I think I have to respectfully disagree.  I've bought lumber at Lowes and Home Depot as well as some smaller lumber yards.

The Menards I go to has a huge supply of lumber and I can just go through it to find what I want.  They also carry some really nice oak, aspen and other woods.  

If you buy the lower quality wood that's what you get but they do carry some really nice stuff.  I'll try to post some pictures in the future of stuff I've built, right now I'm on my laptop and it doesn't have the pictures.

My basic feeling is go to Home Depot for really nice pine, go to Menards for good wood that you can sort through and go to Lowes for information.