Your Welcome: Here's Your Perfect Truckee-Tahoe Summer Weekend Itinerary

There are countless ways to waste away the warm summer hours of a weekend in Truckee and North Tahoe. Sometimes though, there's simply too much to choose from, making the uninitiated fret from choice overload. We get it.

We assembled the following sample itinerary for those times when your Airbnb host isn't too communicative, or if your only source of information is your local mountain-biking buddy who can't quite understand why you'd want to do anything other than ride the Flume Trail. We hope you find it has a good array of fun, food, and outdoor adventure in Truckee and North Tahoe.

Let's assume you arrive on Friday afternoon and are staying somewhere central, such as Truckee or Tahoe City.

Friday evening Concert at Kings Beach

Every Friday throughout the warm season, the bustling lakeside town of Kings Beach gets a bit lively thanks to its weekly concert series at its namesake State Recreation Area.

Pack your foldable chairs, stuff a cooler full of (adult) refreshments, and most importantly, go early to get a good parking spot and seats with a view. The show starts at 6:00 p.m., runs until 8:30, and promises to be a great time.

If you happen to arrive in Truckee before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, head over to Sierra Bakehouse in Pioneer Center to pick up some provisions for the evening. Five doors down is Truckee Brewing, and they'd be psyched to sell you a growler of their highly popular Kolsch.

Or, in Kings Beach, grab takeout from Tacos Jalisco or burgers from The Grid, and sample beers from Alibi Ales, another local brewer, who helps put on the event, and recently opened a sweet new location in Incline Village (worth the drive.)

Saturday Morning Lake Tahoe Paddleboarding

It's time to get on the water—you know, that big blue gem that sits at 6,200' above the ocean and measures well over 1,600 feet in depth. There's nothing quite like Lake Tahoe, and the best way to see it is to be on it.

Tahoe City Kayak in Tahoe City can hook you up with a kayak or paddleboard, and even an experienced guide to lead you along the famed alpine body of water. Head in any direction, it's all awesome, and the best way to truly experience what it is that captures so many people's imaginations.

Saturday Afternoon at River Ranch

Head north on 89 back toward Truckee. Your destination is River Ranch Lodge one of the the region's best places to people watch while enjoying a casual meal outside. The Truckee River dumps rafters into a swirling pool below the deck. And, if you know anything about floating the Truckee, you probably know it's not always a sober affair.

If you're feeling up to it, grab a famous Class V from the River Ranch bar staff, and then maybe consider calling an Uber.

Saturday Night in Downtown Truckee

Assuming you're up from a nap, it's time to take a stroll down Donner Pass Road, or Truckee's "Main Street." If beer is your thing, Mellow Fellow is your best first stop. This is a local place, but super-inviting with a terrific patio and even better beer list. There is usually more than 40 crafts beers on tap.

If you prefer to wear pants to dinner (instead of shorts, we mean), your options are Old Town Tap, Truckee Tavern, the new Roco, and Pianeta. Sure, Cottonwood and Moody's are solid options, too. Give their menus a look.

When the meal has settled and you're still feeling up to it, Alibi's Public House is almost always hosting live music. It can get loud in there, so be ready. If that's too much, maybe it's time to head home. You've had a long day.

Sunday Morning Mountain Biking

If last night wasn't too much for you, strap on the Camelback®, helmet, and head for a lap on the Big Chief Trail above Sierra Meadows along Forest Road 06.

We've talked about this route before. It's a moderate-level mountain bike with a lot of uphill (it's two-way), but the downhill makes it all worth it. Not overly fast, not overly rocky, but a darn good introduction to how to handle tight berms and learning how to play on rocks, which are expertly integrated into the terrain.

The loop is accessible from the Sawtooth trailhead and fills up quickly, so go early.

If you're not down for Big Chief, Tahoe Donner is another great option, with many well-marked trails for riders of all levels.

Sunday Afternoon on Donner Lake

To wrap up your weekend, get yourself some takeout lunch and head on down to Donner Lake for a relaxing post-ride kick-back one of the many public piers that line its north shore. Take your shoes off, dive in, and look back on a what could've been your best weekend of the summer.

The beauty of Truckee and North Lake Tahoe is that it allows you to squeeze in so much outdoor activity in so little time. You can go as extreme as you would like, or choose to never break a sweat. Either way, it's all High Mountain Living in our book.