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Locals’ guide to Memorial Day in Tahoe: A light-hearted take on escaping the hustle and bustle

Autumn Whitney
awhitney@tahoedailytribune.com

Locals, brace yourselves — summer is coming. Beginning today, May 26, it’s time to hunker down for a few months. As Tahoe residents know (since we’ve all lived here 37 years), Memorial Day weekend marks the start of a hectic season in town. Tell your friends you’ll see them after Labor Day, and resort to communicating with them via the internet in the meantime.

Now that the lake level is once again in its prime all the yuppies will be out and about, leaving us curmudgeons to flee into the abyss. If you’re more of a socialite and want to get outside and enjoy the weather before June hits, here are the best ways to make the most of your Memorial Day weekend:



Beach it up

Pick your favorite secret beach (which may not have a lot of sand left due to the amount of water in Big Blue), grab a towel and settle in for the long haul. To avoid losing your spot, you should plan to be there all day.



Be sure to bring a cooler filled to the brim with your drink of choice, along with a good book to read, or at least a friend and Frisbee to pass the time and get a little tan going. You’re not going anywhere, so you might as well prep that summer bod.

Don’t drive

Unless you want to practice patience. Construction season is starting, and for some odd reason everyone driving on U.S. 50 thinks the 40 mph speed limit is actually 30 — these two things combined make for a mess on the road. Save yourself and start walking or biking everywhere. That trip to Carson City can — and will — be postponed.

Avoid landmarks

Emerald Bay, Camp Richardson, Stateline. You know the drill. These spots are crowded on your average Saturday, so don’t even let them cross your mind this weekend. Instead, opt for a backyard barbecue with your closest friends so you can complain (in a safe environment) about the visitors who don’t know what the heck they’re doing.

You know what else counts as a landmark? The grocery store. If you haven’t made the trip already, sorry: It’s too late for you. Your best hope is to wake up at the crack of dawn and get all the shopping in before the vacationers roll out of bed at 10 a.m. to stock up on PBR for the weekend.

Good luck.


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