5 Things to Love in Tahoe City, California

Tahoe City culture thrives with festivals, live performances, cinema, and down-to-earth dining. 

Lake Tahoe's lively North Shore burg already wins kudos for the deep forests and snowy slopes nearby. Now it has morphed into a hub for adventure and art as well. 

1. Test snow bikes, snowshoes, and skis at the largest demo of winter mountain sports gear in the West, the Alpenglow Mountain Festival, typically in late February. Join international guides in the back-country as they impart the nuances of Sierra terrain, or hike to a catered dinner. 

2. The recently renovated Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema serves up indie movies, action sports films, and major releases along with snacks from the popcorn spice bar. The venue also features guest lectures, sponsors pub crawls, and hosts performances organized by the Lake Tahoe Dance Collective.

3. Bring the family out to Tahoe City Winter Sports Park to slide, cycle, and run at the Pole, Pedal, and Pound triathlon.

4. Lakeside Moe's Original Bar.B.Que pairs extra thick, smoky St. Louis-style ribs with jalapeno-and-onion corn bread grilled briefly in butter. Other proteins worth trying: Southern-fried catfish and smoked tofu. 

5. Amid the small renaissance of hole-in-the-wall coffeehouses and snack shops in Tahoe City comes a darling place called Sugar Pine Cakery. Pastry queen Allison Sayles bakes organic treats using ingredients from local farmers' market vendors. Her salted caramel brownies, lavender tea cookies, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are to die for.