With cruising opening back up this summer and fall, there are some exciting bucket list destinations just begging you to visit. While some are relatively easy to understand how to book or who to book with, others such as South American cruises on the Amazon or Galapagos are far more difficult. With regards to Galapagos cruises, this is because while there are big names such as Celebrity, Azamara, or Holland America Line, this is really a special place that deserves a special type of cruise ship, training, and planning. Let's take a look at what you need to know before booking a Galapagos cruise.

Bigger is always better... right? Well not always. Sometimes simply making things better is better and that seems to be the direction that the designers at Norwegian Cruise Line and the builders at Fincantieri who have begun building the first of six new cruise ships for the line. You already know how much we loved the last few ships in the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class because they brought "Mega Ship" features like race tracks and VR arenas to cruising. With the introduction of Norwegian Prima the direction is decidedly small, more refined, and more luxury focused. I'm sure there are tons of new features that we can't even imagine yet that they will be announcing before it begins sailing next year, but we're already pretty darn excited about what it represents.

Alaska is a special destination for many Americans. It’s more than just lush green forests and glaciers, there’s something special and unique about the culture too. I can’t wait to visit America’s last frontier again and I hope that we can preserve its uniqueness … even if that means preserving aspects of it that would potentially raise more money.

Don't worry... I still love my big burley trucks, but EVs fascinate me. They are, without a doubt, the future of personal transportation. However, the future is here already. While it can be challenging today while charging infrastructure catches up, even in a less than ideal environment, a weekend getaway in an EV is possible. To illustrate this, Nissan sent me a Leaf S Plus and we drove up to Oceanside, CA.

With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the rear window, travel is starting to recover and there’s a year’s worth of sitting back and planning, wishing, and hoping that is now ready to get out and go again. While family vacations are probably first, guys getaways might just be next in line. Here’s some awesome blow out guys weekend ideas that we can’t wait to do this year.

Ventura California is one of those iconic Southern California "surf towns" that you probably have heard of from classic rock songs like, "Ventura Highway" or seen in countless TV shows and movies. It's essentially the bridge between the laid back country living embodied by Central Coast California and everything you think you know about Los Angeles. Personally, I've driven through here several times on my way to somewhere else but never stopped. Last week I broke that cycle and now I'm wondering why I didn't visit earlier.

Cruising is back open in Europe and while most people associate European cruises with the Mediterranean, there's more than one sea south of Europe that makes for a great cruise destination. Today, we're going to be looking at The Adriatic Sea since it is one of the fastest growing areas big ship cruises as well as small ship and even charter yachts as well.

At this point it unfortunately appears that cruising isn't going to happen this year, at least not for the big ship from Holland America Line, Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival. However, that isn't the end of the story. There are a surprising number of ways that you can still make Alaska your summer destination and maybe even make it better than other years when the ports and waterways are filled with cruise ship visitors. Luckily, there are small ship cruises like UnCruise Adventures, airline discounts from Alaskan Airlines, and some great lodges and rail tours to try. Or, you can just go and rent a Jeep and explore on your own! Here's why Alaska still makes a great choice to visit this year.

Camping is a wonderful way to spend your vacation and connect with nature. On the surface, simply the act of heading outdoors seems like it would be good for the environment. However, all too often I see people simply treat camping as an outdoor party and it is anything but an ecologically sound alternative to heading to a fancy resort. When done properly though, this family-friendly style of vacation can easily be a great way to spend time exploring a new area and connecting with nature as well as your companions in meaningful ways.

One of the things I absolutely love about Joshua Tree National Park is that it is a near perfect spot for people to learn how to drive off road vehicles. You can dip your toes in the sand rolling along Geology Trail or get the adrenaline going in the Old Dale Mining District and still have a great time. This park is your place to advance skills at a pace that you are comfortable with and that matches personal experience and technical abilities of your vehicle. Over the years I've done exactly that, first having explored trails with a Jeep Cherokee and now, earlier this month I returned with the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. 

Oceanside California is located right between San Diego and Los Angeles making it the perfect staycation destination to get away from the city and enjoy some fresh air and a fun surf town vibe. Over the past few years the city has seen a tremendous amount of new tourism development now it is the training grounds for the USA Olympic Surf Team. 

A few weeks ago I came across two brothers that are living the dream. They are completely consumed with promoting Canadian travel and tourism to the point where the guys bought an RV and traveled from coast to coast sharing what they discovered. Now, in addition to blogging and speaking, they run an amazing video podcast travel show where I was a guest recently. I'm sure we're going to be talking more with them in the next few months as we start to recover from the Pandemic and I know I have my sights set on a fishing trip and maybe some off-roading or even just a laid back wine trip in the Okanogan Valley as soon as it is safe to go out again!

Malaysia is a wonderful destination that should not be missed, and one way of making it an even more spectacular adventure is to make the sizzling capital of Kuala Lumpur your base. This incredible city is a treasure chest filled to the brim with exciting nightlife, delicious food and cool architecture. Travel alone, with a friend or even with your family, no one will be disappointed and there will be plenty to see and do for everyone. 

Here's our picks for the best lad's holiday destinations from around the world. When you are picking a place to go, it's important to pick something fun and exciting with "just the right amount" of debauchery to have fun - but not get arrested!

Going on a safari is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience since you’re presented with the opportunity to see some of the world’s most impressive wildlife in their natural surroundings, experience local African culture and visit some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Unlike other types of trips, planning a safari presents its own unique set of challenges, since there’s so much to see and do, and only a limited amount of time to squeeze it all in. Equally challenging is deciding where you want to go and when, as well as what to pack.

Ever considered heading to Europe for a mancation? There's an array of fantastic cities that offer just the right blend of culture and the opportunity for guys of all ages to really relax and enjoy themselves.

California is known as the Golden State for a reason and luckily there is still gold left for lucky and hardworking prospectors to find. While the gold rush is long over, that doesn't mean you can't re-live the golden days where men were men and wealth was there under your feet just waiting to be liberated from the Earth. While there are many places made famous by gold in California, we think Tuolumne County right outside Yosemite might just be the perfect spot.

Some vacations are meant to see something specific and others are meant to escape from it all. At one of the more than 100 Montana guest ranches, you can do both. While it's easy to be cynical and think of these properties as nothing more than "guest ranches" where you can go and sip scotch on the porch while watching people pretend to be cowboys for your benefit - this state has a vibrant ranching industry beyond tourism too.

Planning a trip can turn into a full-time job when it comes to getting all the boxes checked. Picking a destination is only the first step, then comes the real work of planning everything from transportation and accommodations to dining and excursions. For anyone that thinks picking the location and packing a bag is enough work to put into vacation planning, an all in one cruise experience is the perfect way to get all the best elements of the trip from accommodations to dining arranged for you. Now all that is left to do is decide which spectacular cruise to pick for your first voyage!

Much attention is paid to the dangers that women face while traveling but men face danger too, especially when traveling alone in new places. These range from environmental dangers related to traveling in physically dangerous places to societal risks created by unscrupulous people looking to prey on naive American travelers. Let's take a look at some of these risks that men might encounter while traveling, as well as what you can do to avoid them.