With 32-inch stone walls, steel ceilings, and doors weighing nearly 200 pounds, it is a veritable fortress. This circa-1875 jail once housed the brawling baddies of historic Truckee. Outside, a memorial statue sits atop a 22-foot granite base - the same height as the snow drifts that fateful winter. A visitor center and museum displays artifacts of the doomed pioneers. In 1846 a wagon train called the Donner Party attempting a shortcut through the mountains near Truckee became stranded during an unforgiving winter. The name Donner is unavoidable in this area, and is attached to part of the region's darkest chapters. The West End Beach Park has BBQs, horseshoe pits, and volleyball, and a concession stand slinging burgers, ice cream, and other treats. If you’re feeling more active, kayaks, canoes, and jet skis are available to rent shoreside. A clear freshwater gem ringed by conifers and a few impressive estates, this lake is ideal for lazy days of sunning and swimming. Lake Tahoe is the celebrity body of water around here, but smaller Donner Lake has its own charm, such as a more secluded atmosphere. More than just a picturesque mountain town, Truckee is an outdoor recreation mecca situated at the nexus of several top-notch ski resorts, numerous lakes, and pristine forests criss-crossed with scenic hiking trails. Not that Truckee has gotten too highfalutin’ for its own good: this is a place where hearty diner fare lives comfortably next to farm-to-table prix-fixe menus. Truckee’s well-preserved downtown, with its brick storefronts and wooden sidewalks, is now home to boutiques, candy stores, and art galleries. In 1867 the first train rolled into town on the newly forged Central Pacific Railroad, and the passengers who spilled forth were greeted by a rough-and-tumble boomtown populated with saloons and gambling halls. Fortune seekers of all types made their way to this mountain outpost, from Gold Rush hopefuls en route to nearby mines to men seeking work in the booming logging industry. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada against the majestic backdrop of the Tahoe National Forest, Truckee comes by its frontier vibe honestly.

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