Dallas

Dallas is more than "just a city" it is a unique geo-political destination that like Los Angeles would be better thought of as a collection of smaller cities surrounding a central point. That might be a weird way to look at it but while I once looked at "Dallas" as a place to go for a guys getaway, I've started to think of the destination in terms of cities like Fort Worth, Irving, McKinney, Allen, and Lewisville instead. Not only would any of these destinations make for a great excuse to get a taste of Dallas... but even folks who live in the metroplex can easily travel to someplace new for a sort of guys getaway staycation experience.

Dallas and Fort Worth make an ideal place for a mancation. After all, Dallas and Fort Worth is the third-largest metropolitan area in the state of Texas. It is known for excellent food, cowboys and wonderful sights to visit. It would be an understatement to say that there are great experiences to be had. Here are four options that can definitely enhance any mancation in the Dallas and Fort Worth area.

Often times when it comes to planning a guys weekend you think in terms of "big cities" and forget about the fun in smaller regions of those metropolitan areas. These communities such as Irving, Texas can either be a destination itself... or a great basecamp making it easy to travel between hotspots in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and other areas around the "Metroplex". We joined a bunch of our blogger friends for an awesome trip to explore Las Colinas area in Irving, Texas and frankly I was surprised at how much fun stuff there was to do in what I initially thought was just a business park.

I generally don't get much stay in where I stay when traveling. Most of my travel arrangements are made by someone else and since they are paying I generally don't care as long as it's safe, clean and comfortable. That being said however, certain things make my stay that much better. A good desk space, a comfortable chair, plenty of USB and power outlets and good - easily accessible food options that aren't over priced. In the past, none of that would have described Marriott's core brand and absolutely nobody would have described it as stylish. For me personally, the Marriott brand wasn't "bad" it was just old and out of touch. Through pure luck though, this year I've had the chance to stay in several different Marriott locations at different parts of the country and it's clear that the brand is back in a good way!

Texas is known for being big and over the top, so I don't know why I was surprised to see a real live Texas Long Horn bull out front of The Ranch at Las Colinas when we arived. Not only was this cool to see, but it was there as a photo op for kids (of all ages!) to sit on as they took your photo. The bit of morbidity that you are quite literally playing with your food before dinner aside, this set the tone for one of the best steak dinners that I've had in a long while.