Why not try the Pacific Northwest, the Cascades are simply amazing...

As for arms, I may go heavier than a .357 Magnum. 180 Grains is minimum for Large Animals, I would in all honesty go for a Glock 21 .45 or better yet a Mossburg 12-gauge with slugs for bears...

IMO the best would be a Marlin .45-70 Guide Gun... If its good enough to drop Grizzlies in Alaska in a single shot, itll handle everything else just fine...