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Northern California 2019, Day 2: Truckee

Welcome to Truckee, California!  I didn’t come to Truckee to go to Truckee, so to speak.  I came to Truckee because I could get there easily from Sacramento and then do an easy day trip to my intended destination, which I visited on Day 3.  That gave me all of Day 2 to explore Truckee.

Truckee is a town up in the Sierra Nevada, not far from Lake Tahoe and very close to the Nevada border.  It was an old railroad depot town.  Now it’s a scenic mountain getaway.  I was very happy to see that there’s a self-guided Truckee Historic Walking Tour.  I do much better having something to follow along rather than wandering around aimlessly.  The pictures I took along the walking tour should show that Truckee is a quaint little mountain town worth a visit.

This building was built in the 1920s as a saloon and then a hotel. These days, it’s a hostel and it’s where I stayed for 3 nights in Truckee.

I stayed at a hostel in Truckee because every place else in Truckee was surprisingly expensive.  I had a private room and a shared bath.  I really didn’t care for it.  I had a room closest to the front, which meant I was closest to the bar, which could get loud.  It was sort of a hipsterish atmosphere, and not in a good way (if there is such a thing).  There was almost no storage space in my room, which was annoying for a 3-night stay.  But, you get what you pay for.

A view of the lovely Truckee River.

The Truckee River runs down from Lake Tahoe and eventually to a lake in the Great Basin.  The Great Basin is the weird part of the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, centered mostly on Nevada, where water doesn’t flow to either the Atlantic or the Pacific.  It just sort of settles.

Truckee gets artsy! They’re the Rusty Ramblers, created by Mountain Forge, a family-owned blacksmith shop in Truckee.
A memorial to locals who lost their lives in World War 1.
Overhead view of Downtown Truckee.
The Truckee Veterans Memorial Building was built in 1939 on the site of a palatial mansion that had burned down 4 years earlier.
The Richardson House, a Victorian home built in 1887, is now a guesthouse.
The Old Jail Museum, housed in what was the town jail. The jail was built in 1875 and ceased operations in 1964. They are very proud of the fact that the jail once hosted Baby-Face Nelson.
Behind the old jail is the Community Memorial Garden.
The Flying A Gas Station was built in 1936. More recently, it was refurbished to create the appearance of a 1940s-era gas station. Don’t expect to fill ‘er up as it is now a real estate office.
Covered sidewalk along Truckee’s main drag, Donner Pass Road.
The Sierra Tavern was built in 1928. The top floor was added in 1938.
The Truckee Railroad Museum is in an old Southern Pacific caboose.
The depot at Truckee was the original reason why Truckee existed. It was an important stop along the first transcontinental railroad. The current depot was built in 1900.
A trio of historic buildings. On the left is the Capitol Building, Truckee’s 1st building made of brick, built in 1871. In the center is I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Hall, also built in 1871. On the right is the Rex Hotel Building, built in 1870.
The Stone Garage was built in 1911 as a carriage house and blacksmith shop.
Gray’s Cabin, built in 1863, is Truckee’s oldest building.
I was in no rush, so I took a stroll through Truckee Cemetery and took some pictures of historic gravestones. Jane Laity made it all the way from England to Truckee.
John Andrews gave a firm but pleasant handshake.
How sad that Helen had to bury her daughter Enis, who only lived 7 years.
Near Truckee Cemetery, I came across this more rustic cemetery. I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what its story is.
The Truckee Hotel was built in 1873. I had a very nice light lunch there.
Having some fun on the Truckee River!
Another pretty view of the Truckee River.
The Old Chinese Herb Shop, built in 1878. Because of all the workers brought in from China to build the railroad, Truckee once had the second-largest Chinese community on the West Coast. Violence and discrimination ultimately drove the Chinese out of town.
This sporting goods store is housed in what was the Chinese laundry that was also a community center for Truckee’s large Chinese population. At one point in the 19th century, 1/3 of Truckee’s population was Chinese.

You can see that I made the best of my day in Truckee.  I hope you enjoyed the tour.  On Day 3, I’ll get to my main destination in the Sierra Nevada.

[Factual information is primarily gathered from Wikipedia, so you know it must be true.]

Related posts:

Northern California 2019 Food Diary, Day 1 San Francisco 2016, Day 2, Part 2 San Francisco 2016, Day 4, Part 2 San Francisco 2016, Weekday Edition

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