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Resonance’s annual ranking considers factors such as a city’s diversity, variety of cultural attractions, outdoor activities, and nightlife to give a comprehensive view of what it’s like to visit and live in these places.

As tourism to reservations and Native-run destinations increases, tribes are developing distinctive experiences.

The owner of the iconic ceramic brand shares her favorite places to eat, stay, and explore in Northern California.

Overview

The clean cracks and faces of Donner Summit, west of Truckee off Old Highway 40, offer 400 different climbing routes for all levels. Whether you opt for bouldering or multi-pitch crack climbing, you’ll be following in the footsteps of giants—many of the legendary climbers of the 1970s and ’80s, like Warren Harding and Royal Robbins, used this pristine granite as their playground. Accessing the routes is easy since you can drive right up to the rock face and start climbing a few feet from the pavement. If it’s your first time, however, sign up for a class with the pros at Alpine Skills International.

This café tucked inside the 1873 Truckee Hotel is Tahoe’s version of a chic evening in Paris. The Moulin Rouge–style supper club offers live jazz three nights a week, and the musicians are top-notch. Tune in while you sip a craft cocktail and you may find yourself wondering how you suddenly wound up in France. To pair with your drinks, Moody’s has assembled a menu of fan favorites, from tomato soup with a crusty crouton topping to truffle deviled eggs and homemade pasta. On sunny summer days, the outdoor patio is the place to be.

Epicures vie for a table at Restaurant Trokay, where chef-owners John and Nyna Weatherson dream up prix-fixe menus with imaginative ingredients and artful flavor combinations. The dining room’s green walls and contemporary design create an inviting space to relax and focus on the food, which is designed to amaze—roasted parsnip bisque, ash-cured trout, porcini mushroom borscht. Best of all, the beautifully plated dishes are served without a hint of attitude; even new customers are treated like family. If you wish you could cook with similar skill, sign up for one of the in-house classes, which cover topics like knife skills, roasted meats, cheese, basic kitchen techniques, and more.

Every Californian knows the story of the Donner Party, the ill-fated emigrants who took what they thought was a shortcut while making their way westward from Illinois in 1846. Caught in a series of early-season snowstorms near Donner Pass, the wagon train was forced to make camp and find a way to survive the brutal winter. Several members died, and some of the survivors ate their deceased companions to keep from starving to death. This epic tragedy is remembered at the Emigrant Trail Museum, located near the shores of beautiful Donner Lake. Exhibits here detail the difficulties faced by emigrants heading west across the Sierra, the construction of the railroad by Chinese workers, and the daily life of the Washoe tribe, in addition to tales of individual members of the Donner Party. You can also visit the Murphy family’s cabin, where 16 Donner Party members waited out the arduous winter.

One of the most spectacular views in the central high Sierra (about one hour’s drive north of Truckee, CA) is surprisingly accessible. This wasn’t always the case. The first time I saw these lakes--near to far, Young America, Upper Sardine, Lower Sardine--I was 8 or 9 years old, and the climb to the lookout station at the top of the Sierra Buttes (8,591 ft. above sea level) took about 4 hours. Now you can drive up a paved logging road and walk to this spot in 45 minutes to an hour, with just three or four mildly steep ascents on a beautifully maintained trail. From Highway 49 (up from Sierra City or down from the Yuba Pass), turn north onto the Gold Lake Road; about 1/4 mile up the road, turn left onto the Sardine Lake/Packer Lake Road, and stay right onto the Packer Lake Road for about 3.5 miles. At Packer Lake, take the fork left on the road uphill to Packer Saddle on the Pacific Crest trail. At the top of the ridge, turn left and drive to the end of the road. You’ll find the trailhead at the end of the gravel parking lot. About 4o minutes up the trail to the Buttes lookout, you’ll walk through an amazing forest of giant boulders; keep an eye out to your left for the path out to this overlook. You’ll have a hard time pulling yourself away. But continue to the unmanned ranger station for an unmatched 360-degree panorama. For more about the trail: http://bit.ly/HKhsjw