Twenty-miles northeast of Lake Tahoe in the Sierras, the town of Truckee, Calif. is a historic train town that is just right for a snowy, weekend getaway for families.
Day One
GETTING THERE Truckee is surprisingly easy to get to without a car. We hopped on an Amtrak shuttle bus in San Francisco which promptly transported us to the train station in Emeryville. There we hopped on the snow train to Truckee. Round trip fare was $90 for each adult, $45 for the 4 ¾ year old, and free for the baby, which was perfect for our family’s budget. A big part of the trip was definitely the train ride, as my two boys will happily attest.
SLEEP The Truckee Hotel has been in operation for over 130 years. Our European-style room was cozy and the shared bathrooms were very clean. I thought that the most interesting feature of the hotel by far was the toilet with a built-in wash basin. There was one in each bathroom. Flush and clean tank water runs into the built-in sink for washing hands. It saves water and space. Genius!
EAT Decent places to eat are abundant in Truckee. For dinner the first night, we enjoyed gnocchi with duck confit, calamari, and thin crust pizzas at the very kid-friendly Bar of America, which was formerly a Bank of America building. The Bar, oh how I would have loved to languish at the Bar, sipping my lemon drop or warming up with a hot toddy. Next time, the plan will be to sneak away after the kid’s bedtime rituals to partake in the free-flowing libations that the Bar of America is known for. It is right across from the hotel after all.
Day Two
PLAY With the help of the Tahoe Area Regional Transit or TART (no worries about tire chains or driving ourselves through slippery roads!), we ventured to South Lake Tahoe where we visited a friend staying at a fancy timeshare condominium overlooking the lake. C&O played in the snow, made a snowman, and managed to get all the adults to take turns pulling them on a sled. Although fun was had by all, next time, we’ll spend the day in Truckee. I heard that there is a secret spot for sledding only known to locals. So, if you go, ask a local where it is and go where they go.
EAT We took advantage of the free offerings at the hotel’s Breakfast Lounge – a simple fare of bagels, English muffins, cereal boxes, and cheese danishes. Strangely, there was no fruit to be had. Dinner was at Moody’s Bistro & Lounge where we were treated to live jazz music, which delighted and occupied our littlest guy for a good amount time. The food was delicious and indulgent. But that’s primarily because we ordered the Big Ass Pork Platter plus a big plate of pasta Bolognese. Oh, and we also had a crispy pork belly and fried egg sandwich. It was dreamy, like an Egg McMuffin, but better. Way better.
Day Three
We took the slooow way home. Instead of riding the rails, we hopped on the Amtrak bus to Sacramento where we planned to transfer to the Capitol Corridor train, thinking that we could save time and get home at a reasonable hour. Unfortunately, there were glitches on portions of the track, and our bus ride was extended for another hour or two, making for a very long bus ride. My kids deserved an award for being really, really patient. Here’s Octavio enjoying his book for the umpteenth time…
Other than the trying journey home, the Wandering Taco will definitely keep Truckee on our list of affordable and accessible places to visit again. You should go too!
