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Where to hide from the touristas - even if you are one
Truckee
In Truckee, stalled 14 deep on 80 offramps.
Outside Tahoe City, they're snapping photos of the Truckee while moving slower than a school zone.
In Incline, they're sneaking along the creek near Ski Beach and fabricating rec center punchcards at Rainbow Printing.
...And in South Shore well... we won't get into that.
It's the Basin's biggest weekend — where the general population literally quadruples over five days. Kids and dogs and SUVs and lines out the door of the local frozen sushi joint.
...As the locals (the ones who still have jobs, that is) prepare for triple-shifts and sharing the road with the chronically rubber-necked ...the other two thirds of tahoeticker's intrepid readers are coming (with their dollars) in hot to sample what the lucky few get year-round.
Here then, we offer a 'not-completely-local-but-not-totally-touristy' guide of where to go (away from the crowds) this 4th of July weekend.
Crystal Bay:
Cal Neva Circle Bar: In case you haven't heard, the 13-acre house of cards that almost brought down Frank is still for sale. Currently managed by an interim hotel-in-crisis firm representing Canpartners, the LA-based noteholder on the property (foreclosed upon in March), the 'Neve' is running on a shoestring. Yep, same dipped-in-history, awash-in-memory and soaked-in-failure feel. The Circle Bar is no-man's land. Refuge of the ribald gambler and the degenerate drunk ...and you. Go for it. The help is friendly. Drinks are stiff. ...And the views — well, you'll have to see for yourself. And if you got $10 mil to spare — it can all be yours.
Incline:
Incline: Village Supermarket/Village Meats. Family owned ...you pay less for produce and wine here than at Raley's; the meat counter is the best in four counties (trust us on this, it's worth the drive over from KB or Tahoe City)... and the crowds at the check-out consist of a guy buying a Camel hardpack and a woman looking for stamps (even though the post office is next door). Drop a quarter in the front-of-store slot — it's always worked for us.
Paddle Wheel: It's a dark bar. It's a drinker's bar. After midnight, it's an Eastern Bloc heavy after-shifter for Hyatt dealers bar. It's the last flickering outpost to hitch up the dying embers of your luck before they disappear into the starry night sky.
Kings Beach:
La Mexicana: Walk straight through the Taco Bell on the main drag, keep going across the back parking lot — and there's La Mexicana. Still a block from the beach but in the heart of The Grid; standard fare ...for all you cult-of-burrito junkies who swear by all-things-The-Mission ...this may seem a little too soft on the palate, unless you know how to ask for their special salsa en Espanol. Go with the carne asada wet with green sauce; it'll be your best meal whilst in the Basin this weekend. Best part: Gringo pricing.
Tahoe Vista:
El Sancho's: Kind of hard to miss since it's right on the main drag. Skip the burrito here and go straight for the fish tacos. (Yay whitefish). Pull up a stool ifo the window and gaze out at all the folks tripping over the road shoulder with sunburned noses and new flip flops. Oh, they stay open a tad later too (most Tahoe restaurants are long-since lights out by 8 p.m. — we know, it's terrible).
Dollar Hill:
Bacchi's Inn: This is where your family "used to go"/your "grandpa's favorite place." Full-on Goodfellas-Funny How?! inside. Try just try a test-spin at the bar for a cocktail in the cush red chairs ...and see where the night takes you. Menu hasn't changed (but neither have the prices). Crowds have thinned considerably since the last time you were there ('83-'84) sipping Shirley Temples.
Tahoe City:
Bookshelf: It's hard to be a 'hole in the wall' if you're practically now anchoring the upstairs of the dying Boat Works Mall (oh, 1980s glory days, what did go wrong?!) ...but the Bookshelf is a local, independent bookseller — and that should count for something. Go pick up a magazine or two if you have to. If you're staying a little longer their special orders can be had in a jiff (sometimes overnight). Good vibin'/well-read staff ...and, they're all way conversant on latest summer reads.
SLT:
Divided Sky: All the way down in Meyers. Not a big secret why locals flood into 'the sky" after a day poaching Sierra-at-Tahoe. Um, b/c that's where the guy giving you a ride is going... Music all weekend (sorta). It'll be packed all weekend, for sure — but nary a Looney Tunes shirt (or hipster) in sight.
Truckee:
Pour House: On Jibboom (behind downtown's main drag)... cheap and good glasses/bottles of wine. Small space so it's always cozy-to-crowded ...but in a good way. Have a few glasses and then duck out back round the alley through the red door and find yourself in the Pastime Club. (Shhh... you didn't hear that from us).
Truckee River Winery: If you can find it (hint: click here) knock three times. Ask for Russ. It'll be the best 'tasting' you ever had — guaranteed.
New Moon Natural Foods: Eff Safeway across the way. Get all your organics here. Pick the brains of one of the staff on what part of the PCT to do. Check out their beer fridge ...avoid the crowds. Buy healthy foods. Support the local economy. Your weekend is already off to a good start.
First Friday at Brickelltown is back... just in time for fall
9/02/10, 8:18 am, By Alanna Hughes
- 4 p.m. Friday in Brickelltown
- Bring your cruiser bike (cheaper/better peeps than Burning Man)
Ski Porn season kicks off at Squaw Sept. 18 with Standard premiere
8/31/10, 9:22 pm, By S. Cowley
- North Shore-based snowboard heavies preimere 'The Storming' Saturday, Sept. 18
- Monster'll be there too...
Sorry Burning Man - it's all about the Ski Loft Tent Sale
8/30/10, 7:52 pm, Staff Report
- 8 a.m. Friday
- Bring all your pennies... (what's left of 'em)
Fall 09 Ticker
-Basin Bargain Basement - The bargain of bargains
8/29/10, 8:59 pm, By A. Pridgen
- $105k for starter condo in KB
- Yes, we toured a similar unit in '06 for more than $300k ...actually, maybe it WAS this unit
Bomber pre-season ski sales from local manufacturers
8/25/10, 7:50 am, Staff Report
- From Praxis Powderboards to Moment Rubys ...to a surprise entry
- It's time to buy local... buy new
Skiing is no more
8/22/10, 11:47 am, Staff Report
- RIP Skiing Magazine
- ...Are you next, SKI?
Date set for 7th annual Downtown Truckee Wine Walk And Shop
8/22/10, 9:25 am, Switchback PR
- Filling up that fall calendar yet?!
- Well, here's where to start
Fall 09 Ticker
-Squaw to host SATELite Festival in September
8/22/10, 7:28 am, By A. Richmond
- New outdoor(ish) event pronounced 'satellite' ...not 'Sate-lite' like we orig. thought
- ...Not 100 percent sure what it is — but ncludes wine, so we'll be there
Tahoe Mountain Sports gets you warm for Ski Loft tent sale
8/20/10, 6:44 pm, By Lis Korb
- First come tent sales... then ski porn premiers
- Then (gulp) snow... are you ready?!
Legendary Incline bear featured in WSJ
8/18/10, 8:31 pm, Staff Report
- Free BUBBA
- That's right - It's our fault... not the bear's... but is that what the Journal thinks?!
Trail Building Backcountry Camps
8/17/10, 8:49 pm, TRTA
- Get on those trails
- ...and get your build on Saturday and Sunday (and again Labor Day weekend)
Fall 09 Ticker
-Win an iPad from IVGID
8/15/10, 7:03 pm, Staff Report
- Golf, ski, beach, compute
- repeat
Squaw creates new top marketing position... sale rumors spark again
8/10/10, 8:18 pm, Staff Report
- Wait, Squaw CREATED a position...
- Ok, something's definitely going down... (25-year industry vet Scott Clarkson tapped as VP of Marketing and Sales)
Jim's trip ...halfway... round The Rim
8/07/10, 1:16 pm, By. A. Pridgen
- Hammerel raises triple his goal amt. to benefit the TRT
- ...and tears up his knee
Volunteer trail-building workdays with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association
8/05/10, 7:45 am, TRTA
- You heard about Jim Hammerel's mission to speed-traverse the TRT
- Now you can pitch in too
Fall 09 Ticker
-Goodbye Norm
8/03/10, 8:08 pm, By A. Pridgen
- The Godfather of Incline, Norm Rosenberg, passes - he was 92
- Incline's left-leaning champion leaves legacy ...starting with the library
Test drive a Tesla... before it's too late
8/01/10, 9:30 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Tesla, the Palo Alto-based electric car company has gone through more than $300 million VC $
- ...but still hasn't tapped into Uncle Sam's reserves for the Model S - go check it out at the Hyatt
Sugar Bowl dining room and Belt Room Bar open for business
7/30/10, 10:22 am, By John Monson
- Good grub, great views
- And nothing beats Belt Room post PCT
Ultimate Frisbee - ultimate course
7/27/10, 8:56 pm, By A. Richmond
- Squaw opens disc golf course
- Signature hole (no. 4) has 1080' downhill... wow
Fall 09 Ticker
-Squaw's MTB park open for first time since '03
7/23/10, 7:22 pm, By Amelia Richmond
- 2k feet of single-track
- 'K, we're in
Remembering Kenny Guinn
7/22/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- The man who created the Milennium Scholarship and SNPLMA passed away Thursday
- Guinn, who oversaw Nevada during its most prosperous years, was 73
Lokal boy makes good - former PlumpJack star Edge shines in Sonoma
7/20/10, 6:23 pm, By A. Pridgen
- Rick Edge takes saucy edge down to downtown Sonoma
- Lokal is the (new) place to be and PlumpJack alum makes it so
Tahoe skier visits were estimated to be up 17 percent last winter
7/19/10, 8:40 am, Staff Report
- Numbers of skiers on the hill increased - but overall spending stayed modest
- Cheap passes the plan again for 2010-'11
Fall 09 Ticker
-Cushing steps down from Squaw post ...rumors of sale sparked
7/13/10, 6:06 pm, Staff Report
- Former Intrawest exec takes over
- ...Rumor mill turning overtime: is Cushing family getting ready to bounce?
TRPA's Asian clam bake
7/11/10, 9:19 pm, By Jeff Cowen
- $1.4 million effort to eradicate invasive species from the lake...
- And it involves (no joke) laying a rubber mat on the lake's floor... hi-tech
Kids' zip line at Squaw ...Boo ya
7/08/10, 5:12 pm, By A. Richmond
- KT zip line
- What about for the grown-ups?!
Just like that ...red flags are up
7/06/10, 6:22 pm, Staff Report
- Three-year anniversary of Angora looms ever-present
- Thunderstorms Wednesday/Thursday portend danger
Fall 09 Ticker
-Nevada County approves PR firm's contract the same week it OKs budget cuts
6/30/10, 9:19 pm, Staff Report
- Wait a minute - you're saying Tahoe will spend more than a million dollars this year on, sloganeering...
- Meantime, budget cuts include child care, welfare-to-work and MediCal programs ...nice
Truckee's Lautner drops a PCT hiking book
6/28/10, 8:55 pm, Staff Report
- 32 eco-friendly trips on the Sierra stretch of the PCT ...with GPS coordinates
- Two thumbs up - pick it up...
Lake Tahoe Based Russian-American Partnership turns 20
6/24/10, 11:27 am, By TBI
- Tahoe-Baikal Institute celebrates two decades of watershed protection and cultural exchange
- Political and economic ups and downs notwithstanding
Tour de Nez photo gallery
6/22/10, 8:20 pm
- The weekend that was from Reno to Northstar
- And lots of Nash
Fall 09 Ticker
-Rebuild the Rim Trail every summer Saturday
6/11/10, 9:07 pm, TRTA
- Start summer right by giving your most precious gift
- ...Your time
TRPA tries to clarify
6/01/10, 8:30 pm, By Dennis Oliver
- So, what, if anything, does this have to do with Boulder Bay?!
- ...More importantly how 'bout that casino (strip club?) corridor...
Opinion ...TRPA ensures Tahoe times they area a-changin'
5/22/10, 8:35 pm, By Ann Nichols
- Density to increase under proposed TRPA regional plan
- But, will they build it (or will they come?)
TAUs on the table from TRPA
5/14/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report
- If you don't understand the headline
- ...Go the the May 26 meeting and you'll see puh-lenty
Fall 09 Ticker
-Cal Neva now in TRPA doghouse
5/09/10, 6:49 pm, Staff Report
- TRPA will handle foreclosed property with kid gloves over more than a decade of flunking its eco report card
- Time to blow everything up but the casino floor, Sinatra Showroom, the lakefront cabins and the Indian Room
Celebrate National Trails Day with the Tahoe Rim Trail
5/06/10, 5:33 pm, TRTA
- Build a trail
- ...Get a free lunch
Save Martis Valley - one click at a time
5/04/10, 7:13 pm, By Renee Deinken
- Well, it's not like Martis Valley is in any danger of getting developed by broke-ass East/West
- ...But still good to preserve; Check out the new site
LTVA spends almost a mil. on slogan ending in preposition
5/02/10, 8:21 pm, By A. Pridgen
- That's right, your new slogan to lure Affliction-wearing d-bags to Stateline's new strip club
- ...'Get your vacation on' (ohh noo). Inside: Our five (free) slogan suggestions ...Holla
Fall 09 Ticker
-Cost of doing nothing too high for Tahoe
4/29/10, 8:22 pm, By Joanne Marchetta
- If you can make it through TRPA director's tome...
- We'll have resident feedback for you Friday
No downhill slide for Diamond Peak
4/09/10, 7:00 am, Staff Report
- While others founder
- ...DP in the black and breaking ground on new $4 million admin/ticket/locker/child ski center building
Foreclosed Cal Neva casino goes dark ...for good
3/24/10, 10:32 pm, By A. Pridgen
- One year after 'no-sale' at a foreclosure auction and interim management team shuts down Nevada's most legendary casino
- ...Sad, sad day... Casino doors to shut March 31 - rest of Basin gaming on life support
And yes ...the KB roundabouts were originally scheduled to be complete this summer
1/27/10, 9:35 pm, Staff Report
- Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board votes unanimously (again) to approve three-lane/roundabouts in KB
- ...Yes, you've heard that (here) before
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