INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Classical Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Dance Collective (LTDC) will present the second annual “Music in Motion” on Saturday, July 25, at the Classical Tahoe Ricardi Pavilion at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. The sold-out performance brings together live chamber music and world-class dance, featuring principal dancers from New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Ballet Arizona, all accompanied by Classical Tahoe musicians.
“Music in Motion has added a marvelous new dimension to Classical Tahoe’s summer lineup,” said Laura Hamilton, artistic director of Classical Tahoe. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the great artists from Lake Tahoe Dance Collective. We look forward to building on the partnership in the future – the sky’s the limit.”
First introduced during Classical Tahoe’s 2025 season, “Music in Motion” was created to unite live chamber music and professional ballet. Following a successful debut, the performance continues to strengthen the partnership between Classical Tahoe and LTDC while bringing nationally recognized artists together on one stage.
“‘Music in Motion’ reflects what can happen when artists from different disciplines come together with a shared commitment to excellence,” said Christin Hanna, Lake Tahoe Dance Collective founder and artistic director. “Working alongside Classical Tahoe has allowed us to create an experience that audiences cannot find anywhere else in the region and we are excited to continue building on that collaboration.”
The program features artists Indiana Woodward, Taylor Stanley, Daniel Ulbricht, Lia Cirio, Paul Craig, Esteban Hernandez, Melody Mennite, Sierra Armstrong, Andrew Robare, Kate Loxtercamp and Ethan Price. The dancers will be accompanied by Classical Tahoe musicians led by pianist Anna Stoytcheva and a chamber ensemble of strings, winds and horn. Highlights include choreography by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Johan Kobborg and music by Maurice Ravel, Antonín Dvořák, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Francis Poulenc and others.
“Music in Motion” is one of several collaborative performances featured during Classical Tahoe’s 15th anniversary season. See the full summer lineup HERE.
For more information about the 2026 Classical Tahoe Festival, visit their website at classicaltahoe.org or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and X.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Black Bear Lodge will host Gather, an intimate three-day grief-tending retreat designed for parents who have experienced stillbirth or infant loss. Taking place November 13–15, 2026, the retreat offers a compassionate space where grieving parents can step away from the demands of everyday life to rest, connect, and be supported by others who understand the profound experience of child loss.
Limited to just 10–16 participants, Gather is intentionally designed to foster meaningful connection through nourishing meals, guided reflection, grief rituals, nature immersion, somatic healing practices, massage, acupuncture, sound bathing, and quiet time surrounded by the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe.
The retreat was created by Black Bear Lodge owner Rachel Carlson, whose daughter Aspen was stillborn in 2018, and Katelyn Morris, a multimedia artist, teacher, and non-clinical depth psychologist whose work centers grief tending, ritual, and healing through nature.
“After losing my daughter, one of the most meaningful parts of my healing was connecting with other parents who truly understood,” said Carlson. “Grief can feel incredibly isolating, especially after the initial support fades away. We created Gather to offer a place where people don’t have to explain their pain—a place where they can simply be held, nourished, and reminded they are not alone.”
Unlike traditional wellness retreats, Gather does not seek to “fix” grief. Instead, it embraces the philosophy that grief deserves space, community, and ritual. The experience is intentionally paced to allow participants to move gently through reflection, rest, and connection without expectation or pressure.
Hosted on the peaceful two-acre grounds of Black Bear Lodge, the retreat reflects the property’s mission of intentional hospitality—creating meaningful experiences that foster rest, balance, renewal, and connection. Nestled among towering pines just minutes from the shores of Lake Tahoe, the lodge provides a quiet and restorative setting for this deeply personal work.
Participants are welcome to attend alone or with a partner. Five organic, chef-prepared meals are included, along with all retreat programming and healing experiences. Accommodations are available in a variety of private rooms, suites, and cabins throughout the property.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
Almost every time I eat out, when it comes time for dessert, I tap out. Not because it doesn’t sound tasty, but I’m usually so full I can’t even think about eating anything else without worrying about how many belt notches I’ll have to adjust for by cramming more food in my belly. That was the case with this week’s feature, but the folks at Mastro’s insisted I try their signature dessert … and I’m so glad they insisted.
The star of the show is a luscious and buttery pound cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with berry sauce and accompanied by fresh strawberries. It’s also served with their house made whipped cream that on any other night, might have tried to smuggle some into my pants pockets and hope that it would survive by the time I got home.
The superpower of this pound cake it its textures. If you can picture the exterior of a crème brulee, that’s almost like what you are getting here. A slightly crunchy sugar crust gives way to the creamiest cake center you’ve ever had – at least that I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s as gooey as cheesecake, but it’s pushing the boundary. And as if the cake wasn’t enough of a star on its own, the ice cream, whipped cream, and berry sauce all tag team your taste buds into submission.
My wife and I said that we’d only take one bite and be good. But once that first bite hit, I immediately thought it’s going to be at least a two-notch night on the belt scale because one bite was not going to be enough. But you know what? It was worth every single one.
Mastro’s Steakhouse is located inside the Golden Nugget Casino at 50 Hwy 50 in Stateline. For more information find them online at mastrosrestaurants.com or reach them by phone at 775-589-7680.
If you’re on vacation (or have the day off) but it’s too windy to be wakeboarding, too cold to go on a hike, or it’s nighttime, what do you do in Tahoe? Fortunately, these longtime Tahoe entertainers use their uniquely fun personas, talents, and skills to provide unforgettable experiences here in Tahoe.
Calling All Parrotheads
Around 25 years ago, a local paper called North Lake Tahoe musician Darin Talbot “Tahoe’s Jimmy Buffett”, and soon after, he was on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento radio show where the disc jockey called him the “Jimmy Buffett for the next generation.”
Darin Talbot is known as the Tahoe Jimmy BuffettProvided / Darin Talbot
From then on, Talbot gradually morphed into ‘Becoming Buffett’. In 2017, Talbot was featured in the Netflix documentary “Parrot Heads” as well as became the resident entertainer in Costa Rica for the biggest Jimmy Buffett fan in the world (Michael Holly, who attended 256 official concerts). When Jimmy Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, Talbot had a dream that Jimmy Buffett asked him to take over leading the Parrotheads. And thus, Talbot’s new show called “Becoming Buffett” was born.
“Now I’m vetted and sanctioned as a Jimmy Buffett impersonator for Margaritaville Enterprises, which is truly an honor,” Talbot says.
Talbot loves performing in front of live audiences, calling the stage his happy place. “And I love to do it all; Comedy storytelling, singing, improvisation all of it. There’s really something special in the reciprocal relationship between an entertainer and the audience. It’s kind of like a drug, honestly. I’m so grateful I get to do it,” he adds.
He knew he was going to be an entertainer from a young age, and his mom encouraged him to pursue his natural talent.
“I was always the kid doing little skits and telling jokes and singing songs even when I was eight or nine years old,” Talbot says.
In July of this year, it will be the 30th anniversary of Talbot being a full-time Tahoe entertainer, after he quit working as a Wells Fargo branch manager/loan officer in 1996 to pursue his passion. “I’m so proud of that fact,” he says.
Along with continuing his Mr. Tahoe show and hosting Around Tahoe Tours out of Incline Village with his brother Chris, Talbot will be performing Jimmy Buffett classics on the Tahoe Gal a few days a week. To see his full “Becoming Buffett” schedule, visit becomingbuffett.com.
Bringing Bingo Back
At its core, ‘The Great Bingo Revival’ stemmed from Reverend Rusty Reams’ desire to ski all day and gig at night.
“Here in Tahoe, Saturday nights are centered around live music and big parties, but midweeks were missing a space for people to gather and connect. That’s when I introduced Bingo. It’s a game that draws people together, creates engagement and entertainment, and leaves room for conversation, laughter, and real connection,” Reams says.
The Great Bingo Revival’s first game was in February 2012 at Jake’s on the Lake in Tahoe City, and from there, word spread quickly around the lake. The Great Bingo Revival soon had a long-running weekly residency at Himmel Haus in South Lake Tahoe and as momentum grew, the show caught the attention of Randy Rodgers of the Auld Dubliner. “We’ve now been proudly hosting Bingo there for over 10 years,” Reams says.
So, what is The Great Bingo Revival, exactly? According to its website, it’s “old-school bingo with a new-school twist fusing music, comedy, dance, and improv with 100 percent pure B.I.N.G.O.” Reams found early on that he enjoys the unique call-and-response dynamic between the Bingo Caller and the players and bringing that exchange to life with humor and witty banter. “From there it expands into a shared experience full of laughter, energy, and moments of magic,” says Reams.
He explains that he never really had a clear dream of what he wanted to be at this stage in his life, but being a bingo caller is the summation of who he is, everything he’s lived, and everything he’s carried with him.
“It feels like a natural extension of who I am, and I’m grateful to have an outlet where I can show up fully and authentically as myself,” he adds.
Although the event has grown far beyond its Tahoe roots, taking the Reverend around the world (last year, he was invited by Insider Expeditions to host Bingo in Antarctica), he feels fortunate to have been able to flourish as a performer in Tahoe.
“What I love most about Tahoe is the way our community is cooperative, not competitive. People lift each other up, celebrate each other, and want to see one another win. There’s a shared ethic of having a good time on the lake, in the mountains, and that energy fuels the ‘good times industry’ through art, music, and entertainment. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a season, everyone comes with the same purpose: to have a good time,” he says.
This summer, Bingo returns to Palisades Village, rotating through a different restaurant each Thursday beginning July 9. This free, family-friendly series has run for the past six years and has become a beloved tradition for locals and visitors alike. For a full list of upcoming dates, visit thegreatbingorevival.com.
Tricks Up His Sleeve in Tahoe
Robert Hall, the resident magician at The Loft for the past 10 years (and at the casinos before that) put on his first magic show in Tahoe in 2005 and has been performing in South Shore ever since.
Hall became interested in magic when he was eight years old and got his first contract when he was fifteen, touring as a dancer.
“It’s all I’ve ever known and done. I had a specialty act where I would do a 9-minute solo routine dancing in and out of 60 wooden rings,” Hall says.
Robert HallProvided
He toured alongside Cirque du Soleil and performed shows in entertainment destinations like Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
“Most shows I performed in had magicians who I would gravitate towards and hang out with. Any time I was in a longer contract, like in Vegas or LA, I was also doing magic for corporate and private events, and I was the resident magician at a number of casinos,” says Hall.
It was when he was performing as a dancer and magician when he came to Lake Tahoe to do a show at what was formerly the Horizon.
“It was at that time Caesars turned into Montbleu, and our show’s producer was running entertainment for the new casino and two new nightclubs he was about to open. I was brought on to body paint in the nightclubs after my show and run the nightclub entertainment of go-go dancers, fire dancers, and promo models,” he recalls. Hall was the magician used for events, private parties and promotions, running that program for the following 10 years while also becoming the resident magician at The Eldorado resort and casino in Reno.
In 2016, when The Loft opened, Hall came on board as the resident magician and host. He’s spent the last 10 years headlining, booking and running all magic aspects of the venue as well as being a part of The Loft’s expansion into Monterey for two years in 2020.
“But I can now be found seven nights a week at The Loft in Tahoe performing, hosting and helping make it Tahoe’s number one show and premiere magical destination,” Hall says.
He always says that he feels much more comfortable and himself in front of 100 people as opposed to a single person, but that could also be attributed to spending most of his life onstage so it’s where he feels the most at home.
As far as performing in Tahoe compared to larger entertainment destinations, Hall says, “Tahoe is much like Vegas to me, just smaller and in the wilderness. You get such a wide range of visitors throughout the year from all over the world and all walks of life. And with all the J1 workers that support the mountain and lake employment, you really get such a diverse melting pot of a community which is really fun to move through and learn from.”
For more than three decades, the Tahoe Improv Players have been delighting people of all ages by taking suggestions from audiences and turning them into live comedy skits. Hosting 3-4 normally sold-out shows at the Valhalla Tahoe estate boathouse every summer, attendees tend to come back for more because every show is unique.
Even though Tahoe Improv Players Co-founder Frank Riley has been performing in plays and improv shows since the early nineties, he admits that he’s always nervous until he gets his first line out.
“Then my character takes over and I’m good to go,” Riley says. He’s always considered himself to be funny, but he never wanted to be a stand-up comedian.
“I hate doing monologues in plays, and stand-up is just one long monologue where you receive instant information as to whether or not you’re successful. I’d rather not have that stress. In improv, there are times when you flounder in a scene, but in the back of your mind you know someone is around to save you. Not so, in stand-up,” adds Riley.
He also believes that performing in a smaller destination market like Tahoe is an advantage.
“There is little chance you can be ‘discovered’ by movie moguls and the like, so people performing are doing it for the fun and challenge of it, not as a potential career. I did do a little acting in the Bay Area, and even there, competition could be fierce. One 13-year-old boy once matter-of-factly remarked that if he were an understudy for a juicy role, he would naturally sabotage the lead actor’s performance to win it for himself. I haven’t run into that level of fierceness at Tahoe.
“I have had friends that went down to L.A. to try their luck—talented people, too—only to receive limited success. Down there, talent is one thing, but appearance is quite another. You need to ‘fit’ the image you’re auditioning for; no producer will openly accept an overweight Romeo or Juliet, for example. Here at Tahoe, if you are breathing and able to make the rehearsals, you have a good shot to be Hamlet,” he says.
Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Hervey, aka “Arty the Party” is still going strong by playing his dance/R&B/soul/disco music sets at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe every weekend. Arty the Party’s storied career in Tahoe has earned him five Best of Tahoe awards over the past 25 years as well as caught the attention of celebrities who’ve joined him on stage such as Charles Barkley, James Brown, and Steph Curry. He plays at the Center Bar on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm-midnight.
Dead Winter Carpenters— Celebrating String Music 15 Years Strong
Formed in North Lake Tahoe, the Dead Winter Carpenters bring so much passion to every show since its inception in 2010 that its gained quite a reputation for possibly being Tahoe’s best string band. With Jesse Dunn on acoustic guitar, vocals; Jenni Charles playing the fiddle; Nick Swimley (lead telecaster guitar, vocals); Brian Huston playing drums; Jeremy Plog on bass; and longtime collaborator Matt Mitchell on keys, vocals, and acoustic guitar, this band takes soul-infused string music to the next level. Upcoming Dead Winter Carpenters’ shows include: the Tahoe Joy Festival in Tahoe City on June 7th; the Davis Music Festival in Davis, Calif. on June 19th; the Summer Music Festival at Roseberry in Donnelly, Idaho on July 17th; and they’ll be playing at the Salty Gebhardt Amphitheater in Truckee on July 29th.
The Dead Winter Carpenters will be performing at the Crystal Bay Club.Provided/Crystal Bay Club and Casino
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 edition of Tahoe Magazine.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif – The City of South Lake Tahoe is sharing updates on major construction and infrastructure projects planned or underway during the 2026 construction season. These projects include road improvements, drainage work, shoreline protection, water quality improvements, and upgrades for walking and biking throughout the city.
2026 Road Rehabilitation For 2026, we will be allocating $3.6 million for Road Rehabilitation. Funding for this project was made possible through the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA SB-1), City Measure S funds, and utility in-lieu fees. The following areas will be paved: Johnson Boulevard and several streets throughout the Al Tahoe neighborhood. This work is scheduled from late June through August 2026.
This project includes full roadway replacement on streets in the Al Tahoe neighborhood, and a new asphalt overlay on Johnson Boulevard to improve pavement conditions and ride quality. Paving on Johnson Boulevard has been completed. Additional paving projects will continue through August 2026.
2026 Sealing Project The 2026 Sealing Project includes pavement preservation workon Pioneer Trail between US 50 and Larch Avenue, Al Tahoe Boulevard, and Eloise Avenue. Various sealing methods are being implemented to maintain our mid-condition roadways and prevent further deterioration. These treatments help protect road surfaces, prevent water intrusion, and reduce damage caused by freeze-thaw conditions. This construction contract is approximately $700,000 and is funded by Measure S. Construction is currently underway.
Upper Bijou Park Creek- Tamarack Culvert Replacement and Stream Environment Zone (SEZ) Enhancement Projects
The Upper Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project is a watershed-scale effort seeking to address water quality and flooding issues through a phased approach to treat urban runoff from roadways, commercial areas, and residential neighborhoods within an approximately 850-acre watershed that discharges to Lake Tahoe.
The Upper Watershed Project contains nine subprojects within the Bijou Park Creek watershed. Two of the subprojects were constructed during the 2025 season. During the 2026 construction season, it is anticipated that the SEZ Enhancement Project will be constructed in the August to September timeframe.
The city was also successful in receiving construction funding through the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for another subproject, the Needle Peak Localized Treatment Project, which is anticipated to be constructed in 2027. The remaining subprojects will be bid and constructed when additional implementation funding is obtained.
El Dorado Beach Revetment and Improvement Project
The El Dorado Beach Revetment and Improvement Project is a three-phase effort to stabilize the shoreline at El Dorado Beach, protect the existing infrastructure of Lakeview Commons, and preserve access to the beach for the community.
The El Dorado Beach Revetment and Improvement Project is a three-phase effort to stabilize the shoreline at El Dorado Beach,Provided / City of SLT
The project will remove temporary plastic sandbags that were installed in 2018 as an emergency measure and replace them with a permanent shoreline stabilization system made of boulders, cobble, and sand.
Phase 1 includes replenishing the beach to help prevent further deterioration of the sandbags and to allow for continued use of the beach. The first replenishments of the summer occurred on May 22 and June 23, 2026. Additional replenishment activities may occur throughout the summer until Phase 2 is implemented.
Phase 2 will include removing the plastic sandbags, installing rock, and backfilling with sand to maintain a beach. Construction is anticipated to begin in September 2026 if favorable bids are received from contractors and funding is available.
Phase 3 consists of potential additional improvements that will allow for preservation of a beach without further sand replenishment. Details are still to be determined after studies are completed and further conversations take place with regulatory agencies. This phase is currently unfunded.
Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project Phase 2
Phase 2 of the Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt Improvement Project includes drainage and water quality improvements, naturalized play structures, and improved active transportation paths in the Greenbelt area behind The Crossing.
Tahoe Valley Greenbelt and Stormwater Improvement ProjectProvided / City of SLT
Construction began in 2025 and is anticipated to be finished in September 2026. Remaining work largely includes construction of the play area, paving of multi-use paths, installation of lighting, completion of stormwater improvements including pipe connections, inlets, and basin grading, and revegetation of the area.
Pioneer Trail Phase 2
This project is a pedestrian upgrade project on Pioneer Trail from Larch Avenue to Ski Run Boulevard. Construction began in 2025 and will conclude at the end of the 2026 construction season. Key aspects of this project are the addition of sidewalks along Pioneer Trail, as well as pedestrian lighting and bus shelters.
Bijou Park Connector
This project constructed a Class 1 bike path in Bijou Park that connects the Dennis Machida Memorial Greenway to the Class 1 bike path at the Al Tahoe Boulevard and Johnson Boulevard intersection. The project was completed in June 2026.
Bijou Park ConnectorProvided / City of SLT
Citywide Pipe Replacement
As part of the 2022 Condition Assessment report, it was determined that several of the storm drains in the Tahoe Keys are near failure. This is due to the highly saturated conditions and increased deterioration that occurs at high lake levels. The city is targeting failing storm drains in the Keys vicinity for replacement in the summer of 2026. Construction will likely begin after August 2026 when lake levels are lower and pending available funding.
Additionally, a pipe replacement will occur on Vanda Lee Way with inlet repairs occurring adjacent to Hwy 50 at 3rd Street and Lodi Avenue. There is also potential for installation of a rock underdrain to mitigate the spring runoff that is coming up out of the pavement on Pioneer Trail near Pony Express Road. The engineering and streets departments are coordinating work to achieve as many of these replacements as possible in the summer of 2026, pending available funding.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A group of community members has established Citizens for Integrity in Government for the purpose of identifying and interviewing announced candidates for this year’s three open seats on the South Lake Tahoe City Council.
Last year, there were two situations involving council members that came to light nearly back-to-back. This prompted questions in the community – who vets council candidates?
“Citizens for Integrity in Government will interview any formally announced candidate who agrees to an interview,” said Steve Teshara, a member of the group. “We’ll be looking for candidates who understand the demands of the position and bring honesty and integrity to the job of representing the community, both on council as well as on other boards and committees in the region.”
Cristi Creegan, who served on Council 2020-2024, is another member of the group. She said Citizens for Integrity in Government will help organize candidate forums so the community can hear directly from the candidates.
“As a community, we need to elevate the process of how and why we identify and elect local elected officials,” said Creegan.
Dedicated members of Citizens for Integrity in Government include Joshua Mitchell, Nicole Ramirez Thomas, Lauren Parmenter, Nick Ashmore, Sharon Kerrigan, Cristi Creegan and Steve Teshara.
For more information, visit the group’s webpage at citizensforintegrityslt.com. You can contact the group through this site.
The sweepstakes casino market has grown into a notable segment of online entertainment, especially in the United States, where gambling laws vary widely from state to state. What began as a niche alternative to traditional online casinos has become a mainstream digital option for millions of players. But as regulations tighten in parts of the Western US, questions are emerging about what this means for access, consumer choice and the future of the industry at a local level.
For regions like Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities, where tourism and entertainment often overlap with digital leisure trends, these changes are becoming increasingly relevant.
A fast-growing market
The appeal of sweepstakes casinos comes from their hybrid structure. Unlike traditional online casinos, they typically operate using promotional sweepstakes models rather than direct wagering. This distinction allowed them to grow quickly in jurisdictions where standard online gambling is restricted.
Recent industry figures show just how quickly the sector has expanded. The social and sweepstakes casino market was valued at around $9.24 billion last year and is projected to reach $10.08 billion in 2026. That kind of growth signals not just consumer demand, but also a broader shift in how people engage with digital gaming experiences.
Several factors have contributed to this rise:
Increased mobile-first gaming habits among younger users
Restrictions on regulated online casinos in multiple US states
The appeal of free-to-play or low-barrier entry systems
Strong marketing and social-style gameplay features
Unlike traditional gambling platforms, sweepstakes models often blend entertainment mechanics with reward-based systems, which makes them feel more accessible to casual users.
Western US regulation and shifting access
In Western states, regulatory scrutiny around sweepstakes-style gaming has started to intensify. Lawmakers and regulators are increasingly examining whether these platforms operate too closely to real-money gambling without the same level of oversight. As a result, the environment is becoming more uncertain for operators and users alike. Some states have already banned these platforms.
This shift matters because sweepstakes casinos originally filled a gap in the market. In states where online casinos are illegal or heavily restricted, they offered an alternative form of digital gaming that still delivered casino-style experiences. For many players, this was their only realistic option outside of land-based venues or social gaming apps.
As legislation continues to evolve, the key concern is consistency. Operators face different interpretations of what is and isn’t allowed, and users are often caught in the middle of that uncertainty.
Why players turned to sweepstakes platforms
To understand the current debate, it’s important to look at why sweepstakes casinos became so popular in the first place. They didn’t just appear as a legal loophole; they responded to the market and real consumer demand.
Some of the main drivers include:
Access in states where traditional online gambling is restricted
A perception of lower financial risk compared to real-money casinos
Entertainment-focused gameplay rather than purely monetary outcomes
Easy onboarding with minimal barriers to entry
For many users, these platforms provided a sense of participation in casino-style gaming without needing access to licensed online gambling markets. That distinction is especially important in states where regulated options simply don’t exist.
Understanding the information surrounding it
As regulations evolve, so does the amount of information (and misinformation) around sweepstakes casinos. Players are increasingly looking for reliable sources to understand what is legal, what’s changing and which platforms are reputable.
This is where trusted resources become important. One widely referenced source is Casino.org. This platform provides detailed reviews, guides and updates on online gambling and sweepstakes platforms and serves as a great resource for users when trying to cut through the noise in the world of sweepstakes casinos. It helps users compare platforms, understand legal differences between states and stay updated on ongoing regulatory developments.
The challenge for most players isn’t just access, but clarity. With so many platforms operating under different legal interpretations, reliable information becomes just as important as the games themselves.
Local implications for communities like Lake Tahoe
For communities in and around Lake Tahoe, these broader industry changes aren’t just happening on their own. The region’s tourism economy and entertainment sector mean that shifts in digital leisure trends often intersect with local consumer behavior. Visitors and residents alike are increasingly engaging with online entertainment as part of a wider mix of leisure activities.
As sweepstakes casinos face growing scrutiny, there might be knock-on effects for how people in these areas access digital gaming content, especially during peak travel seasons when online engagement tends to rise.
The sweepstakes casino market continues to grow, but it is entering a more complex regulatory phase, especially in Western U.S. As lawmakers reassess how these platforms fit within existing gambling frameworks, players and operators are being pushed into a period of adjustment. What remains clear is that demand for accessible digital gaming is not slowing down; it’s evolving alongside the rules that govern it.
Lake Tahoe is famous for many things, and one of those is a visit to a Tahoe casino, particularly if you are one of the 1%. After a day on the ski slopes or sunbathing on the beach (season-dependent), many tourists and residents head out for a night of casino fun. However, the venues are all located on the Nevada side of the lake, and you will not find any slot machines in the Californian towns. The two sides of the lake, and their attitudes towards gambling, are a reflection of the state of gambling across the USA. It is not one large market but a very fragmented collection of different regulatory systems and approaches to the whole industry.
Old style and protective
The casino culture here is very much of the old-school style, with the focus on a full entertainment experience. However, looking at nationwide and global shifts, the future of gambling is increasingly moving online. Is the Tahoe region missing out on opportunities as lawmakers seek to defend their existing interests? While these two jurisdictions might approach gambling regulation from very different angles, neither allows online casino gambling for real money, and that could have a real impact on how things play out in the future.
Structurally, gambling in Nevada and California differs significantly.
In California, there is no real money online gambling, and 2022 ballot measures failed to progress any changes. There is no framework for iGaming either, and the market is controlled by tribal casinos and voters via ballot initiatives.
Nevada famously has a very different approach to gambling, but some people are still surprised to discover that while online poker is allowed, online casino gambling for real money is not. Online sports betting, however, is legal and regulated. The state legislature and Nevada Gaming Control Board are in charge here. The gambling market is stable and focused on sports betting and physical casinos. In Nevada, gambling is embedded in the state’s identity, and it has the regulatory apparatus to integrate new formats if it so chooses.
There are online options
It could be easy to conclude that there are no online casino game options for Tahoe residents, but that is not the case. Americans enjoy playing casino games, and the operators have found legal ways for residents to access online gambling sites in the USA. While they might not be real-money ones, sweeps and social casinos still deliver the fun, thrill, and relaxation of traditional casino games. From a player’s point of view, it can be quite a confusing market, but online casino review sites like Casino Guru go out of their way to cover the best US online gambling sites and find what is suitable regardless of where a player lives.
Their data-driven Safety Index takes into consideration the casino’s size, player complaints, makes deductions for restrictive or unfair practices, and adds points for positive qualities, to rate the casino out of 10. These verified reviews, backed by 25+ experts and thousands of player insights, help ensure a safe and reliable betting experience.
No thoughts of legalization, laws are about containment
Right now, in California, the debate is not how to legalize online casinos but how to contain them. Tribal operators argue that online casinos and sweeps sites erode the compact-based exclusivity. The only change that will come about would need to be tribal-led or tribal-controlled. This is not without precedent, as Connecticut has a tribal duopoly model, but there seems to be very little appetite for it right now. California is a potentially huge market that could generate substantial tax revenue, but there is very little appetite for it at the moment.
Protecting vested interests
Nevada, for very different reasons, is also not currently moving towards full iGaming licensing, and everything here signals that they are looking to maintain the status quo. Nevada is protecting its land-based casino ecosystem, and there is no indication that they have any plans to broaden what it offers. While there is online poker, the lack of online slots and table games is a strategic choice to protect its multi-billion-dollar physical casino industry. This is unsurprising when you consider that this is the backbone of Nevada’s economy.
California and Nevada are both very protective of their current models. However, their citizens like to gamble, and online is attractive, which means that operators are always looking for alternative options that fall within the law. Both states have taken strong enforcement action. In California, legislators have focused on sweeps casinos, and AB 831 was the first major crackdown against them. Nevada officials have their eyes on the threat posed by prediction markets. They are leading the charge against non-casino wagering models like Kalshi and Polymarket to preserve the state’s tightly controlled gambling environment.
What could bring about change?
It is highly unlikely that either state will change course, and both are currently tightening compliance rather than relaxing it. However, never say never and all that jazz. Times can bring about extraordinary changes. While the changes in both states would need to be implemented in different ways, they may be forced to take action if land-based revenues decline or the existing operators push for digital divergence.
When it comes to changing landscapes, all eyes are currently on New York, which is advancing iGaming bills. Like California, it has cracked down on sweepstakes operators but for different reasons. While nothing has been said explicitly, it is believed that New York’s crackdown could be the first step towards approving online casinos in the state. Here, the legislators are hopefully taking a more pragmatic approach. If the legislation advances, online operators are expected to work with brick-and-mortar casinos rather than compete with them. While there are differing views on how to do this, it could tick all the boxes.
Keeping residents safe
While some states continue to outlaw online gambling, the bottom line is that people still do it. Offshore casinos are growing exponentially, and it has recently been reported that their combined GDP exceeds that of most countries, bar the USA and China. Legislators are fighting an uphill battle and arguably putting their residents at risk for vested interests. Regulated, legal online casinos offer safe playing environments and a fallback position for players should anything go wrong. In addition, regulatory frameworks and licensing ensure that player welfare is prioritized. However, pragmatism is not necessarily at play right now.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The nonprofit Tahoe Fund announced today that Tom Baxter, Chris McNamara, and Tom Seeliger have joined its Board of Directors. Each of the three bring valuable professional experience and deep connections to the Tahoe region that will help advance the efforts of the organization to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.
“I’m pleased to welcome Tom, Chris, and Tom to the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors and excited about the invaluable experience and leadership each brings to our efforts,” said John Jones, Tahoe Fund board chair. “All three have strong histories of supporting the Lake Tahoe environment that will be beneficial as we continue to pursue opportunities to bring transformational change to Tahoe.”
An attorney who specialized in finance and was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles and New York for 30+ years, Tom Baxter formed several nonprofit organizations for clients and friends. A resident of Glenbrook, Nevada, Baxter’s appreciation for the Sierra and the Tahoe region was fostered through summer visits to his grandparents’ cabin on Upper Echo Lake, built by his grandfather in the 1920s. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, he has hiked the entirety of the John Muir Trail, climbed the California 14ers, worked summers in Alaska, and taken mountaineering trips to Mexico, Peru and Europe.
Tom BaxterProvided / Tahoe Fund
A dedicated trail advocate and outdoor entrepreneur based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, Chris McNamara has taken a hands-on approach to transformational local infrastructure. His leadership helped bring the Ski Run Boulevard revitalization and Ski Run Park to life in South Lake Tahoe, and he and his wife helped establish the Tahoe Fund’s Trail Endowment to create a sustainable funding model for the long-term care of the region’s extensive trail network. McNamara is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of GearLab, the founder of SuperTopo guidebooks, and the President of Orogenesis Collective, which supports a 5,000-mile trail from Cabo to Canada. An accomplished climber, he is a former world-record-holding big wall climber with over 80 ascents of El Capitan, a pioneering wingsuit BASE jumper with a dozen first descents in the U.S. and Baffin Island, and the founder of the American Safe Climbing Association.
Chris McNamaraProvided / Tahoe Fund
Tom Seeliger is a sixth-generation Northern Nevadan who grew up in a multi-generational family business rooted in the Basin and was raised with a deep appreciation for Lake Tahoe’s community lifestyle and natural beauty. Over the course of his career, Seeliger has worked as a geologist, environmental engineer, and in finance for over 25 years. He served as a director of Edgewood Companies for 12 years, as well as an advisory board member and shareholder. His outdoor pursuits include backcountry skiing, mountain biking, flying and traveling—interests he shares with his sons whenever possible.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – DeRubeis Collective Fine Art is celebrating its one-year anniversary in South Lake Tahoe with a special anniversary art show on Saturday, July 25, marking not only a milestone for the gallery, but a celebration of family, resilience, and the community that made it all possible.
Owned and operated by artist Chris DeRubeis and his family, DeRubeis Collective is a true family business built on creativity, perseverance, and a shared passion for bringing people together through art. After years of owning galleries across the country, the DeRubeis family chose South Lake Tahoe as the place to begin a new chapter, one rooted in family values and a deep appreciation for the beauty and spirit of the Tahoe community.
Over the past year, the gallery has welcomed visitors from around the world while becoming a place where locals and collectors alike can connect with the various artists, experience one-of-a-kind contemporary artwork, and feel right at home.
Chris DeRubeis, Megan Uthe and Dawnel DeRubeisIMG_6012(1)
“Opening our family gallery in South Lake Tahoe has been one of the most meaningful chapters of our journey,” said Chris and Dawnel DeRubeis. “The support we’ve received from this community and our art community has been overwhelming, and we’re incredibly grateful. This celebration is our way of saying thank you.”
The anniversary celebration will feature the unveiling of Chris DeRubeis’ newest collection, along with an afternoon and evening dedicated to celebrating the relationships, friendships, and memories created during the gallery’s first year.
The public is invited to join the celebration at DeRubeis Collective Fine Art, located at 4125 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, on Saturday, July 25 at 5 p.m. Whether you’re a longtime collector, a first-time visitor, or simply someone who appreciates art and community, all are welcome to celebrate this special milestone with the DeRubeis Collective family.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Established in 1950, the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) provides South Lake Tahoe residents with safe drinking water and manages the community’s wastewater in a way that protects the area’s sensitive and beautiful environment. In addition to providing these critical services, STPUD team members recently demonstrated their commitment to the community by sponsoring a Bread & Broth Monday Meal and helping vulnerable residents who are struggling during challenging economic times.
On Monday, July 6, STPUD hosted Bread & Broth’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) Monday Meal. The district was represented by Diana Cervantes, Customer Service Representative; Megan Colvey, Director of Engineering; Kilty Devine, Purchasing Manager; Anthony Gregorich, Safety Specialist; and Jon Rohrobaugh, Electrical Engineer. Collectively, the STPUD staff shared, “STPUD is honored to take part in such a great opportunity to give back to the community. Thank you to the Bread & Broth volunteers for having us; we thoroughly enjoyed being part of an Adopt A Day meal service.”
Because the meal took place close to the July 4 holiday and 250th anniversary celebration, Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal cooking crew prepared a summer holiday-themed dinner. The menu included “super” sloppy joes, coleslaw, cheesy French fries, elote corn, and fresh fruit salad, which the STPUD AAD crew served to 132 dinner guests at St. Theresa’s Grace Hall.
Megan Colvey, Anthony Gregorich, Diana Cervantes, Kilty Devine, Jon Rohrobaugh.Provided / Bread & Broth
In addition to being on the meal’s serving line, the STPUD crew members helped pack 130 food giveaway bags filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. They also helped arrange giveaway tables stocked with breads, pastries, meat, canned goods, dairy products—including milk, eggs, and butter—and other basic staples donated by local food businesses.
Bread & Broth appreciates STPUD for its continued commitment to the community. While the district is currently working on major projects planned for the next three to five years—including replacing infrastructure, improving reliability, supporting regulatory compliance, and maintaining sustainable utility service—the STPUD staff still made time to help feed their neighbors in need. Providing a hot, restaurant-quality meal and nutritious food for later in the week has a meaningful impact on the people Bread & Broth serves and B&B thanks all of the staff of the
STPUD for their help and support.
To learn more about Bread & Broth, make a donation, or sponsor an Adopt A Day of Nourishment, visit www.breadandbroth.org, or follow Bread & Broth on Instagram or Facebook.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. — Starting July 15, 2026, residents, workers, and visitors on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore now have access to an expanded Lake Link service area and a new zone-based transit system designed to connect more people to more places without needing a car.
The expanded, on-demand, app-based microtransit service now offers fare-free rides across nearly the entire South Shore of Lake Tahoe, including the Tahoe Keys, Gardner Mountain, Lake Tahoe Airport, Zephyr Cove, and the top of Kingsbury Grade Road while maintaining existing operating hours and free rides.
The expansion also introduces a new three-zone system allowing riders to seamlessly connect Lake Link’s on-demand service with Tahoe Transportation District Route 50 transit service through a single fare-free booking experience in the updated app. Riders traveling within a zone continue to enjoy door-to-door service, while longer cross-zone trips are coordinated through easy transfers that are planned automatically by the app.
“The expansion of Lake Link is a major milestone for transportation in the Tahoe Basin. What started as a project to provide transit for Tahoe Blue Event Center events has become a resource for both our Nevada and California communities,” said board chair Chris Proctor. “In four short years we have focused on connecting more neighborhoods, destinations, jobs, and recreation opportunities with free, convenient transportation options, we’re making it easier than ever for people to choose alternatives to driving.”
Community Ribbon Cutting Celebrations
The public is invited to celebrate the expansion with remarks from the South Shore Transportation Management Association, project partners, and transportation leaders at two ribbon cutting ceremonies on Thursday July 23.
The City of South Lake Tahoe hosting at 11:00 a.m. on July 23 at the South Tahoe “Y” Transit Center, 1000 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, California.
Douglas County will host a concurrent ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 23, at 12:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Ridge Resort, 400 Ridge Club, Stateline, Nevada recognizing the expansion of Lake Link service into Nevada and the growing regional partnership to improve transportation options across the South Shore.
“Improving transportation is a key strategic priority for the City of South Lake Tahoe. This expansion represents the kind of investment that improves daily life for our community,” said Mayor Cody Bass. “By extending service to more neighborhoods and making regional travel easier, Lake Link is giving residents, workers, and visitors a practical alternative to driving while helping us advance a more connected, sustainable, and accessible South Lake Tahoe.”
A Key Part of Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe
The expanded Lake Link system is a cornerstone of the growing Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe initiative – a collaborative effort to make it easy and enjoyable to experience Tahoe without relying on a personal vehicle.
By connecting neighborhoods, lodging, recreation destinations, transit hubs, and community services, Lake Link helps create the transportation network needed to support a more sustainable, accessible, and enjoyable Tahoe transportation experience for everyone.
The expanded service supports the driving vision behind Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe: anyone should be able to park their car once and get wherever they want to go in Tahoe without it. Lake Link complements other lake-friendly transportation options available this summer, including local and regional transit, always-expanding bike-friendly paths and routes, the Emerald Bay Shuttle, parking management, and coordinated mobility services designed to reduce traffic and congestion while protecting Lake Tahoe’s environment.
Easier Booking, Same Free Service
Along with the service expansion, riders will notice an updated Lake Link app featuring a cleaner, more intuitive interface and trip planning tools that automatically coordinate transfers when needed. Rides remain free, wheelchair-accessible vehicles continue to be available, and service operates:
Sunday–Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Learn more about Lake Link and download the app at TahoeLakeLink.com.
Lake Link service is provided by the South Shore Transportation Management Association (SS/TMA): ss-tma.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City council had a special meeting on Tuesday to extend the pause on approving new tobacco retailers. They also approved an agreement for the Olympic torch relay for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Consent agenda
The council briefly heard public comment on a communications site license between Placer County and the city, which would place radio equipment at the tower at South Lake Tahoe Police’s department. This new equipment would help Placer County’s radio communications, especially for search and rescue teams, as it would help avoid the communications shadow from mountains on the west shore.
While councilmember David Jinkens raised concerns about the project’s exemption from CEQA guidelines, new city attorney Sergio Rudin clarified that the installation of communications equipment like this is typically exempt from CEQA, and the motion to approve the license passed.
Tobacco retailers
In June, council placed a temporary moratorium on the approval of new tobacco retailers, in response to a new retailer opening at 3045 Harrison Avenue, which is near schools. The proposed moratorium would last 10 months and 15 days.
The two newest businesses would not open under the current rules—one of the two operators also lacks a city business license at this time.
The business owner of the site on Harrison said that the business was only open to people 21 and up, and that children would not be allowed inside. This prompted Mayor Cody Bass and councilmember Scott Robbins to discuss the black market of nicotine products, which is sometimes how children are able to access things like flavored vapes.
Bass indicated that he was not in support of the moratorium, as it would impact business retailers and their equal opportunity in the city.
Councilmembers Heather Horgan and Robbins were in support, especially regarding the health of the community and the current clustering of businesses, which Robbins said could be removed “through attrition.”
Mayor Pro Tem Keith Roberts suggested that city staff, during the moratorium, could compare the density of tobacco retailers to other cities of comparable size.
The motion passed with a no vote from Bass, enacting a moratorium while staff studies potential regulatory frameworks.
Olympic torch relay
Mayor Pro Tem Roberts communicated with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics Team (LA28) and expressed an interest in hosting the Olympic Torch Relay, where the Olympic Flame will travel across all fifty states before arriving in Los Angeles on July 14, 2028.
Roberts said that South Lake Tahoe was considered as one of the “final day” cities, where the city could also host a celebration and a lighting of the cauldron, in part owing to Tahoe’s history with the Olympics.
While LA28’s stipulations were strict, requesting event restrictions during the time and arranging a route, facilities and parking for those involved in the relay, there was excitement among much of city council. Horgan expressed concerns around the public safety aspects of the event, but eventually gave her support after police chief Jeff Roberson commented on the matter.
The council discussed potentially involving the Washoe tribe, Placer County and the Palisades site in the relay and celebrations. The motion to authorize the mayor to sign the LA28 Torch Relay agreement and designate Mayor Pro Tem Roberts and the city manager as points of contact passed unanimously.
Agenda planning calendar
Robbins introduced items for future agendas, including engagement with agencies around the Tahoe Basin to pay for a guiding and outfitting permit program through the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The payment for the program could help allow backcountry guides to operate, and would cost $150,000 a year.
Robbins also spoke about the prioritization of bike traffic at certain intersections, which would have to happen through a resolution. He also was interested in a resolution for preventing the use of plastics as part of beach revetment (as they were previously used at El Dorado Beach.) Lastly, Robbins asked for a discussion of the dissolution of the tourism district or to reappropriate their funds towards improving transit shuttles.
Horgan spoke and thanked the city staff, as well as the parks and recreation district for the 4th of July celebrations.
City council then went to a closed session. The next regular city council meeting will be August 11.
STATELINE, Nev. – The next meeting of the Nevada State Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Marlette Lake Water System is scheduled to be held this Friday, July 17 at 12:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency office in Stateline, Nev.
The committee, comprised of eight state legislators, holds meetings every other year during interim sessions to discuss the work of TRPA, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, and Nevada state agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
During the July meeting, speakers will provide informational presentations to the committee on water quality and lake clarity, aquatic invasive species, and the latest scientific research taking place at Tahoe.
This is the fifth of six meetings scheduled through August of this year. Other priority topics that have been heard this year include transportation, housing, forest health, and wildfire. The committee webpage has all previous meeting materials and topics listed here. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or online and to provide input in writing or during scheduled public comment times.
LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. – The 21st Annual Tahoe Bike Month reached new milestones this June, with record participation demonstrating the Lake Tahoe community’s continued commitment to biking for sustainable transportation.
Organized by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, Tahoe Bike Month celebrates bicycling as a healthy, fun, and environmentally friendly way to get around the basin. Through community events and a friendly competition, participants are encouraged to choose bikes for everyday trips whenever possible. Every ride helps reduce vehicle emissions, ease traffic congestion, support cleaner air and water, and advance a safer, more connected network of biking routes throughout the region.
This year, 547 riders participated in Tahoe Bike Month, completing 12,792 rides and traveling 95,591 miles—the equivalent of 1,327 trips around Lake Tahoe. Riders also climbed a combined 6,461,154 feet of elevation throughout the month.
Biking helps reduce vehicle emissions, ease traffic congestion, support cleaner air and water, and advance a safer, more connected network of biking routes throughout the region. Provided / TRPA
Participation increased by 7 percent over last year, marking the highest engagement in the event’s 21-year history.
“Year over year, Tahoe Bike Month continues to grow,” said Kira Richardson, senior transportation planner at TRPA. “It’s exciting to see the community and our partners embrace biking as a sustainable way to get around the basin.”
The month-long celebration is part of broader regional efforts to expand transportation choices, reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, and support a healthier, more connected Lake Tahoe. Safe biking routes, improved trails, and multimodal transportation options help residents and visitors experience the basin while reducing impacts on the environment.
Participants tracked their rides on TahoeBikeMonth.org, competing for prizes donated by local businesses. Notable achievements included:
Top Team: Ctrl-Alt-Elite earned 172 points.
Most Rides: Tahoe Billy completed 288 rides.
Elevation Leader: Robert Larsen climbed 95,542 feet.
Distance Champion: August Sewell logged 1,391 miles.
Biggest Ride: Druin Roberts tackled a 164-mile ride with 15,495 feet of climbing.
Daily Riders: 47 participants biked every day in June.
“It’s always so fun to get out on the trail and see so many people riding bikes,” said Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition President Nick Speal. “Each ride that replaces a car trip is one step closer to a more connected and sustainable Lake Tahoe.”
Tahoe Bike Month is made possible through the support of regional sponsors and community partners who help encourage biking throughout the basin:
Outdoor Gear Lab, Northstar California Resort, South Shore Bikes, South Lake E-Bikes, PT Revolution, BioSpirit Spa, Keep Tahoe Blue, Blue Granite Climbing Gym, Tahoe Gear Exchange, Tahoe Brewfest, Visit Lake Tahoe, South Lake Brewing Co., Elevate Wellness Center, Sonney’s BBQ Shack, Lake Tahoe AleWorx, Cascade Kitchens, Three Pines Coffee Co., Natural Grocers, South Tahoe Refuse, and Shoreline Tahoe.
As summer continues, organizers encourage the community to keep the momentum going by biking, walking, or riding public transit. Learn more about sustainable travel in Tahoe at LinkingTahoe.com and explore the interactive bike map at map.tahoebike.org.
Tahoe Bike Month will return in June 2027.
Bike to Work Day highlights how active transportation choices can reduce emissions, support healthier communities, and help protect the Tahoe Basin. Provided / TRPA
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Local eatery The Getaway Cafe will host a visit from America’s Best Restaurants (ABR), a national media and marketing company, for an on-site visit as part of the ABR Roadshow.
America’s Best Restaurants travels the country spotlighting independent, locally owned restaurants that make a positive impact on their communities. During the visit, the ABR Roadshow team will highlight The Getaway Cafe on camera, featuring an extensive interview with owner and chef Diane Guth about the restaurant’s special place in the community.
Guth has always dreamed of owning a restaurant where friends and family would feel at home and where strangers would soon become friends. With a passion for cooking that began at age 14, she has been inspired by many chefs and diverse cuisines throughout her career. At The Getaway Cafe, everything is made fresh to order in a small kitchen, ensuring that every meal is crafted with care.
Guests are encouraged to relax and enjoy the ambiance, where the friendly banter of the attentive staff enhances the dining experience.
“We’re humbled and honored to be featured by America’s Best Restaurants,” said Guth. “We aim to set the standard for dining and hospitality in the Lake Tahoe region. We invite you to come experience our take on alpine comfort cuisine.”
The Getaway Cafe is known for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and consistently high-quality food, building a reputation as a true community hub. Regulars are greeted by name, first-time guests are treated like family, and no one leaves hungry.
The menu features a blend of American and Mexican cuisines, encouraging diners to be adventurous with their choices. Standout items include Chilaquiles with Chorizo, Coconut French Toast, Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a Triple Stacked Turkey Club.
America’s Best Restaurants will be on-site at The Getaway Cafe on August 11, 2026. The public and press are welcome to attend. The completed episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date. The premiere date will be announced on the restaurant’s Facebook page and featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website and YouTube channel.
The Getaway Cafe is located at 3140 U.S. 50, South Lake Tahoe, California 96150. For more information, visit https://tahoegetawaycafe.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California State Parks announced the selection of Rich Adams as the new district superintendent for the Sierra District.
Adams’ State Parks career began in 1995 as a seasonal Park Aide at D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks. In 1996, he joined the Sierra District Natural Resources and Fire Management team, beginning a career that would span nearly three decades of service to the California State Park System.
After graduating from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources in 1998, Adams completed an internship under Department Forester Stephen Bakken and became a California Registered Professional Forester in 2002. He went on to serve as Sierra District Forester for more than 20 years before advancing to Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor. As a prescribed fire burn boss, Adams has led numerous prescribed fire projects throughout the district, helping protect natural resources and improve ecosystem health.
Northern and Desert Division Chief Greg Martin pins new Sierra District Superintendent Rich Adams. Photo from California State Parks
Adams began serving as acting Sierra District superintendent in April 2025, providing steady leadership and support for district operations.
A longtime resident of Lake Tahoe’s west shore, Adams lives with his wife and three children within biking distance of Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park. Together, they enjoy exploring the outdoors year-round, whether on the trails, in the water, or on the snow.
As he steps into his new role, Adams looks forward to supporting the Sierra District team, serving visitors, and continuing to enhance the state parks he has dedicated his career to protecting.
Adams during a prescribed burn at D.L. Bliss State Park in October 2006. Photo from former State Park employee Silver Hartman
Jerry Linenger pictured on Russia’s Mir Space Station Base Block ModuleProvided/NASA
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As Jerry Linenger looked out from his porthole window on the space station Mir, his eyes were searching for that familiar, turquoise landmark tucked inside the snow-clad peaks of the Sierra Nevadas below.
“[Lake Tahoe] is a very special place on the planet,” Linenger, retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and former astronaut, told the Tribune. “I think people that live up here realize that. It’s hard to miss it.”
Linenger, now an Incline Village resident, first became acquainted with the Lake Tahoe region during a formative summer between his junior and senior years through a National Science Foundation scholarship where he studied Environmental Science at the Foresta Institute.
From Franktown Road in Washoe Valley to Lake Tahoe, Little Valley and Pyramid Lake, Linenger spent his summer backpacking for 12 weeks straight, studying limnology, aquatic ecology, and local watershed.
“We had horses. So sometimes we’d ride horses up, we’d unsaddle, we would sleep under the stars and get on the horse in the morning and go further,” Linenger recalled. “It was a heck of an experience.”
The program proved to be a pivotal time of self-discovery for him as he realized all the possibilities waiting outside of his hometown in Michigan, including pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. All the while, Lake Tahoe was making a permanent mark on his heart.
“That really changed my life,” Linenger said. “It gave me this confidence that, ‘Hey, I don’t have to stay in this Detroit suburb, blue-collar neighborhood, and I can do big things.'”
Little did Linenger know at the time, those ‘big things’ would consist of joining NASA and making history during his five-month mission aboard the Russian space station Mir in 1997.
STS-84 Shuttle crew and Mir EO-23 crew posing inside the Spacehab module in 1997Provided/NASA
In a four-part documentary series called “Once Upon a Time in Space” from acclaimed director, James Bluemel, the harrowing tale of life on Mir for Linenger and two Russian cosmonauts is examined while loved ones are left to watch from the ground, blending archival footage with raw accounts that tug on your heart strings.
From the worst fire ever recorded aboard an orbiting spacecraft to a failed docking test collision from an uncrewed supply cargo ship, the space station suffered a series of severe crises while Linenger was onboard, eventually leading to the inception of his praised book “Letters from MIR: An Astronaut’s Letters to His Son”.
As the documentary unravels the chaos, viewers get to see astronauts as more than just heroes, but as vulnerable human beings adapting to the circumstances around them.
“I’ve been on Navy ships, been in the middle of the Indian Ocean, out there by myself – lots of different places, but I have never been so cut off, isolated and stuck with myself as I was during those five months,” he said. “I think the documentary tries to bring out some of that reflection that I had, some of the way it changed my life, the way I look at things differently, a shift in perspective.”
Between the turmoil of working around the clock, Linenger wrote letters to his son and found brief moments to gaze upon Earth at altitudes ranging from 184 to 262 miles. He even took a unique approach to shopping for real estate as he considered which regions of the country he thought looked the most appealing from space.
While the Traverse City area became his top pick, his second was Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas, saying he had already spent time here and knew just how beautiful it was from the ground.
“When we’d be flying over it, the computer would tell me, ‘Hey, the trajectory’s going over the top of Lake Tahoe.’ I’d set my little alarm and I’d go to a window no matter what I’m doing and I’d take a few photos of Lake Tahoe while I’m going over the top,” Linenger said.
After 132 days and a variety of obstacles, Linenger landed back on Earth, bringing his fresh perspective on life with him.
“What a life we have on the planet – a carefree existence. The air is all around us. We don’t have to make it. We don’t have to measure the oxygen content every day, don’t have to worry about it rushing out in a rapid decompression and suffocating me,” he said as he touched on reacclimating to gravity during his first shower back on Earth, and how the color green and the rustling of leaves in his backyard left him in awe.
Now, Linenger enjoys his time in Tahoe, embracing its winters by skiing at Northstar and Diamond Peak.
Linenger skiing at Diamond PeakProvided/Jerry Linenger
“I like high places, I guess,” he joked. “I get up on the top of Diamond Peak there looking out over the lake and it gives me a little bit of feeling of being back in space looking down at the planet.”
His advice for others is to take a step back and look at the big picture. If you’re having a bad day, take a deep breath and count the blessings around you.
“We’re in Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you’re not smiling every day of your life, something’s wrong.”
BBC and PBS’s “Once Upon a Time in Space” four-part docuseries premieres on Tuesday, July 14. You can watch by visiting pbs.org.
GLENBROOK, Nev. – The Shakespeare Ranch is once again on the market, featuring its historic 1873 entertainment barn, lakefront cabana and a ranch house currently under construction, all for $125 million, making it one of the highest-priced private estate listings in Nevada history.
If it sells for that price, it would be among the largest Lake Tahoe transactions ever recorded.
Initially listed in 2024 under a previous listing at a higher asking price of $188 million, this prior opportunity also included an option to purchase individual parcels and residences starting at nearly $10 million.
This most recent listing is marketed as a new curated release of three particular parcels and excludes parcels offered in the prior listing, which had included another residence. In addition to the lakefront ranch house, cabana and historic barn, the three parcels include a 465-foot pier (one of the longest on the lake), 14 buoys, a rodeo compound and a parcel with 3 acres of meadowland with its namesake Shakespeare Rock in view, Glenbrook’s iconic granite formation.
Entry to the Shakespeare Ranch. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The Shakespeare Ranch is back on the market for $125 million. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The lakefront cabana and 465-foot pier. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The new lakefront ranch house under construction. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The rodeo grounds. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The historic 1873 barn. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The estate’s meadows in view of Shakespeare Rock Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The interior of the historic entertainment barn. Provided / Scott Thompson, Vista Estate Visuals
The new main home, nearing completion at 7,713 square feet, is designed by award-winning architect Marc Appleton. The cabana is designed by Howard Backen. There are also Backen & Backen conceptual designs for the meadow parcel.
Additionally, the property features 425 feet of Lake Tahoe shoreline, a boathouse, multiple guest residences and cabins, garages and support buildings, and a collection of recreational and equestrian amenities.
“Shakespeare Ranch is one of the most unique properties I’ve had the privilege of representing in my 30-year career,” listing agent Christine Perry of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno said. “You feel the history the moment you arrive at the gate. What makes it so special is the blend of old and new — the newly built ranch house and cabana offer the mountain-modern lifestyle so many buyers are seeking today, while being surrounded by the rich heritage of the rodeo grounds, horse pastures, and breathtaking views of Shakespeare Rock and Lake Tahoe.”
The private estate’s history runs over 150 years deep, with its 1873 barn being one of the oldest surviving structures on Lake Tahoe. The estate also hosted former President George Bush and the Glenbrook Rodeo with acts from Lionel Richie, Robin Williams and Jay Leno.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) is investing in the future reliability of the community’s drinking water system by constructing two new drinking water wells this summer. The Sunset Well Replacement Project and the new Tanglewood Well Project are part of the District’s long-term asset management program to ensure safe, reliable drinking water for the South Shore for decades to come.
The District currently relies on 11 active drinking water wells to provide customers with high-quality Tahoe Tap. California regulations require water systems to meet maximum daily water demand even if their largest well is unavailable. The two new wells will strengthen the District’s ability to reliably serve customers during peak summer demand, emergency situations, planned maintenance, or unexpected equipment outages.
Rotary well drilling uses a rotating drill bit to bore deep into the ground while drilling fluid carries rock cuttings to the surface, allowing workers to construct a water well safely and efficiently. Provided / Kimberly Miles, PG (BESST, Inc.)
“These projects are about planning ahead,” said Mark Seelos, Water Resources Manager for the South Tahoe Public Utility District. “Our existing wells have served the community for many years, but replacing aging infrastructure and adding new production capacity ensures we can continue delivering safe, reliable drinking water when our customers need it most. Investing today helps protect our water system for future generations.”
The Sunset Well Replacement Project will replace an existing well drilled in 1990 that currently produces approximately 600 gallons per minute (gpm). The new well will be drilled on the same property to a depth of approximately 500 feet and is expected to produce approximately 2,000 gpm.
The Tanglewood Well Project will create an entirely new well site. Following successful test drilling completed in 2025, crews will drill a permanent production well this summer and conduct extensive pump testing to determine its final operating capacity. The new well is expected to produce between 800 and 2,000 gpm.
Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-July and continue through early November 2026. Because well drilling requires specialized equipment and uninterrupted operations, drilling and well installation activities at each site will operate continuously for approximately four weeks, including overnight hours.
“Drilling a municipal drinking water well is a complex process that requires continuous operation to safely install the well casing and complete testing,” Seelos said. “We understand overnight construction can be inconvenient, and we appreciate our neighbors’ patience as we complete these critical infrastructure improvements.”
Hydrogeologists collect intact samples as the drill bit advances to determine the presence of water and make key design decisions for well installation. Provided / Kimberly Miles, PG (BESST, Inc.)
The District anticipates completing engineering design for the well houses, pumps, electrical systems, and pipeline connections in 2027. Construction of the above ground well facilities and integration into the water system is planned between 2028 and 2030.
The total investment is estimated at $5.5 million for the Tanglewood Well Project and $4.4 million for the Sunset Well Replacement Project.
The District also continues to closely monitor the sustainability of the groundwater aquifer. Groundwater levels are measured at 40 monitoring wells twice each year, production wells are tested annually, and a sophisticated groundwater model tracks aquifer conditions. Monitoring has shown no measurable impact on groundwater storage, and the additional pumping capacity provided by these new wells is expected to have a negligible effect on groundwater levels.
Together, the Sunset and Tanglewood wells will improve the resilience of the District’s water system, increase production capacity where it is needed most, and help ensure the continued delivery of safe, high-quality Tahoe Tap for years to come.
To learn more, visit stpud.us/drinking-water-wells or attend the Public Meeting on Monday, July 20, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 942 Tanglewood Drive, South Lake Tahoe.
“Hard to put into words how freeing it is,” Jimi Brenner said while taking a break from an afternoon at the downhill mountain bike trails. Brenner lives and works on an orchard around Auburn, he likes biking, he is into metal fabrication, and when he was 29, his car slid off the road into a big oak tree. He became paralyzed from chest down.
JIMI BRENNER on his adaptive bike. Trails for these bikes should be at least 58 inches wide, according to High Fives. Photo courtesy Jimi Brenner
Brenner found the hospital-provided wheelchairs not to his liking, so a year after his injury, he built his own. “I’ve always been the outdoorsy person,” he said. “I can’t get stuck inside much.”
Three years after his accident, Brenner rode a bike again. The bike was adaptive to his injury, lent to him at the High Fives Community Bike Day, a fundraiser open to everyone.
High Fives was launched in 2009 after its founder, Roy Tuscany, overshot a ski jump and became paralyzed from the waist down. Tuscany received help from his community and started High Fives to “prevent life-changing injuries and provide resources and hope if they happen.” Since then, High Fives has served over 1,000 athletes in a multitude of sports and funded more than 1,900 grants.
After receiving a grant from High Fives and the Kelly Brush Foundation, whose mission is “to inspire and empower people with spinal cord injuries to lead active and engaged lifestyles,” Brenner was able to buy one of the bikes, which start at $15,000. But he didn’t know where to ride it. “Auburn has a lot of real tight single track,” he said. “It’s hard to ride independently.”
In 2021, High Fives collaborated with Sky Tavern Bike Park, located off Mt. Rose Highway, to build a trail suitable for adaptive riders. “We wanted to include several [adaptive specific] design features,” said Becca Lefanowicz, director of brand and creative for High Fives. For instance, “that it would be wide enough for adaptive bikes that have a wider and longer frame.”
I DID IT! Estocado is triumphant after a downhill mountain bike run.
A High Fives adaptive trail must be at least 58 inches wide, a standard that unaffiliated organizations like Lee Canyon resort in Las Vegas have begun to copy. Because adaptive mountain bikes have a lower clearance than standard ones, the trail is also maintained to avoid what Lefanowicz calls “pinch points” — areas that would be too rocky for the low clearance of an adaptive bike. Brenner described the Sky Tavern trail as “super fun, super flowy.” It’s also one of two locations for the High Fives Community Bike Day in June, July, and August this year.
Since the Sky Tavern installation, High Fives has put in another adaptive-friendly trail at Sierra Vista in Reno.
“Most trails are not too far off,” Brenner said, “there’s maybe just a little something on them [that makes them not suitable for an adaptive bike].” But on Brenner’s new-model Bowhead Reach with a tilting mechanism, he said that “98, 99% of the trails — I can ride on them.”
ALL SMILES: High Fives collaborated with Sky Tavern Bike Park, located off Mt. Rose Highway, to build a trail suitable for adaptive riders, which Estocado happily bombs down. Photos courtesy High Fives
Brenner said it’s big news in his community when a new trail like this is put in. “It’s more open space you can get out and explore.” This, he said, is the point. And Lefanowicz added that the word she most commonly hears from people who use the adaptive trails is “independence.”
There was a moment at the second-ever Gambler’s Run in 2024 when The Main Squeeze was covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” and it all kind of came together for Crystal Bay Casino’s production/marketing manager Sam Shear.
“It was right at dusk,” he said. “The golden hour light. The energy of the band, the energy of the crowd. It was epic. All the work we’d done, a lot of things had to line up to make that moment happen.”
MUSICAL CONNECTION: A festivalgoer and a musician are in sync during a daytime set.
Things did line up and that moment did happen. More moments happened last year and more moments will happen in 2026, the festival gaining momentum like some incendiary fiddle solo played against a devil down in Georgia. This year, the String Cheese Incident leads its biggest lineup yet, headlining three days of deep-pooled musicality with their Thursday night set.
Formed in Colorado a good 30 years ago, the band has shredded strings and lit up audiences around the world with its bluegrass meets funky-country-rocky-jazzy-reggae-infused sound that offers a pinch of psychedelia and throws in a warm breeze
for good measure.
IT’S ALL GRATITUDE AND GOOD TIMES in the front row at dusk at Gambler’s Run.
The band’s name stems from a cheese-heavy food fight the members had in a bar back in the ’90s. They’ll be coming off a two-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheater before rolling the dice in Crystal Bay as part of their five-month Just Keep Spinning tour.
Red Rocks has a 9,500-person capacity, a typical venue size for the band. Gambler’s Run, on the other hand, is capped at 1,000. A faraway lawn seat won’t exist at the festival, and access to the front rows won’t cost $500-plus — so fans will see and hear and feel the cheese-grating up close.
“String Cheese is about the biggest act we can get,” Shear said. “We’ve had them in the Crown Room, but this is a new time for a new setting.”
That setting is outdoors. That setting is intimate. That setting is Tahoe air and golden hour light and the mysteries of the night. And visuals.
“A lot of focus is also on the art, the eye candy of the festival,” said Shear, who was coy with details to not give away too much and spoil first-impression surprise and intrigue. “It’s an all-encompassing experience. We’ll transform the festival grounds as much as possible.”
Those adorned grounds will be played from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with the gates opening at 3 p.m. for food and craft vendors, and high-energy afterparties in the Crown Room raging until midnight or so.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters headlines Friday’s lineup with its own sweet Colorado-born style that has continued to evolve and delight music lovers since its 1993 platinum rock album Sister Sweetly, featuring the decade’s iconic and seemingly immortal (for good reason) “Bittersweet.” The soulful sounds and rhythmic beat of The California Honeydrops will get Saturday night’s airs swirling and the dancefloor moving.
But Gambler’s Run isn’t just three consecutive big-name concerts; it’s a music festival that features eight hours of music per day and over 10 bands that run the gamut. Also performing are the Humboldt funk machine Diggin Dirt, the electronic-instrumental synthesis of the groovy Octave Cat (featuring Jessie Miller of Lotus), and the Nashville-based Grateful Dead-influenced punk rockers Sicard Hollow, among others.
Sicard Hollow’s guitarist Alex King shared his thoughts: “We love music festivals, casinos, and lakes. Gambler’s Run is a perfect place … because it crosses off all three of those boxes. Let’s party.”
Three-Pronged Event
In addition to the intrepid tunes and dynamic art, Gambler’s Run also features a core contingent of activities and activism at its nonprofit village.
The nonprofit tine is a who’s who of local ecological stalwarts: Keep Tahoe Blue, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), UC Davis, Restoring My Lake; and, from Colorado, Conscious Alliance. Each entity helms an interactive booth and leads an engaging activity that ties back to its message. Festival-goers are provided a punch card; punches are earned by doing the activities; completing all the activities gains entry into drawings for signed posters and other rad prizes.
A main component of the activism for the festival itself focuses on sustainability. “When we started Gambler’s Run four years ago now, we were like, ‘We are in Lake Tahoe, we should be as conscious of our environment as possible.’”
THE OUTDOOR GROUNDS at Gambler’s Run hosts bands from 4 to 10 pm. before the event moves into the Crown Room for the afterparties.
A main cog in that activism/sustainability wheel was to phase out plastic cups by phasing in aluminum ones. The CBC began doing so at the first Gambler’s Run in 2023 and it’s now become standard practice at every show it hosts. No single-use plastic cups, not one; stats showing the switch having already saved close to 100,000 plastic cups and thousands of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfills.
That’s the type of action that helps the world keep spinning and the music keep playing. And summer music festivals right here in the Tahoe Basin, without having to undertake some distant drive in some super-hot direction, are a good thing too.
“If you’re a local,” Shear concluded, “you know the Crystal Bay Casino; what we do is live music. This is our masterpiece — three days of music, art, activism. Come on over and hang out.”
Wade Snider, master photographer, believes that every photo taken should be planned for months. In accordance with his tight hierarchy of strict guidelines, he camped out for ages, waiting for this exact photograph. On day 90, lightning struck. The beagles lined up. The bear was there. All he had to do was hit the shutter. The world softened for a bit. The birds, awestruck, quieted their ritualistic song. When the day returned to focus and time resumed ticking, all that was left was a photograph. Seen here.
With summer in full swing, the Cancer new moon on July 14 offers a welcome invitation to slow down, to rest, and to reconnect.
On July 18, Uranus in Gemini trines Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, an amicable transit that highlights both the tension and harmony between abstract ideas and collective technological transformations underway. Two days later, Jupiter in Leo forms a trine to Neptune retrograde in Aries, while also opposing Pluto — encouraging examination of values and relationships to the world’s changes.
The sun enters Leo on July 22, followed by Mercury coming out of its retrograde transit on July 24. Expect a certain momentum to return to a plan of yours that’s been stalled.
A major collective shift occurs on July 26 as the north node enters Aquarius and the south node enters Leo. This new nodal cycle will be playing out for 18 months and encourages us to participate more consciously in worldly happenings.
Leo-season energies amplify on July 29 when Jupiter conjoins the sun during a full moon in Aquarius. With Pluto in conjunction to the full moon, this lunation brings expansive emotional and subconscious transformation. Pay attention to what needs to be released as well as what’s coming up that needs to be celebrated.
Venus enters Libra on August 6. This will bring balance, a focus on beauty, and an inclination to socialize. August 7 and 8 may feel more reactive, with the Gemini moon transiting first Uranus and then Mars. To give yourself time to take in the full picture, endeavor to pause before responding to things.
On August 12, we have a powerful solar eclipse. The Leo new moon also joins the south node, with Jupiter and Mercury also in Leo. This day will illuminate old stories of identities and patterns that may surface for review.
NATURAL MAGIC
There are many transits happening in this time that relate to collective change and how that is personally significant, highlighted by the nodal shift into the signs of Aquarius and Leo exactly on July 26; consider setting aside twenty minutes a day between July 19 and August 2 to honor both the transition and your own evolutionary growth. Begin with ten minutes of heart-centered meditation. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly, breathing slowly as you imagine your awareness dropping from your head to your heart.
Then spend ten minutes reflecting and journaling. Consider these prompts: When I shift perception from my head to my heart, what changes within me?What is my unique gift to the world? How can I use my creativity in service to something larger than myself?
Bees. These remarkable bugs are more than just fuzzy visitors to flowers or “scary” insects that sting. They are vital pollinators who play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our mountain ecosystems and the planet as a whole.
When most people think of bees, they picture the classic honey bee: living in its bustling hive, making honey, and serving the queen. However, honey bees are not native to North America and their highly social lifestyle represents only a small fraction of the world’s bee species.
In fact, the vast majority of bees around the world and in the Sierra Nevada are solitary, up to 85% living quiet, independent lives that often go unnoticed by humans. In these species there are no queens, no workers, and no hives.
1 of 3
A SWEAT BEE (Halictidae) nuzzles into flax in South Lake Tahoe. Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
Van Dyke’s Bumble Bee (Bombus vandykei) atop a sage in Truckee. Photo by Will Richardson
A MASON BEE (Osmia montana) visits a Senecio in Page Meadows above Tahoe City. Photo by Will Richardson
Rather, every female bee is essentially a one-bee construction crew, food gatherer, and parent all rolled into one. After snowmelt, they find or build suitable nests, collect nectar and pollen, and create a carefully stocked nursery for future offspring. After supplying the nest chamber with food, the female lays a single egg, seals the chamber, and begins the process of preparing the next chamber for another egg. Once her work is complete, her life cycle comes to an end and the next generation develops during the winter months to emerge in the spring.
Meanwhile, male bees have a simpler life. Their lifespan lasts only a few weeks and equates to: emerge, compete to find a mate, reproduce, and that’s about it.
Native Tahoe/Truckee bees come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some wear the familiar yellow-and-black striped patterns while others look like tiny flying jewels, shimmering in the sunlight with their metallic greens, blues, or bronze. When identifying whether an insect is a bee, a helpful clue is to look for yellow, dusty pollen clinging to its body. Female bees often carry pollen on specialized hairs attached to their legs called corbiculae (or “pollen pants”), and other species will tote it on the underside of their abdomens.
Tahoe/Truckee Bee Diversity
One of the most interesting solitary bees around Tahoe/Truckee are leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.). These tiny architects carefully cut out near-perfect circles from leaves or other plant material and carry them back to their nests. They then use the leaf pieces to form the structure of their nursery chamber cells, and, like wallpaper, the leaf material lines and protects the chamber to promote growth of beneficial microbes.
Gardeners sometimes notice the neat circular holes left behind by the leafcutters and wonder, “What happened?” Fortunately, it’s most often good news. The holes rarely harm the plant as a whole, and the “damage” is little more than a tiny rental fee, paid in exchange for excellent pollination services.
Mason bees (Osmia spp.) include another type of solitary bee found in our area. These small critters have dark bodies and an often iridescent sheen, and can easily be mistaken for a fly. However, they are all bee: widely considered some of nature’s most efficient pollinators. A single female has been known to pollinate up to 2,000 blossoms in one day.
Her pollinating power comes from how she carries pollen. Instead of packing it tightly on her legs, the mason bee female carries it loosely on the underside of her body, allowing her to transfer more pollen between flowers. Around Tahoe/Truckee you can find mason bees living in natural cavities such as hollow stems and holes in wood, but they will also readily occupy homemade bee boxes with paper or cardboard nesting tubes placed near flowering plants (a fun project for your yard).
For other bees, that patch of exposed dirt in your yard or a downed log out back can be prime real estate too, so leave them be!
Of course, no discussion of Sierra buzzers would be complete without mentioning bumble bees (Bombus spp.). The fuzzy giants of the bee world, bumble bees are larger, louder, and easier to spot than many of their smaller relatives.
Unlike most of the area’s native bees, bumble bees are social insects, forming small colonies led by a single queen and supported by a female workforce. Their colonies, however, function very differently from honey bee hives. As fall approaches, the workers die off, leaving only the newly mated queens alive, seeking shelter underground where they overwinter beneath the snowpack. When spring arrives, each queen emerges to build an entirely new colony from scratch.
Truckee/Tahoe is home to several bumblebee species, including the endangered Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis). Not long ago, at Sagehen Creek Research Station, Dr. Nina Sokolov of UC Berkeley found 23 Western Bumble Bees in just 45 minutes, a remarkable find given this species is endangered and difficult to find across the state of California. Perhaps Truckee is a hotspot for this species? More research and time will tell, but for now this is encouraging for Bombus occidentalis.
Supporting the Bees That Support Us
Bees play a critical role in maintaining our region’s biodiversity. Their services support the plants that provide food and shelter for countless other species, while encouraging outcrossing among the plants themselves, increasing genetic diversity and creating stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities of organisms.
Sadly, not all news is good, and our bees face many challenges. Habitat loss, disease, pesticide exposure, and climate change all threaten native bee populations. Habitat loss from human development destroys both nesting sites and the flowering plants bees depend on. Pesticides may directly harm the pollinators or indirectly kill the plants they rely on. Climate change creates timing mismatches between flowers and the bees’ emergence.
Fortunately, communities throughout our nation are recognizing the importance of protecting pollinators, and Truckee has an exciting opportunity to join that effort. The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is leading the charge to designate the Town of Truckee as an official “Bee City.” TINS and other partners through Bee City USA intend to protect native pollinators through education, habitat restoration, and conservation. While the designation is an important milestone, its true value lies in the community actions that follow.
POLLINATORS: One of Truckee/Tahoe’s most common and widespread bumble bee species, Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) visiting a yarrow and showing a packed pollen basket. Photo by Will Richardson
Residents can help in surprisingly simple ways; planting native flowers and leaving patches of bare soil, dead wood, and dried stems all work to create nesting opportunities. Even participating in community science projects using iNaturalist, a free app that helps identify plants and animals while collecting data for science and conservation, can help researchers better understand local bee populations. In this way, every yard, garden, school, neighborhood, and human can become part of the solution.
So, the next time you hear a faint buzz while hiking a trail, walking through a meadow, or tending your garden, take a closer look and try to appreciate the bee for who it is and what it does.
These remarkable insects may be small, but their impact is enormous. Quietly and tirelessly, our native bees sustain the wildflowers, forests, and vibrant landscapes that make the Sierra Nevada the wonderful and biologically diverse place that it is.
If you’re not looking for the Understory, it’s easy to walk right past it. Owner Annie Stefani calls it a hobbit hole — picture Alice falling into the rabbit burrow and coming out in Tahoe. Located in an underground cellar at the north end of downtown Tahoe City in front of urgent care, the Understory is North Lake Tahoe’s newest bookshop, which opened June 30.
“That aspect of getting lost in a story has been a big part of my entire life,” says Stefani, who grew up in Tahoe City and has worked in education for 20 years, teaching middle and high school English and social studies. “Reading is a way to learn about another place. Especially in a bubble like Tahoe, books are a window into another world.”
BOOK CLUB: Tahoe City has a new bookstore, thanks to North Tahoe High’s former librarian. Photo courtesy Daniel Stefani
Five years ago, Stefani obtained a master’s degree in library and information science and began working as the librarian at North Tahoe High School. When she took over that role, she completely redesigned the physical space of the school’s library. “When people asked me what I’d do if I wasn’t a teacher, I’d always say I’d be an interior designer,” she says. She discovered a designer who focused on home libraries, and she thought, “This is a thing? I can incorporate design and books and make them look beautiful and readable? Who knew?”
Last year, she left her job at Tahoe Truckee Unified School District and launched Wonderwood Books and Library Services, a book-centric design studio for homes, hotels, and more. She designed and curated bookshelves at the new Apex Club at Palisades Tahoe — complete with books by local authors and ones based on Sierra Nevada ski history — as well as home libraries for several local residences. “When you walk into someone’s home, you look at what they’re reading,” Stefani says. “You want those shelves to not only look nice but also represent who you are.”
LET’S READ: Small but mighty, The Understory bookstore opened last month.
With the launch of her library design business, she needed a space outside her home to store books, so she began looking at storage facilities and commercial spaces around the area. A meeting with Christine and Andrew Ryan, who own the Tahoe Backyard in Kings Beach and operate a micro-business incubator, gave her a new idea: Find a space that could house her library design studio and also be a community bookstore.
“It seemed like a crazy idea in the Amazon-era of online book ordering to open a brick-and-mortar bookstore,” Stefani says. “But Christine and Andy gave me the confidence and encouragement that a bookstore could actually work.”
Another serendipitous meeting with local architects Robb and Molly Olson, who recently purchased the Trading Post buildings in downtown Tahoe City, led Stefani to the so-nick-named hobbit hole. “They said they had a commercial space I might be interested in and when they stopped in front of that door into the underground, I thought, ‘Oh no,’” Stefani recalls. “But then we walked in and my answer was immediately: ‘yes.’ It’s much brighter than it looks thanks to the skylights, and the space has such a good quality.”
The underground store, which previously housed a law office and the office of the former property owners, the Dyer brothers, has been vacant for years. The interior and exterior were recently remodeled and landscaped in preparation for the Understory’s late June opening.
At just 645 square feet, it’s not a huge space. The main room displays books for sale, and the two smaller back rooms offer a reading nook with a gas fireplace that can be rented out for book clubs or other gatherings and a conference room that can be used for private meetings.
“The space is small, but because of that it can be carefully curated,” Stefani says. “I want this to be a community-based bookshop, so there will a rotating community shelf with reading recommendations.”
She doesn’t plan on focusing on outdoor guidebooks — Tahoe City’s Alpenglow Sports has that well covered — or competing with the vast collection at Truckee’s much bigger Word After Word Books. Her goal is to have a small, handpicked collection of fiction and nonfiction books that are switched out regularly, so you can always find something new. “I want everyone — locals, visitors, kids, adults — to be able to walk into the store and discover a book that invokes that sense of curiosity, joy, and wonder that you can find from a good story.”
The last bookstore in Tahoe City, called the Bookshelf, closed in 2012. Can this one fare better? “Tahoe is a very literary place, more than people may realize,” Stefani says. “I’m excited to create this space for our community around a shared love of reading and storytelling.”
After 20 years teaching English and as a high school librarian, I’ve learned that while reading is a deeply personal act, it also has the innate ability to build community through the simple act of sharing the books we’ve loved or what’s next on our list. While Joyce Carol Oates once said, “Read widely, and without apology. Read what you want to read, not what someone tells you you should read,” I also believe that one should never turn down an opportunity to share what’s on their reading list. So, here are 10 books for your summer reading adventures, with stories rooted in travel and place.
1. Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins. The Eastern Sierra is magical this time of year and Wiggins manages to capture the beauty of the Owens Valley and create historical fiction perfection with this story about the building of Manzanar, the city of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and a family stuck in the middle. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
2. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Eco-fiction, mystery, family drama all in one. A woman washes up shipwrecked on a remote sub-Antarctic island guarding a seed vault, and nothing about the family sheltering her is quite what it seems.
3. Playground by Richard Powers. While Powers’ The Overstory was part of the inspiration for The Understory, his novel Playground is a captivating shift to the ocean with this sweeping story about ocean exploration, tech oligarchs, and what it means to be family.
4. The Land and Its People by David Sedaris. I first discovered the sheer genius of David Sedaris while reading Me Talk Pretty One Day on a study abroad trip to France. To this day, I have never felt so seen in a collection of essays about navigating life in another country with such sharp, tender wit. In The Land and Its People, Sedaris revisits those themes of travel, brotherhood, and friendship.
5. Land by Maggie O’Farrell. This highly anticipated historical fiction piece will transport you to Ireland in the years surrounding The Great Hunger, from the author of Hamnet.
6. Barbarian Days by William Finnegan. Much like skiing, surfing quickly turns into an all-consuming adventure. In this Pulitzer-winning memoir I come back to every summer, Finnegan shares stories of chasing waves around the world. Part travelogue, part coming-of-age-story, and part meditation on obsession in sport.
7. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. In a past life when I worked for a surf camp in Mexico, my favorite colleagues were all from Tofino. This slow-burn romance set on the Canadian coastline is the perfect summer beach read.
8. Saltwater by Katy Hayes. In this twisty, glamorous murder mystery filled with family secrets, the island of Capri is a character itself. Local Tahoe author Katy Hayes brings the same eye for atmosphere and intrigue that made The Cloisters a hit, making Capri’s sun-bleached cliffs and shadowy villas feel as vivid as anywhere in fiction this summer.
9. Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer. Italy, but make it chaotic. The Pulitzer-winning author of Less sends a young archivist to catalog a crumbling Tuscan villa for a 92-year-old baroness with one last love to track down. The other side of The Understory are library services, including archival work, so my inner cataloguer loves this premise.
10. Calypso by Oliver K. Langmead. This is going to be my personal challenge book for the summer, and it feels like good timing between the release of Spielberg’s Disclosure Day and the new Odyssey movie coming out in late July. Recommended by a friend who’s a sci-fi expert, this Hugo-nominated sci-fi novel is told entirely in verse, following a colony ship engineer who wakes from cryosleep to find her vessel transformed into a forest, ruled by the descendants of the crew.
I likely would not have become a pilot if I didn’t live in Truckee. Like many things we do in our natural mountainous setting — as you discover when backcountry skiing, biking, hiking, or exploring — flying a small, old airplane has some challenges.
When you take off in an old plane, there’s always some uncertainty. If you fly solo, which means alone, you have to solve problems on your own. What-ifs are part of the experience we choose to have.
I earned my private pilot certificate at Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK) in 1990, at age 42. In 1997 my husband Tom and I bought our first airplane, a 1946 Cessna 140,
a silver, two-seater, single-engine, tailwheel plane.
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: Tom and Laurel Lippert soar over Mount Rushmore during a feature flight that landed the husband-and-wife aviation team on a 2001 cover and inside article of a national aviation magazine. Image courtesy Laurel Lippert
Because my flight training happened here in Truckee, I learned the limitations of flying in an old airplane, taking off at 5,901 feet elevation and climbing another thousand feet, or more, to clear the surrounding mountains around us, which wasn’t always easy.
In July 2002, Tom, who became a pilot at age 54, and I decided to fly to Stowe, Vermont, where we had friends. We had also skied there when Tom had a photo assignment for SKI magazine.
The flight required many airport stops along the way (17 in total) for fuel, food, and overnight stays. Pilots are required to keep logbooks of every takeoff and landing, so I have the proof. There was, and are now, over 5,000 public use airports in the U.S.
If you hike or climb in the Sierra, you know the magnificent views from up there, near or on the peaks. Flying over our beautiful area in a small plane is like that, giving us an even greater appreciation for where we live and why.
On our way to Vermont we encountered weather issues such as wind, clouds, rain, or approaching storms that meant we needed to land and wait them out. At small, remote airports, with no indoor option, there often wasn’t a way to get into town, so we just sat outside. Inevitably, someone driving by would spot us and take us into town, or, sometimes, even to their own home. I remember once being driven to a lovely house on a beautiful nearby lake.
With every landing at some remote airport, through people’s kindness, it didn’t matter who they were, or what they believed, Tom and I felt they were our friends. Most people assumed that Tom was the pilot and I was the passenger. I never corrected them.
Reflecting on that trip to Vermont, and others, since moving to Truckee in 1977, I continue to be grateful to live in a community where people naturally connect with locals and strangers and love adventure.
I decided to become a flight instructor in 1998, at age 50; not to make money, but to become a better pilot. Also, as a freelance writer, published in skiing and travel magazines, I believed I could get more aviation writing assignments as a certified flight instructor.
For those of us who choose to take on challenges, it’s not unusual to say, “How am I going to do that?”
But I found a way and I did it, and as a CFI, I met Henry Levy, a pilot from Lodi who had a house in Northstar and an airplane hangared at KTRK. He asked me to fly him to Sun Valley, Idaho, in his Cessna 182, as he no longer had a medical certificate. I did that, and we became friends.
Henry later got divorced and moved to Truckee full-time. Tom and I enjoyed his company and high spirits, and Henry became a close friend. One day, he gifted Tom and me his Cessna 182 that he had bought brand-new in 1981.
The people whom Tom and I met over the years through flying remain special. With assignments from national flying magazines, Tom and I flew around the country, seeing beautiful places and meeting interesting folks.
I also interviewed pilots who were famous, including Arnold Palmer, Harrison Ford, Sarah Ferguson (the Dutchess of York), and Clint Eastwood. Like most who understand the risks of flying, these celebrities were humble and never bragged about being pilots. Just like we skiers know we shouldn’t brag about being “hot” as it can jinx our next run, the same goes for pilots.
I tell you this because many of us in Truckee have had experiences and adventures that we will never forget, and that affect who we are. In one of my ipilot.com articles, I wrote about being stuck in Newcastle, WY, due to a scary airplane issue. I closed the story, saying, “We know there are angels in the air. Stay open.”
Stay open. Share your stories while you can, and keep smiling.
