Referring not, as one might suspect, to anything pertaining to the four-wheeled vehicle, the word "Truckee" actually comes from the native tongue of the Paiute, Indians. "Tro-kay!" or, "Everything's alright," as old Chief Winnemucca used to say upon greeting new settlers to the area. Just minutes from the storied site of Donner's Pass where, in 1847, a brutal winter trapped members of the Donner party, pushing them to the limits of human endurance, Truckee is a town rich with history (recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places) right off Highway 80, about thirty miles outside Reno and less than half an hour from Lake Tahoe to the south. According to its Chamber of Commerce, the Truckee area boasts 6,000 acres, 270 trails, 43 lifts, 8 mountain peaks, and 6 terrain parks. Located near Donner State Park, you can whitewater raft, camp, have a picnic, or hike the 2.5 miles of trails in the park. Bring the clubs. There are no less than 13 golf courses around Truckee.

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