Sleeping arrangments - crate vs. garage

Question
One week ago, we rescued a one year old Golden Retriever who was kept outside in a concrete yard her entire life.  We want to make her an inside dog and she has done well adjusting to everything but being crated (well, we're working on housebreaking, too).  We have a nice yard, with grass, and we play outside often and she seems happy there.  We also have an area in our garage (attached to the house with a dog door to the backyard) where our previous dog slept her whole life.  
When I prepared to bring another dog home, I saw that crate training was the latest, greatest thing so I bought a crate and put it in our family room.  Whenever I leave the house or at night, I put her in the crate.   She thinks this is the greatest form of torture and barks and whines until eventually calming down and being resigned to her fate.  I don't want her to think of the crate as a punishment, but I'm not sure how to go about it.  Also, my husband has mentioned that maybe the crate is not our best option since we have the garage with outside access available.  So, I could leave her outside when I'm running errands and at night.  My problem is, I can't decide if I should stick to the crate training until she accepts it willingly or use the outside option.  I would appreciate hearing your opinion on the subject and also if you have any hints to make this transition easier for all of us.

Answer
What your dog is doing when put in the crate is normal, for a dog or puppy of any age that is first introduced to it. She should soon understand that no amount of barking or whining or carrying on is going to get her let out, and she should stop doing it when you put her in there. She should soon grow to like being in her crate because it will be a place where she can go when she does not want to be bothered. A crate simulates a den environment and makes most dogs feel secure. Do you leave the crate door open during the day? If not, start doing that so she can go in if she wants to, and come out if she wants to. All of my dogs willingly go into their crates to sleep whenever they want to. I no longer have to shut them in the crates, but they choose to go in on their own.

Of course, if putting her in the garage is more convenient, and she cannot get into anything that might be dangerous to her or anything, then I certainly do not see a problem with that option. The only thing I can think of with that option that might not be so good is the fact that she was used to pottying on a concrete surface, so she might use the bathroom in the garage rather than going outside.