My family and I are excited to watch the Truckee 4th of July community parade this Monday at 10 am starting at the corner of 89 south and Donner Pass road and winding through historic downtown Truckee and finishing at the corner of Bridge and Church street.

Start your morning with the classic pancake breakfast at the local fire station on Donner Pass Rd next to Wild Cherries.  My family is going to participate in the Firecracker Mile for our 3rd straight year.  I am very excited as my 3 year old will actually be able to run a little instead of riding on my shoulders.  This has become an annual tradition and is a great way to get the kids excited about exercise as the entire parade route is cheering them on the entire way.  Here is a link to register for the run and the first wave starts at 9:45: Firecracker Mile  We will then grab a seat downtown near the Bar of America and enjoy the fun and excitement with friends and family.

To round out the day we will head up to the summit of Donner Pass off the Old 40 highway and take in the Donner Lake fireworks perched atop a big granite boulder.  The show is stunning over Donner Lake starting at 9:30 pm and I highly recommend going to West End Beach to enjoy a full day of fun.  With two young children I find the alternative up on the summit is good with less crowds and noise.  It is also very easy to leave after the show with no traffic, and it’s pretty spectacular to watch the show high in the Alpine.