Michigan

Most guys who are new to wine think of iconic destinations like Napa and Sonoma as the places to go for wine. While I am a huge fan of California wines... the reality is that there are great wine regions all over the country. Some such as Lake Michigan Shore have gained prominence in recent years, while others such as the Snake River Valley AVA just west of Boise are lesser-known. What's great about these "undiscovered wine country" getaways is that they tend to be less expensive, more relaxed, and offer other opportunities to build a perfect getaway without making wine the singular focus.

Michigan is one of my favorite states to explore and quite possibly one of the best states in terms of diversity of things to do. From industrial tours to pure, unspoiled lands for fishing, hunting, offroading, and hiking, to some of the best food anywhere in the United States... it's all here in Michigan. Sadly, we're all locked up right now and traveling isn't something we can do but the folks at Pure Michigan have put together an awesome collection of experiences that while not the same as actually sinking your teeth into a Traverse City cherry pie or swimming in the clean clear water of Lake Michigan... does a darn good job of whetting our appetite for travel (hopefully!) later this summer.

Expedition voyages are one of the fastest-growing segments of the luxury cruise market. While once this was synonymous with Arctic and Antarctic cruises, I'm thrilled that new players are opening new markets. While some may not see the Great Lakes as being glamourous compared to cruising past penguins and thousand-year-old chunks of ice, the Great Lakes offers a unique and relatively unexplored part of our own country that are also are central to the science and history of our global climate history. 

There are many great cities today that are a great choice for a beercation, but only Grand Rapids calls themselves "Beer City". It's a great destination that is located a close to Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis making it a great place for a weekend getaway. With more a Beer City Ale Trail boasting more than 80 breweries, it is certainly one of the top beer producers in the country. Experience Grand Rapids invited us to visit and see what all the fuss was about. Here's what we found!

Deep under the earth is a dark and mysterious place where stories become legends and boys become men. It's hard to imagine working thousands of feet under the earth in conditions that could instantly become deadly. But that's where men have toiled for centuries to bring the wealth of the earth to those of us on the surface. From coal mines in England to Gold mines in Nevada, now you have the opportunity to explore them too!

For more than 10 years I've been to "Detroit" to visit my wife's family but a few months ago I realized that I've never actually been to "Detroit". Like many cities in the rust belt, this is one of those cities where the people who live there have abandoned the city itself and now live in collar cities. Luckily though, like Cleveland, Detroit is making a comeback and there is a surprising amount of opportunities to plan an awesome guys weekend exploring Motor City!

In Chicago there is unfortunately a very small window of time that we can enjoy the full value of a convertible, so it had better be a great one to pique my interest and it needs to be as practical as it is fun to drive.

Does the Chrysler 200 match up? Let's find out...

Just a couple hours east of Chicago and almost the same distance from Detroit lies a wonder area just waiting for couples planning a romantic weekend. South West Michigan is a destination that continues to impress both Heather and I. Initially, it was the wine trail and the beach that drew us, but now we have grown to love exploring the little coastal towns like Saugatuck, Douglas, and St. Joseph.