Life Wide Open – what does that mean? To me, it embodies everything that is Gray’s Crossing. An open sunny environment that is set on 700 acres of secluded forest, filled with Lodge Pole and Jeffrey Pine trees. With over 418 acres of dedicated open space, there is plenty of elbowroom to enjoy all that nature has to offer. As the former Head Golf Professional, I have spent a lot of time in the Gray’s community and I can attest that it is truly a magical place to be.
The Jacobsen/Hardy-designed golf course and the community, seem as if they were dropped down from the sky to preserve the natural setting as much as possible. The golf course earned Audubon International’s Gold Certified Signature Sanctuary recognition for its environmentally sound practices.
Gray’s is located in what the locals refer to as the “banana belt.” Don’t worry. There is plenty of snow for the kid’s to build snowmen and have a snowball fight. In Truckee, we receive a whopping average of 205 inches of snow annually! Located just to the east and north of downtown Truckee by a ¼ mile, there is much less snow to deal with and the springtime activities kick off a little earlier than the shadier communities around town that tend to hold snow longer.
I believe the non-gated feel of Gray’s Crossing is one of its greatest attributes. It makes the community feel welcoming as well as vibrant. Gray’s welcomes the public in to enjoy one of my favorite summertime restaurants – PJ’s Bar & Grill. It is an open-air dining facility with a beautiful dining terrace that looks down the 18th golf hole with the Carson Range in the backdrop. There is an outdoor fire pit and the mountains light up in Alpenglow at dusk as kids run and play on the event lawn. When the temperature cools, the soft seating fills up around the fire pit and funny, crazy stories loft in the air as if you were in the middle of the woods on a camping trip. Did I also mention that it is one of the coolest places to catch a sports game? The rolled-steel bar top makes you want to come in on a beautiful summer day and cozy up to a cold one while the breeze cools you off.
Gray’s truly has all of the great components of a Truckee mountain community wrapped into one. There are incredible mountain views in a rolling meadow setting with plenty of sunshine, trees and dedicated open space. Just like the Concert In the Park and Truckee Thursday’s, when Gray’s gains traction it will grow and prosper into one of the most desirable communities in town for locals and second home- owners alike.
By guest author, Shane Jones of Tahoe Mountain Resorts Real Estate
