North Lake Tahoe & Historic Truckee: Tahoe City (Truckee River Rafting), Kings Beach & Incline Village

Compared to lively South Lake Tahoe, the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, along with the historic 1860s logging and railroad town of Truckee 15 minutes north, has a laid-back, pine-scented 'Old Tahoe' mountain-town soul.

1. Tahoe City: 'Fanny Bridge', Commons Beach & Lazy-River Rafting Down the Truckee River.

Wait, did you know that while 63 rivers and streams flow into Lake Tahoe, only ONE single river flows out of Lake Tahoe? Right in the heart of walkable Tahoe City at the 1913 concrete Lake Tahoe Dam, the crystal-clear water of the lake spills into the Truckee River:

• Peer Over 'Fanny Bridge' & Walk 'Commons Beach': stand on the wide pedestrian bridge beside the dam to see dozens of giant rainbow and brown trout hovering in the clear water below, then stroll 5 minutes along the lakeside bike path to grassy Commons Beach (which hosts 100% free Live Concerts on the Beach every Sunday afternoon from mid-June to early September) and tour the 1904 Gatekeeper's Museum (housing the world's finest collection of native Washoe Indian baskets).
• The #1 Summer Family Ritual, 'Truckee River Rafting': right beside Fanny Bridge, two outfitters (Truckee River Rafting and Truckee River Raft Co., ~standard fare, standard fare including the commercial raft, paddles, life vests AND the return shuttle bus back to your car) launch stable, self-guided yellow inflatable rafts for a 2.5- to 3.5-hour, 8-kilometre (5-mile) lazy float down the warm, knee-to-waist-deep Truckee River, ending directly at the riverside patio of the River Ranch Lodge.

2. Sunny 'Kings Beach', 'Incline Village' & Historic 1860s 'Truckee' (15 Mins North)

1. Kings Beach State Recreation Area: faces due south with a wide, shallow, gradual sand shelf that warms up 4°C warmer than deep coves, ideal for families and kids (grab cinnamon-roll pancakes at Log Cabin Caffe or fish tacos at Char-Pit across the street).
2. Historic Downtown Truckee & Donner Lake: stroll along preserved 1868 Commercial Row opposite the Amtrak train tracks (browsing independent shops, coffee roasters, Jax at the Tracks diner and FiftyFifty Brewing) and swim off the 37 free public wooden boat-and-swim docks lining the north shore of sparkling Donner Lake.