A Traveler’s Fast Favorites

We made a quick rundown of 17 Western states’ winning hands, and rounded up your best bets for food and history.

For the full treatment of our exhaustive tour through the West’s best historic attractions, as suggested by historians in each state, turn to our April-May print edition. If you’re looking for the quick highlights, try this list of some top attractions you won’t want to miss.

Best Historic Lodging:
Arizona: El Tovar Hotel, South Rim of the Grand Canyon
California: Del Monte Hotel, San Diego
Colorado: The Baldpate Inn, Estes Park
Idaho: Governor’s House Bed and Breakfast, Shoshone
Kansas: Grand Central Hotel, Cottonwood Falls
Montana: Grand Union Hotel, Fort Benton
Nebraska: Officer’s Quarters, State Robinson State Park, Crawford
Nevada: Old Pioneer Garden Bed and Breakfast, Unionville
New Mexico: LaFonda Hotel, Santa Fe
North Dakota: Fort Totten Inn, Fort Totten State Park, Devils Lake
Oklahoma: Victorian Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast, Guthrie
Oregon: Wolf Creek Tavern (aka Wolf Creek Inn), Wolf Creek
South Dakota: State Game Lodge, President Calvin Coolidge’s summer White House 1927, Custer State Park
Texas: The Menger Hotel, San Antonio
Utah: The Temple House, Manti
Washington: Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle
Wyoming: The Virginia Hotel, Medicine Bow

Best Museums:
Arizona: The Bison Museum, Scottsdale
California: California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento
Colorado: Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Idaho: Bicentennial Museum, Grangeville
Kansas: William Allen White House, Emporia
Montana: Montana Historical Society, Helena
Nebraska: Museum of the Fur Trade, Chadron
Nevada: Nevada State Museum, Carson City
New Mexico: Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe
North Dakota: North Dakota Heritage Center, Bismarck
Oklahoma: National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City
Oregon: Linn County Historical Museum, Brownsville
South Dakota: South Dakota Heritage Center, Pierre
Texas: Texas State History Museum, Austin
Utah: Helper Railroad and Mining Museum
Washington: Washington State History Museum, Tacoma
Wyoming: Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody

Best Resaraunts:
Arizona: Prescott
California: Sacramento
Colorado: La Chaumiere near Boulder
Idaho: Sandpoint
Kansas: Grand Central Hotel, Cottonwood Falls
Montana: Elk Country Inn at Choteau for dinner; Owl Café in Laurel for lunch
Nebraska: Omaha
Nevada: Rapscallion Seafood House and Bar, Reno
New Mexico: Santa Fe in general, Pasquals for lunch
North Dakota: Marmath; Best Lunch: Country House Deli, Bismarck
Oklahoma: Echota House, Tahlequah; Rudy’s Barbecue in Norman for lunch
Oregon: Mo’s Restaurant, Newport
South Dakota: Deadwood Social Club and Deadwood Thymes Cafe, Deadwood
Texas: Houston
Utah: Salt Lake City; Ray’s Tavern, Green River
Washington: Long Beach
Wyoming: Hudson

Best Food:
Arizona: Fried Rattlesnake at Rustler’s Roost in Phoenix
California: Napa Valley Wine and Central Valley produce
Colorado: Rocky Ford Cantalope
Idaho: Potatoes
Kansas: Beef
Montana: Butte pasties (Cornish meat pies)
Nebraska: Runza sandwiches
Nevada: Basque food at Louis’ Baque Corner or the Santa Fe Hotel in Reno and Ormachea’s in Winnemucca.
New Mexico: Red and green chile
North Dakota: German-Russian and Norwegian food; Rummegrot (sweet porridge) at Sunne Farm on Fort Ransom State Park
Oklahoma: Catfish and barbecue
Oregon: Dungenous crab
South Dakota: Kuchen, the official state dessert, a German pastry.
Texas: Fredericksburg peaches and Blue Bell ice cream.
Utah: Honey; Green River watermelons, Brigham City Peaches
Washington: Smoked Salmon
Wyoming: Indian fry bread with chokecherry sauce on the Wind River Reservation

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