Opening a folder and selecting the little "gear" menu beneath the folder's title provides a different Show View Options, which when selected comes up with a modified info panel, the top item of which is a checkbox "Always open in icon view". That's close to what you were suggesting.
Extremely so.
Back to my last question: Is there some place else I should look (to find your options)?
I don't have Lion, so i can't say if Apple has moved that option, or where to. Seems like you've found it though. [in Leopard/Snowy the place was 'View' menu --> Show View Options ⌘J' ]
hmm, there seem to be
8 mentions of ' View Options' back on page one.
