Guys Trips In California

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.

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.

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 2020 Lexus LC 500 first attracted my attention at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show for it's absolutely stunning "Flare Yellow" color and it's beautiful lines. I didn't know much more about the vehicle other than that, but I knew I wanted to experience it in person as soon as possible. Thankfully, the folks at Lexus had one available. This isn't exactly a road trip kind of car, though I was quite impressed by the size of the trunk and the level of comfort in the cockpit... even for a big guy like me. So, our plan was to do a day trip exploring San Diego beach towns.

San Diego is the epitome of California’s laid-back charm and sun-drenched ambiance. Boasting an incredible climate with sun all year round, and miles of extraordinary beaches for swimming and surfing alike, it's a wonderful destination for a couple looking for sun, sea, and relaxation. The city itself is buzzing and vibrant, with Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter offering a haven for foodies, and the rest of town packed with excellent attractions and cultural highlights.

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.

There is a wide diversity of options when it comes to date night ideas but on New Year's Eve it gets a bit more complicated since way too many businesses look at this as an option to jack the prices up while cutting corners. This has made it quite challenging some years for Heather and I's anniversary but this year she suggested we try a magic show dinner theater that had opened up down the block from our loft in the San Diego Gaslamp. What we experienced last night was an awesomely fun evening of magic, food, and drinks.

To many people, the desert is an inhospitable wasteland but to me it is an open canvas just waiting to be explored. Lucky for me, this romantic ideal is shared by others as well! For many years, vacationers have made the journey to the desert so they can bake in the hot dry sun and relax in the pool, play golf, and generally escape reality for a few days. With La Casa Del Zorro, Heather and I had the chance to spend four nights at the resort with the first two being just us (and Niki Belle) in one of their casitas with a private pool. 

I live in paradise so sometimes it's difficult to really think about where I want to go on a summer vacation since everyone seems to want to come here to San Diego. However, last spring I had the opportunity to explore a really unique Southern California desert community called Borrego Springs. In particular, there's a fantastic resort there that I've had my eye on called La Casa del Zorro and since it's summer they have some amazing deals on their casitas with private pools.

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?

I've visited Catalina island several times over the past decade that I've lived here in Southern California but it's been almost exclusively a cruise port as far as my experience in visiting there. I'd known about the Catalina Express for almost that same amount of time but had never had the chance to check it out until they invited me to try it out and spend a few days exploring Catalina Island.

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!

It would be an understatement to say that Ford's Bronco was one of the most wildly anticipated vehicles to become available this year. Promising to be a "Wrangler Killer" by taking the decades of engineering that Jeep had invested into it's off road king and offering a new perspective, Bronco has some big shoes tires to fill. Is it able to do so? We took it on one of our favorite trails to find out.

I love New Orleans, in fact I'm absolutely enamored by the food, music, and culture of Southern Louisiana and it's a surprisingly diverse combination of influences. It's a chaotic gumbo of sometimes conflicting perspectives but very few people are able to communicate why this area is so intoxicating... Chef Quinton Austin though clearly gets it.

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.

The term "staycation" has been out there a lot, but I never really appreciated it until I had an opportunity to work with a local vacation rental company last month. They hosted us in Cardiff - a beach community in North County San Diego - and now I understand why this idea is so popular. Simply put, it allowed Heather and I to spend a few days relaxing in a new setting and doing things together that we might do on vacation - but without the hassles and headaches of traveling somewhere.

I'm guessing most of you guys love beer, I do too! Luckily, I've been blessed with numerous opportunities to visit some of the best beer cities in the country and in fact I live in San Diego - which is at the top of most lists of places for beer lovers to visit. However, these beercations are more than just hopping in the car and drinking. To make the most of your time and money it's important to plan ahead. This is your opportunity to try new things, expand your boundaries, and bond with your buddies around an awesome shared experience.

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!

There are a lot of trails in Southern California, but here's three of my favorites because they are scenic and have a variety of terrain but aren't too technically arduous. While the Colorado ZR2 is a phenomenal vehicle that can conquer pretty much anything that you throw at it, sometimes it's nice to know that and never test the limits. This is especially true for novice off-roaders since those limits are often YOURS, not the vehicle itself. These trails a great for exploring and having fun while getting away from civilization for a few hours.

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