Toothbrush - Travel toothbrush

Sunset - Sweets: chocolate nostalgia

Artisan chocolate is all the rage, but this Halloween, go for a good old-fashioned candy bar instead. The West has a rich heritage of locally made candy, from marshmallow-filled Idaho Spuds to Los Angeles' famous Cup-O-Gold. Thanks to websites like www.hometownfavorites.com, they're more available than ever--just in time for you to fill up on the treats you loved as a kid.

THE BAR                THE TASTE               THE BACKSTORY

The Idaho Spud Bar     A cocoa-flavored,       Idaho Spud has been made
Idaho Candy Company    chocolate- and          since about 1915; it
www.idahospud.com or   coconut-covered         outsells the family-
800/898-6986; sold in  marshmallow, shaped     owned Boise company's
10 states and online   like half a potato.     other bars.
                       Nostalgic customers
                       still miss the old
                       full-potato shape,
                       changed in the late
                       1960s.
Rocky Road             A big, fluffy           Rocky Road is the
Annabelle Candy Co.    marshmallow rectangle   flagship bar of the
www.annabelle-candy.   covered in crushed      Hayward, California-
com; sold online at    cashews and milk        based company, which was
www.hometown           chocolate.              named after the founder's
favorites.com                                  daughter.
Cup-O-Gold             A chocolate cup         L.A.'s own Cup-O-Gold
Adams-Brooks           flecked with almonds    was once the best-
213/749-3226 or        and coconut with a      selling candy bar in the
www.adams-brooks.com   creamy vanilla center.  West. The company still
                                               gets letters about how
                                               much it reminds people of
                                               their childhoods.
Big Hunk               A flat, chewy slab of   The company added Big
Annabelle Candy Co.    melt-in-your-mouth      Hunk to its line in the
www.annabelle-candy.   nougat studded with     1970s. In the '90s, the
com; sold online at    roasted peanuts.        bar made a cameo
www.hometown                                   appearance on Seinfeld.
favorites.com
The Mountain Bar       A hill-shaped mound of  First produced by the
Brown & Haley          cocoa and ground        Washington-based company
www.brownandhaley.com  peanuts with a creamy   in 1919, it was called
or 800/445-9020; sold  vanilla core.           the Mt. Tacoma Bar until
in 11 Western states                           1923.
and online

THE BAR                WHO KNEW?

The Idaho Spud Bar     The company president
Idaho Candy Company    and his dentist wife
www.idahospud.com or   let trick-or-treaters
800/898-6986; sold in  choose: Idaho Spud or
10 states and online   a toothbrush? The
                       chocolate usually
                       wins, but barely.
Rocky Road             Even though more than
Annabelle Candy Co.    10 million Rocky Road
www.annabelle-candy.   bars roll off the
com; sold online at    production line each
www.hometown           year, the marshmallow
favorites.com          is still spread by hand,
                       just like it was in 1950.
Cup-O-Gold             Company legend has it
Adams-Brooks           that the bar was named
213/749-3226 or        for the exotic Western
www.adams-brooks.com   flower copa de oro.
Big Hunk               Aficionados pop a Big
Annabelle Candy Co.    Hunk in the microwave
www.annabelle-candy.   for a few seconds to
com; sold online at    let it get all warm
www.hometown           and gooey, as if
favorites.com          they'd left it sitting
                       in the sun.
The Mountain Bar       In its first few years
Brown & Haley          of production, the bar
www.brownandhaley.com  was packed in a box
or 800/445-9020; sold  hand-painted with the
in 11 Western states   mountain's silhouette.
and online