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Frequent Coverage for PR clients
I n p r i n t • O n l i n e • O n t h e a i r
I n p r i n t • O n l i n e • O n t h e a i r
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Trails & Vistas interview with Beth Ruyak
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In addition, I write about people, travel, historic nuggets. 100+ published articles from lifestyle including restaurant spotlights and place-based features to innovation blurbs and interviews with entrepreneurs for trade publications |
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Tahoe's Top 12
Marin Magazine 
A decade after moving west from New York City, I heard the perfect phrase to describe Lake Tahoe: Alpine Caribbean. Read more.
A taste of Ts
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An indulgent foodie's challenge
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January 2012 - The Spitzer family cabin in Olympic Valley, CA was a cherished winter weekend getaway and summer retreat built on the end of Washoe Drive in 1956. The cedar beams, siding, doors and even dining room table were sourced from a pencil factory in Berkeley. A few pieces of the original cabin remain and will, no doubt, be put to use in a new home featuring the same phenomenal views that captivated Norm and Jean 60 years ago . . .
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December 2011 - When you turn off of Highway 267 onto Old Schaffer Mill Road you’ll head straight to the site where George Schaffer built a sawmill in 1871. Today the area boasts a lifestyle and vision that sets the stage for lasting family memories and provides easy access to Truckee-Tahoe’s bounty of outdoor adventures...read more
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October 2011 - Experience modern day Truckee with a twist during the 2011 Historical Haunted Walking Tour. Brainchild of Christina Stoever-Young, the walking tour offers a combination of titillating facts and spooky legends. Stoever-Young brought together the Truckee Donner Historical Society led by Chelsea Walterschield, a Truckee native and history buff, and Nancy Tieken Lopez, founder of Trails and Vistas. The match, according to Stoever-Young, is one made in heaven...read more
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Donner Ski Ranch
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Ta Hoe Nalu, The Weekly, Summer 2011
 Photo: Ryan Salm, www.ryansalmphotography.com
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Most mornings there is barely a ripple visible on the surface. Stand up, glide, take in the mountain backdrop with its’ peaks and valleys...Four years ago, Marcus Tingle stood on the shore of Lake Tahoe and realized the “Alpine Caribbean” offers idyllic conditions for flat-water paddling. He said to himself, “SUP’s going to go nuts up here.” Today his shop in Kings Beach, Adrift Tahoe, celebrates the Polynesian spirit with stand up paddleboard rentals, sales and special events. It’s one of the few dedicated SUP venues that offers a welcoming surf shop feel just steps from the lake and Adrift Tahoe’s recently launched Thursday race series offers a fun way to sample racing and the growing SUP community. . . more
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Lodge to Lodge Paddle, The Weekly, Early summer 2011
Any guided excursion can be an adventure. Add an exceptional guide, amazing scenery, great meals and you’ve got the material for lasting memories.... more
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On the Truckee with the river ninjas
18 miles on nature’s roller coaster
The Weekly, June 2011
They call themselves IRIE. It’s an abbreviation for Isolated Rivers, Incredible Experiences, and they know how to run a river. It’s that simple. The experienced guides are whitewater fanatics who frequently raft together even when they’re not maneuvering through class III, IV and V rapids throughout California. And, here’s something to know - they guide trips on the Truckee River. After spending June 17 with IRIE, I challenge you to find a better way to spend a summer day in the region. With the record breaking 2010/2011 winter snow levels, the Truckee River is running strong. In mid-June it was running about 3,000 cubic feet per second and, at the time of writing, it has quieted to 2,000 cfs (much more than the average 600 summer flow). Get out this week and you’re likely to paddle through class III, III+ and IV rapids from Boca to Verdi. With IRIE, the full day trip on the Truckee River is exhilarating, fun and educational and it will be offered through the end of July (longer if the flow stays above 1,200). This is “pretty unprecedented” according to Steve DeOreo, a long time IRIE friend and their new office manager. Andrew Baldock, a Reno-native, started guiding rafting trips three years ago. Like all the guides, his passion for going down the Truckee River is contagious. His blond hair flows a few inches below his helmet, he’s got a big smile, and adeptly calls out paddle directions from the rear right side of the raft. I was one of six people in his raft and, within our first couple of minutes on the water, it became obvious that I was perfectly positioned in the front of the boat across from Andrew to get sprayed, sometimes pounded, with refreshing cold bursts.
Back to the beginning: There is a fifteen-minute scenic drive from IRIE’s office at The Rock in Truckee to the put-in at Boca. Another guide, Erik Anderson, has been with IRIE for six years and after outfitting the group with spray shirts and paddles at Boca, he gave us a quick safety talk emphasizing the importance of staying in the raft, paddling and staying calm (especially, if you fall out). He encouraged everyone by saying, “If you think you can’t, believe you can.” One reason Erik guides for IRIE is his “great boss,” owner Frank Wohlfhart. Frank explains two of the company’s distinguishing traits, “We believe in coexisting with the natural surroundings and we stress the importance of interpersonal relationships.” It’s easy to see why the team including Andrew, Erik, Steve, Ana Mestre, Matt Turner and others love their jobs. It’s also the thrill of rafting that keeps them guiding. Erik explains, “It is still exciting, that’s why I do it!”
The trip is perfectly planned to get comfortable with paddling on class II rapids. Then the excitement factor picks up. About two hours into the trip, you’ll go through Jaws and Bronco before pulling over for a sandwich buffet. A short uphill hike and few steps over the railroad tracks culminates in a flat, secluded grassy park. As you take off wet gear and find a sunny or shady place to relax, the guides spread out a magnificent deli-style lunch. Munch on seasonal berries and fruit, dip chips in salsa and make a sandwich with all the fixings to enjoy on a well-manicured lawn in Floriston.
After lunch, get ready for adventure. There is the Fleish Diversion Dam, “Head Hunter,” that requires you to get low and pray to the river gods that you and everyone in your boat has enough headroom to get under the suspension bridge before the drop. This, like the next two diversion dams with “Warning: danger ahead” signs, is not a place to get tossed from the raft. When we rounded Dead Man’s Curve, I surprised myself by popping out. In a moment, one hand was around my right ankle, another rafter grasped my hands and I was back in the boat. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I loved the combination of relaxing moments watching ducks and birds, checking out the shoreline, homes, power stations and, even, at times hearing the hum from Highway 80 mixed with energetic paddling and the thrill of going through the rapids.
When you take out at Crystal Peak Park in Verdi, put on dry clothes and sip a cold drink before boarding the van back to Truckee. Any excursion with IRIE is going to be a blast! It is that simple. My recommendation is to get on the Truckee while it’s still roaring. If you’re like most and don’t have easy access to your own raft, this trip offers an opportunity to experience the 18 miles from Boca to Crystal Peak Park in a new way – and I’ll guarantee, your next drive east will be so much more fun because of your new perspective from a day rafting the Truckee River. Check out photographs and mile-by-mile information researched and written by IRIE guides at http://cacreeks.com/truckee.htm.
18 miles on nature’s roller coaster
The Weekly, June 2011
They call themselves IRIE. It’s an abbreviation for Isolated Rivers, Incredible Experiences, and they know how to run a river. It’s that simple. The experienced guides are whitewater fanatics who frequently raft together even when they’re not maneuvering through class III, IV and V rapids throughout California. And, here’s something to know - they guide trips on the Truckee River. After spending June 17 with IRIE, I challenge you to find a better way to spend a summer day in the region. With the record breaking 2010/2011 winter snow levels, the Truckee River is running strong. In mid-June it was running about 3,000 cubic feet per second and, at the time of writing, it has quieted to 2,000 cfs (much more than the average 600 summer flow). Get out this week and you’re likely to paddle through class III, III+ and IV rapids from Boca to Verdi. With IRIE, the full day trip on the Truckee River is exhilarating, fun and educational and it will be offered through the end of July (longer if the flow stays above 1,200). This is “pretty unprecedented” according to Steve DeOreo, a long time IRIE friend and their new office manager. Andrew Baldock, a Reno-native, started guiding rafting trips three years ago. Like all the guides, his passion for going down the Truckee River is contagious. His blond hair flows a few inches below his helmet, he’s got a big smile, and adeptly calls out paddle directions from the rear right side of the raft. I was one of six people in his raft and, within our first couple of minutes on the water, it became obvious that I was perfectly positioned in the front of the boat across from Andrew to get sprayed, sometimes pounded, with refreshing cold bursts.
Back to the beginning: There is a fifteen-minute scenic drive from IRIE’s office at The Rock in Truckee to the put-in at Boca. Another guide, Erik Anderson, has been with IRIE for six years and after outfitting the group with spray shirts and paddles at Boca, he gave us a quick safety talk emphasizing the importance of staying in the raft, paddling and staying calm (especially, if you fall out). He encouraged everyone by saying, “If you think you can’t, believe you can.” One reason Erik guides for IRIE is his “great boss,” owner Frank Wohlfhart. Frank explains two of the company’s distinguishing traits, “We believe in coexisting with the natural surroundings and we stress the importance of interpersonal relationships.” It’s easy to see why the team including Andrew, Erik, Steve, Ana Mestre, Matt Turner and others love their jobs. It’s also the thrill of rafting that keeps them guiding. Erik explains, “It is still exciting, that’s why I do it!”
The trip is perfectly planned to get comfortable with paddling on class II rapids. Then the excitement factor picks up. About two hours into the trip, you’ll go through Jaws and Bronco before pulling over for a sandwich buffet. A short uphill hike and few steps over the railroad tracks culminates in a flat, secluded grassy park. As you take off wet gear and find a sunny or shady place to relax, the guides spread out a magnificent deli-style lunch. Munch on seasonal berries and fruit, dip chips in salsa and make a sandwich with all the fixings to enjoy on a well-manicured lawn in Floriston.
After lunch, get ready for adventure. There is the Fleish Diversion Dam, “Head Hunter,” that requires you to get low and pray to the river gods that you and everyone in your boat has enough headroom to get under the suspension bridge before the drop. This, like the next two diversion dams with “Warning: danger ahead” signs, is not a place to get tossed from the raft. When we rounded Dead Man’s Curve, I surprised myself by popping out. In a moment, one hand was around my right ankle, another rafter grasped my hands and I was back in the boat. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I loved the combination of relaxing moments watching ducks and birds, checking out the shoreline, homes, power stations and, even, at times hearing the hum from Highway 80 mixed with energetic paddling and the thrill of going through the rapids.
When you take out at Crystal Peak Park in Verdi, put on dry clothes and sip a cold drink before boarding the van back to Truckee. Any excursion with IRIE is going to be a blast! It is that simple. My recommendation is to get on the Truckee while it’s still roaring. If you’re like most and don’t have easy access to your own raft, this trip offers an opportunity to experience the 18 miles from Boca to Crystal Peak Park in a new way – and I’ll guarantee, your next drive east will be so much more fun because of your new perspective from a day rafting the Truckee River. Check out photographs and mile-by-mile information researched and written by IRIE guides at http://cacreeks.com/truckee.htm.