• Friendliest
• Most Beautiful
• Most Patriotic
• Most Fun
• And, Best Food

You can follow our month-long journey by visiting Mike’s Road Trip, Twitter, or Facebook.  Go TEAM “ROAD BROS.”

Here is the kind mention (by “Granted”) that was made in the “comments” section:

Surprised Hotel Haiku was left off this list. http://hotelhaiku.com – it’s a unique approach to this idea of sharing cool places to stay. Not terribly useful, but very inspiring.

I would add Darn Good Digs to this list too http://www.darngooddigs.com – it’s not as slick as some of these others but this is how I find great places to stay when I travel far from home and the recommendations are solid.

Close to home use Northwest TripFinder http://nwtripfinder.com where recommendations on unique places to stay are rounded out with what to do and where to eat.

Also for US and travel in the West I like Mike’s Road Trip http://www.mikesroadtrip.com

I have been to a number of evening markets around the world, from Asia to Europe (the one in Bangkok is amazing).  The public market concept is a cultural gathering that dates back to the beginning of time.  With fresh food, artisans and live music, what’s not to enjoy.  I haven’t run into many night markets in the U.S., but have to say the one in Oceanside, California is quite good.

• When: Every Thursday evening between 5 and 9pm.
• Where: Downtown Oceanside, California, in north county San Diego.
• What: The Sunset Market offers a plethora of arts, crafts, ethnic foods to whet your taste buds, along with some fantastic street musicians and performers.

Click the following link for more information on the Oceanside Sunset Market. For a list of things to do in San Diego, check out my “ONE thing San Diego” post and video.  Click the following link to see pictures from San Diego.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at “Burger Lounge” while staying on Coronado Island in San Diego, California.  Burger Lounge puts a whole new spin on the “burger” experience…how you ask?  First, the layout and decor is pleasantly unique, hip and identifiable (kudos to the person who came up with the brand image). Burger Lounge has artfully combined the feel of a nightclub with the ambiance of a chic  burger joint…hence the “lounge” connection.

As you enter Burger Lounge for the first time, you’ll notice how long and narrow the restaurant is—almost like a wide-body airplane, not in a negative way…rather intimate like a “lounge.”  In the center of the restaurant is an aisle (or pathway) that leads to the order counter, where the menu is compendious, offering delicious grass fed beef, turkey, veggie and salmon burgers.  There’s also a couple of salads, and of course fries and shakes on the menu.  And, in true “lounge” fashion, they serve beer and wine.

During our visit, my traveling companion and I split a grass-fed cheeseburger, salmon burger and an order of fries. Everything was fresh and delicious, with an unexpectedly elegant presentation (for a burger joint).  Burgers are served on dishes you’d expect at a fine-dining restaurant.  Half the restaurant seating is located inside, while the other half outside (under cover).

I don’t know what the other Burger Lounge locations are like, but the one on Coronado is small and busy, so bring your patience and get ready to dazzle your taste buds.

Currently there are only a handful of Burger Lounge locations in southern California, however if they play their cards right, I fully expect they’ll be giving In-N-Out and Five Guys a run for their money.

If you’ve ever been to a Burger Lounge, please leave a comment below and let my readers and me know what you like best? If you have friends or family who are burger fans, please hit the “like” button below and share this post with them.

Below is the video we submitted (we had to improvise as Brian was in Spain at the time).  Wish us luck! 

Standard Rooms:

Terrace Suites:

Rustic Cabins:

Luxurious Villa Cabin:

Visit Chalet View Lodge.com for more info and reservations.

I can visualize Ford doing an online video or commercial that showed a collage of my past two years on the road in my Ford truck, then having a film crew show up and surprise me with a brand new ride.  The surprise and excitement on film would be worth its weight in…well, a new truck.   It would be very similar to some of the car spots they’re currently running on TV.

Maybe we could even run some sort of promotion, where I drive around the country in my new truck and people could follow via social media and vehicle tracker GPS.   I could leave clues in geo-caches…with those clues; people could get a chance to win their own Ford car or truck.  What do ya think Ford? I think I might be on to something.    If anyone knows anyone at Ford, maybe you can pass the post along? I’d love to strike up a line of dialogue to see where it might lead.