hub for their always changing menu. Because they do not use any chemicals for brewing or cleaning (i.e. bleach), the little waste they do have is then returned back to local farms to feed farm animals –  reduce, reuse, recycle at its finest! Did I mention there is a beer garden, pets allowed, and family friendly? You’ve got to check them out.

Bike Path Adventure: Next, we rented e-bikes from Bike Truckee and explored the Legacy Trail, a scenic paved path that is accessible year-round, with signs along the path explaining fun facts about the area. Enjoy the dog friendly path and soak in the beautiful views along the Truckee River!

Bike the Legacy Trail Truckee California

Tahoe Food Hub: To wrap up our day I had the pleasure of talking to the Founder & Director of Tahoe Food Hub, Susie Sutphin. A brilliant mind who saw the broken bridge between farms and consumers and wanted to help fill that gap between fair prices, all while consuming the best products. Tahoe Food Hub  provides direct to consumer harvest boxes that you can create and customize with goods from organic local farmers! Sutphin believes everything has value. Cost, people, ecompany, environment, community. It all connects and plays a larger role than most of us think! Have you ever heard of regenerative agriculture? Sutphin explained that everything starts with the soil and moving toward regenerative agriculture could help mitigate climate change by 100%! Worth the read!

Other Helpful Travel Tips:

Day Three | South Lake Tahoe

Motorcycle Ride Around South Lake Tahoe

Our South Lake Tahoe trip started with us stopping at Roll Tahoe and meeting the owners Matt & his wife Sina! True motorcycle enthusiast at heart so naturally, we had plenty to talk about. We started the day by renting a #PolarisSlingshot and headed outside of town on HWY 88 & HWY 89! Big Blue is one of a kind and easy to get stuck starring at the lake but there is much to offer in the surrounding areas. We enjoyed the dramatic landscape differences before we headed back into town for lunch!

Motorcycle Ride Around South Lake Tahoe

If you enjoy sushi then you must try Yugen Cuisine off Ski Run Blvd. They offer an authentic sushi experience with truly unique rolls and the freshest sashimi! I’m a sucker for spicy rolls, and if you are too, a must try is the Typhoon roll with tempura shrimp, spicy krab, avocado, & white onions topped with ceviche habanero, tuna, cilantro, tobiko & lemon slices.

After lunch we traded our slingshot or two wheels and got lured into the iconic Emerald Bay views! Followed by a hike at Van Sickle Bi-State Park, offering a wide variety of hikes accessible for anyone at all ages offering stunning views looking back at Lake Tahoe.

Don’t forget, when packing to go for a hike follow your Travelers Responsibility Pledge you should’ve signed a couple days ago.

Author: Jackie Calvert





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