Guys Trips In California

Our culture has graduated from man caves to mancations, and many guys are tying in their bro travel to sports. But it's gone far beyond a doubleheader or a weekend snagging two NASCAR series at the same track. Now it's multiple events at multiple venues, and baseball has proven to be a perfect sport for it.

When most people come to San Diego, they probably think of one of maybe three areas to stay - Downtown / Gaslamp Quarter, La Jolla, or Coronado. However, there's an alternative that is perfect for your next guys trip that offers fewer crowds, lower prices, and easy access to the water. Point Loma is located right on San Diego Bay just west of the Airport and across the channel from North Island Naval Air Station so it is also extremely easy to get to.

Compared to other parts of the country, Southern California doesn't really have a lot of great places to escape to on weekends. Truthfully there's amazing terrain all around us but really very few destinations that I can see wanting to escape to vs just doing day trips. While I've been to Palm Springs several times now, there's another answer that's even closer - Lake Arrowhead. It's quite literally a world apart and while it shares a similar elevation and crisp clean mountain air as Big Bear... it's a completely different experience.

I think most of us have heard of a grape stomp - whether it is a memory from an old TV show like I Love Lucy or an email from a local winery inviting you to compete, it's a fun way to spend a late summer or fall afternoon with friends. I attended my first grape stomp as a guest of South Coast Winery in Temecula last week and it was an eye-opening experience. Not just for me - but for many of the competitors too. What seems like an easy task is actually way more complicated... if you want to win!

The 14th-Annual San Diego Beer Week, presented by the San Diego Brewers Guild, begins on Friday, November 4th and we're excited to support the annual celebration saluting the Capital of Craft!

In the past few years, it seems like virtually every casino in Southern California has transformed from a gambling hall to a full-on "Vegas-style Resort". Ironically, one of the largest casinos in the country, San Manuel Casino is among the last to embrace this trend (though they have their own hotel resort opening next year). Instead, they have what superficially seems like just another business hotel set in a commercial development. Looks can be deceiving though and Bear Springs Hotel is a fabulous property for anyone looking for a guy weekend getaway where they can do off-roading during the day and hit the tables at night. 

Ok, so that's a bit of a click-bait title since the reality is that almost every winery is unique and brings with it a personality and decor that is special in its own way. However, for guys who are looking for the "experience" of doing a Sonoma wine tour rather than the connoisseur looking only to visit their favorite, most technically excellent wineries, there are some vineyards and tasting rooms that are better than others. The sweet spot is when winemakers are able to blend excellent wines with a fun unique experience that guys of all levels will enjoy visiting. Thanks to the folks at the Sonoma Wine Road, for helping put this awesome itinerary together for us. 

San Manuel has long been a leader at delivering a premium gaming experience to Southern California, including their Asian-inspired gaming room - Lotus 8 Palace where you could find slots and table games not found in many other casinos in the area. Lotus 8 even had a noodle menu, and Asian beer as well as sake. What San Manuel was missing though is a really good Asian restaurant and that's why they created Hong Bao Kitchen!

Gentlemen, it's time to plan an extraordinary bachelor party, and there's no better destination than Los Angeles. Picture this: a stunning fusion of sun-soaked beach fun, thrilling outdoor adventures, and a glimpse into the glitzy world of Hollywood stars. Remember, the goal is to create a memorable experience for your buddy as he steps into the next phase of his life. Choose activities that reflect his interests and personality, and you're guaranteed to have a fantastic time. Cheers to an unforgettable bachelor party in the City of Angels!

June is California Avocado Month and so we were invited to help celebrate it with a fantastic dinner at the top of a mountain in a real avocado grove along side the farmer who manages one of the largest avocado ranches in California. A dinner outside under the stars is always special but this was over the top since typically avocados are a sort of mysterious fruit. Sure, we all love them in guacamole but where do they actually come from and what else can you do with them?

San Diego is the craft beer capital of the country as far as I am concerned. While there are many towns across the country where there are fine people brewing great beer, no town has a culture of beer quite like San Diego. With more than 100 breweries in the county, there is something for everyone from large breweries like Stone, Ballast Point, and Green Flash to tiny ones like Intergalactic you are sure to find one that matches your personality. While I dream of one day having been to every brewery in San Diego, last weekend I took two friends on a whirlwind tour of five of my favorites.

Today we're talking with Australia roots rock artist, Hamish Anderson about one of his favorite cities - Los Angeles. 

Sometimes, as good as a restaurant might be - you need to visit for just one reason. At Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, a regional restaurant chain with locations throughout Southern California, that reason is appropriately called "The Ultimate". Read on to find out why it is the ultimate BBQ sandwich!

San Francisco — the birthplace of the fortune cookie, the place where not a single bank failed during the Great Depression, and the city that was once part of Mexico until the Mexican-American War of 1848.

Yes, over 800,000 people call this wonderful city home. And why wouldn't they? Average temperatures rarely dip below 45 and rarely peak above 70, which means you can do just about anything you want all year long.

You and your buddies can easily take off for the weekend (or the week) and take in some of the following experiences.

San Diego is an awesome town that is sometimes forgotten about or dismissed as simply a surf town, but what I have discovered over the past year is that there is an incredible amount of awesome things to do here beyond the beach including touring some of the almost 100 craft breweries, exploring vineyards in nearby Temecula and Romona, as well as visiting the Zoo, touring historic military ships and some of the best burgers and tacos in the country.

Most of the resorts in North County San Diego sit atop bluffs with the beach hard to access and often with obstructed views to boot. While Alila Marea also sits atop a bluff, it has the unique benefit of facing the miles-long South Carlsbad State Beach as well as sitting directly above the Grandview Surf Beach. This makes it one of the best located - truly beach-front resorts in San Diego and offers guests unobstructed views and relaxing sounds of waves crashing on the shore at night.

When vacationing in an RV, you don't have to worry about where you're going to stay and adding those costs into your trip. In many cases, if you plan on a mancation involving the great outdoors, you'll be able to stay closer to nature when you bring along an RV.

We were on hand this week for the opening of Willows Hotel & Spa, but I look forward to being able to return to fully experience the resort - especially the spa, pool deck, and restaurants on our own. However, from the brief time we did spend on property and our stay in one of their Escape Suites, this is the perfect destination for anyone in San Diego that is looking for a getaway where there will be no kids. It's the perfect distance from downtown, easy to get to, and delivers a full suite of luxury, spa, pool, food, and all the action you'd expect from a casino resort. Oh yeah, and there's also some of the best outlet shopping in San Diego. 

I love casinos, they are pure marketing and designed to offer experiences that break out of the ordinary limits of good taste and reality. In recent years, signature cocktails and ridiculous culinary concoctions are one of the big ways to draw people's attention so it should be no surprise that our friends at Southern California's San Manuel Casino are once again one-upping the guys in Vegas with their new High Limits lounge and $10,000 signature cocktail the Rare and Fine.