Basque Adventure Challenge
Expiration: 365 days after purchase
Emigrating first for gold and then for sheepherding, Nevada’s Basque communities have played a vital role in shaping the Silver State’s culture and personality. Experience this rich heritage with the Basque Adventure Challenge, showcasing everything from family-style feasts and vibrant festivals to historic landmarks.
Download the free Basque Adventure Challenge and digitally check in at nearly two dozen Basque restaurants, events, and cultural institutions. Once you check in to a minimum of three locations, you’ll be entered to win:
• Grand Prize: Two-night stay in Elko, Nevada, including lodging, a gift card for dinner, and a gas gift card to help get you there
• Second Place Prizes: One of several gift cards to our favorite Basque restaurants
• Third Place Prizes: An exclusive Travel Nevada swag bag (valued at $50)
The Basque Adventure Challenge ends July 31, 2024, so go on and get a little out there into Nevada’s Basque Country!
Included Venues
See locations on an interactive map.
Nevada’s rich Basque history comes alive in a rich, delicious experience at A Different Beast. This locally owned restaurant is one of the few Spanish restaurants in Las Vegas that focuses on Basque and Catalan cuisine, recreating the delightful pintxos (small, savory snacks) from both of those cultures.
Ely is home to dozens of vibrant murals located throughout town, including this iconic piece. Father-and-son duo Don and Jared Gray painted this piece that depicts the role Basque sheepherders played in developing the region.
Housed in what was once the historic Douglas County High School, the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center features an impressive array of local and state history. See what life would have been like for a Basque sheepherder working in the nearby Pine Nut Mountains, and see his story told through Basque arborglyphs.
Scope out exhibits on the area’s Basque, Chinese, and American Indian cultural history, plus specimens like a complete wooly mammoth skeleton and fossils from a new ichthyosaur species found in the nearby Black Rock Desert.
Voted Best Basque Restaurant in Carson Valley for more than a decade running, this Gardnerville eatery serves up family-style lunches and dinners. The menu highlights dishes such as rich lamb steaks, sirloin cuts, Basque chicken, a variety of sides, and Nevada’s famous Picon Punch.
Louis’ Basque Corner has been serving up family-style favorites since 1967. Head inside to enjoy the full Basque experience, including soup of the day, bread, beans, salad, fries, entrée, and a glass of house wine. Try their signature Picon Punch!
Titled “Solitude/Bakardade,” the 23-foot-tall bronze sculpture is the work of Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea. Look closely at the abstract artwork to see a shepherd carrying a lamb over his shoulder under a full moon.
Entering this 20,000-square-foot museum is like walking into the history of everything that’s ever gone down in the Silver State. Feast your eyes on mining, ranching, and Basque culture exhibits, an entire Pony Express cabin, and a massive taxidermy installation.
Bring a big appetite to Ogi Deli, which serves everything from wraps and salads to breakfast and dessert. Favorites include chorizo and jamón sandwiches, the Osasuna vegan wrap, and Basque cheesecake. At the bar, feast on a variety of pintxos (snack-sized bites) and authentic beverages like imported Sagardoa (a dry Basque cider) and Patxaran, a sweet liqueur.
Anything you order at Racks will be delicious, but our advice? Choose the chorizo sandwich, made with their house-special recipe and topped with roasted red peppers and secret sauce on a pretzel roll. If the chorizo can’t tempt you, take your pick of steak burgers, flatbreads, homemade bread pudding, and in-house specials.
Opened in 1913, The Martin Hotel got its start serving the Basque sheepherders working in the mountain ranges surrounding Winnemucca. Boarding rooms are no longer available, but the hearty menu continues to satisfy. Specialties include ribeye steaks smothered in garlic, solomo—boneless pork loin simmered with garlic and pimentos—and liver and onions. All dinners are served in family-style tradition, and don’t forget their famous Picon Punch!
Glowing neon beckons locals, travelers, and old sheepherders alike off the highway and into this iconic Nevada institution for garlic-loaded entrées, stiff drinks, and new friends amid an old-world atmosphere. Dig into Basque-style lunches and dinners—ranging from lamb chops and spicy grilled haddock to famous steaks and rock lobster tails—with all the family-style fixings. The Star pours a must-try Picon Punch, too.
The Statue of the Basque Sheepherder at the University of Nevada, Reno is a powerful symbol commemorating the Basque community's heritage and contributions to the region. Built in 1998, the statue depicts a shepherd accompanied by his loyal dog and sheep, symbolizing the Basque tradition of sheepherding that played a significant role in Nevada's history.
Beloved by locals and travelers alike, Toki Ona dishes up breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the heart of Elko. By day, enjoy filling omelets and sandwiches featuring chorizo, lomo (pork tenderloin), or crab. Dinner options range from steak and lamb to fish and seafood, and all entrées come with soup, salad, green beans, spaghetti, rice, and a choice of potato. Belly up to the bar for Picon Punches and kalimotxos.
You can’t go wrong with anything you order at Villa Basque Café, but the real showstoppers are the specialty Basque dishes. Try homemade chorizo in omelets, burritos, and burgers, or dig into roasted lamb and paella.