Tahoe vs. the Conformists
1 / 5
We left Lassen Volcanic on Labor Day, even though we had originally planned to stay one more day. We felt like we had covered what we came to see, and Lake Tahoe was calling. Amazingly, on Labor Day weekend, we managed to snag a single night campsite at Fallen Leaf Campground at the last minute. On the drive, we stopped in Susanville, which felt completely deserted. No one walking the streets. Hardly any cars moving through town. Apparently Susanville takes Labor Day seriously. Lay low. Skip the labor.
Mural in Susanville
1 / 7
Thankfully, one restaurant on Main Street was open: Side Iron BBQ at the Pioneer. Inside, it was nearly empty with a quiet, old-time country feel. A few employees were holding down the fort, and we were grateful for them.
By late afternoon we arrived at Fallen Leaf Campground. At check-in, we were warned that a bear had broken into a car the week prior, so we were told to remove every scrap of food from vehicles. We did as instructed, though I wasn’t entirely convinced our small RV would be much more intimidating than a sedan if a bear really wanted in.
The next morning, we moved from our last-minute site to the one I had booked months earlier. Once settled in again, we declared it a down day. We grabbed lunch at Yugen Cuisine, then headed to the library to use the Wi-Fi and sort through photos. Most of the seating was taken, so we sat at a desk along the wall where a guy was already posted up, casually eating beside a clearly displayed "No Food" sign.
As soon as we sat down, he jumped up to leave. Danny told him there was no need to rush off, and he muttered something about not really doing conformists before making his exit. Between the rule-breaking snack and the dramatic departure to escape the "conformists," the whole thing felt peak Tahoe.
While we were inside, a major storm rolled through and knocked out the power. The staff ushered everyone out into sideways rain and dark skies. Outside, Danny spotted him again and offered a friendly, "Wow, what a crazy storm." He got the same side-eye and another silent retreat.
The conformist struck again.
Thankfully, the laundromat up the street still had power, so we finished the afternoon washing clothes while rain pounded outside. We ended the day with a dash through the downpour across the lot to Tahoe Bros Charbroiled Burgers for dinner.
By late afternoon we arrived at Fallen Leaf Campground. At check-in, we were warned that a bear had broken into a car the week prior, so we were told to remove every scrap of food from vehicles. We did as instructed, though I wasn’t entirely convinced our small RV would be much more intimidating than a sedan if a bear really wanted in.
The next morning, we moved from our last-minute site to the one I had booked months earlier. Once settled in again, we declared it a down day. We grabbed lunch at Yugen Cuisine, then headed to the library to use the Wi-Fi and sort through photos. Most of the seating was taken, so we sat at a desk along the wall where a guy was already posted up, casually eating beside a clearly displayed "No Food" sign.
As soon as we sat down, he jumped up to leave. Danny told him there was no need to rush off, and he muttered something about not really doing conformists before making his exit. Between the rule-breaking snack and the dramatic departure to escape the "conformists," the whole thing felt peak Tahoe.
While we were inside, a major storm rolled through and knocked out the power. The staff ushered everyone out into sideways rain and dark skies. Outside, Danny spotted him again and offered a friendly, "Wow, what a crazy storm." He got the same side-eye and another silent retreat.
The conformist struck again.
Thankfully, the laundromat up the street still had power, so we finished the afternoon washing clothes while rain pounded outside. We ended the day with a dash through the downpour across the lot to Tahoe Bros Charbroiled Burgers for dinner.