Truckee is a mountain town, so the stores you see here are mostly locally owned boutiques and unique gift stores. If you want to shop chain stores, Reno is 30 minutes down the hill.
There are two “shopping districts” in the area, where I would go shopping or take a friend visiting from out of town:
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TRUCKEE SHOPPING
Historic Downtown Truckee runs along Donner Pass Road parallel to I-80 and the rail road tracks. Here you will find stores like Gratitudes Gifts & Home Decor, Truckee Variety Store, The White Buffalo and many more.
A new store that is about to open up in across the rail road tracks from here called, Dorinda’s Chocolate Cafe. Set to open in July 2011, Dorinda makes the most amazing chocolate covered cherries that I have ever tasted and other amazing chocolate treats (such as salted caramel). Make sure you stop in and sample some of her chocolates, which are also sold on the Internet and shipped all over the world. How luck are we to have her in town!
Dorinda’s Chocolate Café
10009 West River St. Suite B
Truckee CA 96161
530 562 4415
SQUAW VALLEY VILLAGE
Another area that is really fun to walk around is the village in Squaw Valley, especially if there is a festival or live music there. Parking is easy and you walk among the local shops and restaurants in the shadows of those amazing mountains, so famous for skiing. It is one of my favorite day trips where I feel like I am on a vacation from Truckee.
While you are here, make sure you stop into Lather and Fizz. This amazing bath and body boutique sells homemade soaps and lotions, many of which have a following, bedhead pajamas, which are an Oprah’s favorite and are always worn by various stars in movies and on TV shows, great kids bath products and toys and all the things that make great, unique gift baskets for brides, birthdays, men (yes, there are manly products here too) and women.
I love how my house smells when I bring home one of their bath bombs. I use their Liquid Underware Silky Powder as lotion (it is lotion, not underwear). My kids love their bath bombs that contain a prize inside. And we have many pairs of bedhead pajamas.
There are some famous people who use both their claytime complexion soap and after workout soap and you hear of them ordering the products.
Take my word for it and stop in. You will probably then become a regular customer online. I send gifts from www.LatherandFizz.com all the time.
