Things To Do In Truckee

The Sierra Nevada is millions of years old and offers acres upon acres of unexplored beauty. The guides of Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Tours have only been in business since 1984, but they're doing their best to catch up. Every winter, they initiate newcomers into the area's austere beauty by leading adventures in and around the powdered landscapes of Lake Tahoe.

On tours, groups of all ages wind through national forests on both groomed and fluffy powder trails, zooming through the mountains, across snowy meadows, and up to summits as high as 9,000 feet that overlook the lake. Along the ride, scheduled stops let riders explore the scenery, take photos, and leave their mark on the land forever by making a snow angel.

Designed by Bob Cupp, Grizzly Ranch is a 7,411-yard championship course. Featuring dramatic elevation changes, towering Ponderosa pines and crystal blue lakes, the course presents challenges for players of all levels.

Gentle waves lap against the hull of the Tahoe Cruz as snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees peek through its sails. Helmed by U.S. Coast Guard–certified captains Mike and Jim, the 50-foot sloop glides along Tahoe's tranquil waters for afternoon and sunset cruises that sail travelers around the scenic lake, treating them to views of its abundant nature and grand homes—including Fleur du Lac, where parts of The Godfather Part II were filmed. Mike and Jim lead private charters as well, escorting groups as they take in the sights or race to interrupt a mermaid ex-girlfriend's wedding before she gurgles "I do."

Big Blue Adventure challenges athletes of all experience levels with races in scenic venues throughout California, Idaho, and Nevada. Trail races take runners along paths with stunning views of rivers, lakes, and beaches, and Adventure Races, which sometimes last more than 24 hours, combine running with activities such as mountain biking or kayaking through clean water. All of their upcoming races can be found on their event calendar.

Helmed by nature photographers Elizabeth and Olof Carmel, the newly expanded, 2,600-square-foot gallery showcases vivid landscape compositions, dramatic panoramas, and crisp still-lifes. Pair the sublime color and unmatched tonal range of Elizabeth's images—which have been featured in outlets including Sierra magazine—with poetry from the likes of John Updike and Richard Wilbur in Brilliant Waters ($49.95), a 104-page book ideal for coffee-table display. Calendars containing Olof's scenic depictions of the Sierra Nevada mountains ($16.95) can help repressed naturalists find peace amid drab cubicles, whereas the glossy, picturesque images on the front of 5"x7" notecards ($9.95) divert attention from the Days of Our Lives fan fiction scribbled inside. More devoted photo fans can vanquish blank wall-space with fine-art prints that range from 10"x15" to 6'x10' ($50–$1,000 and up; individuals can use up to 10 Groupons toward one purchase). The prints are available framed, unframed, or mounted on stretched canvas, and they exclusively employ museum-quality archival inks that, like most moustache dyes, remain fade-resistant for 80 to 100 years.

All Fired Up! creates a casual, crockery haven where budding artists of any age can fashion their own earthenware masterpieces. Amateur Picassos first select from an array of paintable options ranging from picture frames and dinnerware, to mugs, platters, and bisque sculptures of the real Picasso’s ear. Guests can then select from a plentiful palette of ceramic-safe colors to customize a design, or call upon artistic aid in the form of stamps, stencils, and computer printouts. Dress up a dining table by decorating a plain oval tray with brightly colored flowers, or gift your mailman with a “world’s best milkman” tile before apologizing for your mistake.