It's National Hamburger Month - How Will You Celebrate the Burger?

Blue skies and warm weather make it feel like summer barbecue season in Santa Cruz.

That's perfect timing, because May also is National Hamburger Month.

Personally, I like to start with some fresh ground beef from Freedom Meat Locker in Watsonville, top it with a slice of grilled pineapple, sweet onion and teriyaki sauce.

Going out for a burger is a good option, too, and Santa Cruz is loaded with tasty hamburger joints like Betty's Burgers and burger. So, while we are celebrating this American delicacy, where's the best burger in Santa Cruz ? Maybe it's a local business or maybe it's your own personal creation.

The Chicago Tribune has compiled a list of facts you may not know about burgers. 

Americans eat an astounding 48 billion burgers a year, or about three per week per person. While burgers are pretty cheap, getting them to our table isn't. According to the Center for Investigative Reporting, 6.5 pounds of greenhouse gases are produced to make one tasty quarter-pounder. Over a year, that's equal to 34 coal-fired power plants. If you were willing to give up one burger a week, it would be like not driving your car 350 miles.

• June is the biggest month for beef sales in restaurants, with nearly 800 million pounds of beef consumed in this month alone in 2005.
• In 1921, a burger from America’s first fast-food restaurant cost 5 cents.
• Burgers account for 40% of all sandwiches sold. (2001)