Best place to meet cute people: Beans and Brew, SLC UT. Especially if you tote around a pillowcase full of candy

BEST BBQ: Everett and Jones, which can be found in Oakland, and over the rest of the Bay Area.

BEST coffee: Beans and Brews, SLC UT. Damned tasty coffee, and I'm a big fan of their frozen coffee drinks. Or as "someone" calls them, "Coffee Ice Cream." Super good french roast too.

BEST beach: Fern Canyon, moonstone beach, any beach on the north coast (humboldt county) Yes you could surf, but they are so beautiful to just look at. Very cold though

BEST place to people watch: The Strip, Las Vegas, NV. - Vegas baby! Love Vegas, love to watch drunken nerds throw each other into the pool too but that's another story for another day.

BEST place to feed your mind. San Francisco, CA. Very very very true, ThatOneGuy

You should prolly change one of them to
BEST place to meet weird guys: Beans and Brews

I also want to add...

BEST WALKING CITY: Washington DC. The government/monument district is beautiful this time of year. Stop by the White House and give dubya the finger...Like i do! 6 times in 5 yrs.


I'm still wondering when the Secret service will be kicking the door down... ::

Another one...

BEST place to achive geek nirvana: FRY's Electronics CA, TX, and the Southwest - I could live in a Fry's. I defy anyone to show me another retailer where you can buy a PS2, a washer and dryer, Fiber optic gear, A Cisco router, and order a Latte while shopping..

Damn you and your frequent trips to FRY's!!!

Next time I go down south, I will have to hit an In'n'Out and FRY's and call you and say "neeener neeener"

Especially if I know you're on the east coast

And yes, B&B is the BEST place to meet weird strange men. I agree with you, but what cute men have you found there? And did they lure you with candy? *innocent giggles*

Till next time...

I just got back from in-n out as a matter of fact......

I'm not as well-travelled as you but here are a few of my "Best" and those I agree with you on.

1. Best Steak: The 22 oz. Porterhouse Steak at the Denver Chophouse across from Coors Field has to be my fav. I can't beleive I actually ate that big of a steak.

2. Best Seafood: The Beach House in Laguna Beach. It has been around for years. The best swordfish I have ever had ! If you sit outside on the small balcony, the ocean is just below you. They just opened one in Dana Point also. Another favorite, and one you might be interested in since I think you mentioned you were going to balboa beach, is 21 Oceanfront in Newport Beach, near the pier. It is pricey, but worth it for a special occasion.

3. Best Bookstore: I have been to Powells in Portland a few times, but I like "The Tattered Cover" in Denver (the orginal one in Cherry Creek). It is older, lots of comfy, oversized seating, great coffee and a great restaurant on the 4th floor.

4. Best Coffee: living in Seattle, it is hard to get away from Starbucks, but I have had the coffee at the kiosks also, just don't know who the maker is.

5. Best Beach: I like uncrowded beaches, with scenery. My favorite is Moonshine Beach, which is near San Simeon, right off of Highway 1. The rock formations are beautiful, and the water runs through them. It is always a kind of gloomy beach but I like the natural state it is in.

6. Best Place to People Watch: My favorite is the section of beach in Laguna Beach on South Coast Highway where the main part of town is. There are some of the strangest people roaming around down there!

7. Best Concert Venue: I agree with you on the Filmore in Denver. The crowds there are great. I am not fond of the neighborhood it is in though - last time I was at the Filmore, there was a shooting in the parking lot of the Office Depot across the street.

8. Best Walking District for Sightseeing: I also agree with you on Washington D.C. Between the Smithsonian, the monuments and other places like Georgetown, you could walk for miles and still see more each trip. By far my favorite place I have visited for historical value.

9. Best greasy hamburger: In "n" Out by far!! I always have to hunt one down everytime I get to Southern California.

That's my list!

Melissa

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhh I've been to the Beach House before. I was installing the wireless at the Dana Point Marriott and went there a couple of times.

I'm one block off the south coast highway as we speak. You know where Fashion Island is?

Most of the Kiosks in Seatown are Rimini coffee it think. Damn good stuff.

As previously stated, i'm a fan of the double double at in-n-out. i hate their fries though.

I just got back from my favorite beach...Balboa. I went out and got dinner with my co-workers at a pizza place called BJ's brewpub. real good roast beef. But not as good as...

BEST ROAST BEEF: Eel River Brewpub. Fortuna California. Just outside Eureka. It was like grandmas roast beef . except on rye with swiss.

Ok, so far we have...

1. BEST Cheap booze: Charlies Kitchen, Cambridge, MA. - A little divey bar just off Harvard Square. Punk rock barmaids that always have a joke, or a smartass comment!
2. BEST Steak: Le Bifteque, Toronto - 20 oz Alberta T-Bone. $18.00 USD! Cuts with a butterknife. mmmmm mmmmm!
3. BEST place to meet drunken college girls: Razoo's New Orleans LA. - On Bourbon St. A fun bar with never a dull moment. Try the "Hand Grenade".
4. BEST Pizza: Famous Rays NYC.-There are a few "Famous Ray's" in the City. This one is on 7th ave just north of Times Square. The Calzones are real good too!
5. BEST Seafood: The Shrimp Shack Santa Barbara, CA.-Cheap, Plentiful, and an awesome beer selection.
6. BEST BBQ: Jack Stacks, Kansas City, MO.-Ever have Prime Rib....Ribs? Best sauce i have ever had.
7. BEST Bookstore: Powells, Portland, OR. - It takes up a whole city block and then some. You want it? They got it! and good coffee too.
8. BEST bar to watch celebs get plastered in: Dresden Room, LA, CA.-Kiefer Sutherland will give you a hug, then ask you if you wanna fight!
9. BEST coffee: It's a TIE. Beans and Brews, SLC UT. and The coffee Kiosks on University, Seattle WA.- Damn good Expreeso roasts at both.
10. BEST beach: Balboa Beach Newport CA.- I'm going there today as a matter of fact!
11. BEST Place to get hammered and watch baseball: Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD. Quite possibly the best stadium in all of baseball!
12. BEST Place for Porsche lovers: Newport Beach, CA. - I want my car DAMMIT! everywhere you go, theres a 911, 930, 959, or a Boxster. These folks have too much $$$!
13. BEST Street tacos: San Diego , CA. A buck a shot for the best asada tacos around.
14. BEST Blue Collar town: Pittsburgh, PA. - Say what you will about the former steel city, but they are some of the coolest people i have ever met.
15. BEST Clubbing town: Miami Beach, FL. - South Beach...Nuff said!
16. BEST Chili Dog: Pink's Hollywood, CA. - If you go after 1 am, you never know who will show up. I sat next to Jay Leno and his wife and talked motorcycles once. (still a Letterman fan though)
17. BEST Concert venue: The Fillmore, Denver CO.- Good sound, you can even take your drinks on the floor!
18. BEST Snowboarding; TIE. Brighton SLC, UT and Whistler, British Columbia. Snow is wetter at whistler but awesome. Brighton is the best snowboarder resort in the world. 15 miles from home.
19. BEST place to people watch: The Strip, Las Vegas, NV. - Vegas baby!
20. BEST place to feed your mind. San Francisco, CA. The most diverse city in America. A little NYC on the Pacific.
21. BEST greasy hamburger: In "n" Out by far!!
22. BEST place to achieve geek nirvana: Fry' s Electronics CA, TX, and the Southwest - I could live in a Fry's. I defy anyone to show me another retailer where you can buy a PS2, a washer and dryer,
Fiber optic gear, A Cisco router, and order a Latte while shopping…
23. BEST ROAST BEEF: Eel River Brewpub. Fortuna California. Just outside Eureka, It was like grandmas roast beef. Except on rye with swiss.
24. BEST WALKING CITY: Washington DC. The government/monument district is beautiful this time of year. Stop by the White House and give dubya the finger...Like i do! 6 times in 5 yrs.

frys is a wonder, aint it? like everything else about their stores, the themes are way overboard. they got easter island (complete with moai or however ya spell that) in manhattan beach and one out in the valley has aliens and a spaceship.

i know a couple places--i generally refer to them collectively as the computer graveyard--where you might be able to find all of those things and more. i once saw a 911 console complete with recorders and terminal at one of em.

oh...best small music venue in southern california is the coachhouse in san juan capistrano. wailers are there on the 10th, tim reynolds is gonna do an acoustic show on the 13th and john mayall's gonna be there on the 20th. couldnt find a better place to see any of the three (or anyone else) up close. there's a great little motel just south of sjc with a fireplace in every room and just across 1 from an excellent beach beach (as opposed to a show beach or moonshine or the beaches in nocal).

great list!

The Burbank Fry's is done in an Alice in Wonderland theme..Kinda freaky!

I've heard of the coachhouse. I'm in newport right now. Maybe i'll head to the Wailers show (is Bunny still with em?)

ThatOneGuy...
I think for BrewPub you mean Brewery? Meh, damned good roast beef... *drools*

Maybe i'll head to the Wailers show (is Bunny still with em?)

talk about being a day late and a dollar short. i just found this, sorry. i dunno bout bunny. the listing i saw just said 'wailers'. how long will you be in socal? (bummer you gotta stay in newport with laguna beach being so close by, huh? )

BEST WALKING CITY: Washington DC. The government/monument district is beautiful this time of year. Stop by the White House and give dubya the finger...Like i do! 6 times in 5 yrs.

I gotta disagree with you on this and pick Gettysburg, PA (although you can fit the two in together on the same vacation).

I gotta disagree with you on Gettysburg Gid. It is fun and very educational, DC offers more in one area.

I'll be here until friday King. I gotta getout of Newport. Between the prices and the morons with too much insurance to care about how they drive, i'm sick of it.