Photos from the Beat
Truck on Down to Truckee
According to Liz and Christian, a couple I met at the Cedar House Hotel who frequent the Tahoe area, Truckee, Calif. used to be of the one-horse variety with little more than a general store and a train station.
However, the town is experiencing a Renaissance. I arrived in Truckee on April 2 and was able to take in the mountainous scenery, the moderate temperature, and the quaint little shops and eateries. Truckee has maintained its 'Gold Rush' feel, but today, the storefronts don't advertise picks and shovels, but instead designer threads and upscale gifts. Restaurants range from sushi to Mexican to American fusion, and the bars are stocked with rows 
and rows of fine wines, in keeping with the region's growing wine culture.
My host, Shanna, and I sampled the beef carpaccio, oysters on the half shell, and a few local vintages at the Pacific Crest, which recently merged with the adjacent American Bar. The bar's walls feature shelves of red, white, and rose wines, including a local Zinfandel that our bartender said is also experiencing a resurgence ... not too sweet, but with a sophisticated edge... not unlike the town in which the bottle was uncorked.
