Alison O. Bender

TQ’s Best of Tahoe 2011 issue is on stands! Inside, it features Martis Camp, near Northstar-at-Tahoe, as the area’s best new development. We got to tour the community and it really is incredible—amenities include the Camp Lodge, Family Barn and, my favorite, the Lost Library, which is stocked with almost 1,000 books, plus an espresso machine and tins of M&Ms. I wrote several big stories for the issue, including a feature on the various architects and architectural styles—a range from Old Tahoe to mountain modern—found at Martis Camp, and a piece titled “Best Western” that covers the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction that will be held at Reno’s Silver Legacy this July.

I’ve edited this custom publication for the past three years, the latest of which came out in early May in advance of the Memorial Day Weekend show. The magazine was sent to a couple thousand people who own or owned homes around the Truckee and North Lake Tahoe region, and includes stories about current architectural trends towards smaller homes, area communities, innovative ice melt technology for roofing and easy, affordable green building practices. I love writing about home design and building, so it was fun for me to work with area professionals to learn more about what’s happening regionally in the home industry.