Good morning.

Please note: California Today will pause for the Christmas holiday and be back on Tuesday.

Californians by the droves are escaping to the winter playground of Lake Tahoe for the holiday weekend.

Roughly three million people visit the resort area each year. Almost by default, many will reach for their car keys and tire chains, hoping for the best in a battle against traffic and potentially icy roads.

But there’s another way up the mountain. Amtrak’s California Zephyr operates daily from the Bay Area to Truckee, an old railway town within a short distance of a half-dozen or so Tahoe ski resorts.