With gas more than $4 per gallon here in Chicago, I unfortunately had to cut back on my some of my travel plans. Unfortunately my trip to Detroit this weekend to see the Red Bull Air Race is going to have to wait until next year (I hope they return, or better yet, come to Chicago instead!). However, it made me start to think about some great guys weekend / mancation ideas that might not even involve traveling.

The term staycation has become a buzzword recently, mostly in reference to families cutting back on their family vacations … instead of packing everyone up and going to Florida the family will stay at home or near home and have a staycation instead.

But what about us guys?

What is the mancation equivalent of a staycation?

Camping Trip with the Guys:

So you may need a little bit of gas to drive to the campground, but for the most part, no matter where in the country you live there is probably a camp ground within an hour drive. Once at the camp ground, your gas guzzling is over as you celebrate being a guy by hiking, fishing, boating, and generally enjoying the great outdoors.

Bird Watching:

Think of this as hunting with cameras and binoculars! Unlike hunting, there is no open or closed season, and there are great places to find beautiful and unique birds all around the country - even in urban areas.

Help Build a Home:

Since you are now starting to feel the pinch of high gas prices, imagine what it feels like to not be able to afford a home! There are projects all around the country, from Habitat for Humanity and other organizations.

Buy Something Fun and Throw a Guys-only House Party:

Instead of traveling at all, how about buying something cool for the home and throwing a party around it. This could be a new grill, home arcade machine, a margarita machine, kegerator, even an outdoor pool table. The money you could have lost on gas you can now enjoy for years to come. Just remember to buy something made in the USA where possible!