Remember when you were a kid on Halloween, creeping around in the dark, getting scared by shadows, black cats and that old grumby guy who didn’t look very happy to see you come to the door? But of course you also remember, laughing and running arond the neighborhood for hours before dragging that enormous bag full of candy into your bedroom, and locking the door before dividing up your booty into piles of future bliss.
With it’s crisp fall evenings, and perhaps even a touch of snow on the ground, Tahoe is still the perfect place for a good old-fashioned Trick or Treating experience. If you are a local, you already know where to go, but if you’re a visitor, here’s a few tips: First off, it’s important to understand that many of our neighborhoods are composed primarily of second homes, and those homes do not contain folks waiting behind lit doors with piles full of candy. Instead, if your little goblins want to bring home massive amounts of the sweet stuff (that you can steal from while they are away at school the next day) then it’s important to go where the full-time residents live. In fact, at Tahoe a few choice neighborhoods have become prime trick-or-treat territory.
The leader of the pack in North Tahoe has been The Highlands (where North Tahoe High School and Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area are located). The Highlands homeowners go hog wild and dress their houses to attract the kids, and the kids do their part by shwoing up in droves. It’s a fun and busy place, that will soon enough leave their bags as heavy as a middle schoolers backpack.
A few other neighborhoods require a bit more work, but give a slightly less carnival, more old timey trick or treating atmosphere. I like the Fulton Acres/Old County Area, Tahoma is also popular with a nice small town feel, as is the Brassie Street area of Kings Beach near the Brockway Golf Course. The smaller kids might like downtown Tahoe City, where many of the businesses are ready to add to tooth decay.
Wherever you go. Be sure to give your children the true right of passage, which is the Trick or Treating experience. A bit of darkness and the hint of scaryness is part of the package, and the part the kids will remember most fondly.