This is why I keep coming here. @Nate_Pearson thatās a classy move and there is no one more deserving on the forums than @mcneese.chad
Keep it up everyone, it is so nice to have a civilized place to discuss on the web, itās a rare thing. Paired with the insane depth on pretty much any topic (beyond cycling the community has also helped me step up my pizza and coffee game) makes me come back here almost everyday.
I also recommend Portugal. Really cool place and the US dollar goes a long way.
Indeed, the house on the left here was my grandparentsā home (and currently belongs to my parents). The summit of the mountain in the background is about an hour bike ride from the front door. I havenāt been able to talk my parents into letting me establish a cycling rental place there, though lol
Loved visiting Portugal for a sales meeting, but didnāt get to ride 
Not sure if this is a good recommendation, but I thought riding out to Cabo Da Roca seemed like a (CA coast type of) adventure. Donāt forget to pack a jacket and hoist a sail for the return ride 
A couple of especially notable contributions by @mcneese.chad to the Forum and the cycling community at large:
Cofounder & Co-Leader of WorldWide Disaster Day - the largest TrainerRoad user community event!
"Father of Rocker Platesā. In addition to the highly active FB group that Chad leads, the TrainerRoad topic on the subject that he posted is in the Top 20 of most highly viewed (17.8K) topics on the Forum with almost 1000 posts. These Rocker Plate discussion forums are a tremendous contribution to the cycling community!
You rule, Chad. So stoked and grateful for your contribution to the TrainerRoad community and to your fellow athletes. It wouldnāt be the same here without you! 
looks like a bottle of beer will be legal tonight=) Happy Birthday TrainerRoad Forum!
One of many reasons why Iām in it for the long haul with @Nate_Pearson and TR : dedication to the TR family & community and always trying to do the right thing.
This made my day - well deserved @mcneese.chad!
@Nate_Pearson and team what a great move by you and TR! I love it.
Classy.
Chad congrats!!
Nate, very nice gesture and congrats on 2yr anniversary of one of the best forums around.
I still havenāt felt the need to upgrade from my Rockit Launcher!
Thatās awesome! My design is total redneck engineering, but it worked well for years for me and my friends. Happy to hear you are still enjoying yours. 
I actually think @mcneese.chad probably earned at least half his holiday for the number of times heās had to patiently explain to someone that heās not @chad and doesnāt have the power to create new training plans or explain mitochondria in the next podcastā¦
Am I the only one who thought for a moment this was a new Trek gravel/adventure bike?!
Seriously classy move @Nate_Pearson, and thoroughly well deserved @mcneese.chad. Enjoy that trip wherever it may be!
Swapped the foam for half yoga balance ball yolks, thatās about it!
Happy Forum anniversary - I have loved reading posts here during quiet times at work and is a perfect supplement to the Podcast, Blog and I guess most importantly the TrainerRoad App!
Well Done Chad - I must confess I had always thought you were ātheā Chad from the Podcast! Absolute touch of class from Nate and the TR team with this gift, a thank you and recognition would have been well received I am sure, never mind a trip of a lifetime!
Exactly my thoughts. I am happy to help whenever I can. The recognition, along with getting people answers they need, is satisfying and a validation of the time spent here. I never expected anything like this massive gift.
āTrip of a lifetimeā is exactly how I see it. Itās a good gift, anytime you give something to someone that they will enjoy, but likely would not have gotten it for themselves. Totally true in my case.
The option to include my wife, and use this as a honeymoon trip that we never had, is a special opportunity. Other than waiting for a time when it can actually happen, the toughest part will be selecting a trip from the wide variety available. 
This is lovely. I have friends who have been on a handful of trips, and these were their experiences:
California Wine Country - a little underwhelming in terms of the actual riding, but the tourism was terrific.
Provence - incredible food and you get to climb Ventoux.
Tuscany - surprisingly challenging riding despite no mega-climbs, probably the best in terms of amenities and activities.
The word is that Croatia and Blackberry Farms are the āsecretā best trips.
All this info is somewhat dated, so take it with a grain of salt. And have a well-earned wonderful time.
Awesome, I really appreciate the info and suggestions.
I am book marking them for future reference.
