Santa Maria is the last of the Central Coast wine regions for us to explore and after spending a few days here, I'm ready to head back... and I want to bring some guys with me! Santa Maria is situated at the north west end of Santa Barbara County and roughly half way between Santa Ynez Valley and San Luis Obispo. On the surface, it lacks the glamour of Santa Barbara and the prestige of Paso Robles and that's why we'd passed over it so many times before, just simply driving past. However, this might just be one of the most exciting destinations when it comes to planning a guys weekend getaway anywhere on the Central Coast.

Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail is something that I'm honestly pretty amazed at but I didn't quite understand the diversity available here until our most recent trip. I had looked at the wineries located in their legendary, "Funk Zone" and thought that was pretty much it. However, Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail includes seven different areas including four downtown and in three other neighboring coastal communities.

Yosemite and the surround areas in the Sierra Foothills area of California is probably one of the most in-demand areas this summer. That's true for us as well since we're now planning a potential visit this summer. However, while it makes for a family vacation destination, it's also a fantastic area to visit for a guys trip too. We loved talking with Tony from Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism so much earlier this year that we asked him to follow-up with some advice specifically for guys planning a weekend getaway.

When planning a romantic getaway to Santa Ynez Valley wine country, several options come to mind from corporate-brand hotels to bed and breakfasts but Hotel Ynez offers something in the middle. At first glance it appears to be a renovated 1950s style drive-in motel but the new owners have taken it sever steps further than that to create an unexpectedly enjoyable oasis of relaxation at an affordable price.

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.

Tucked away in the northwestern portion in the Commonwealth of Virginia is the Monticello AVA, or American Viticultural Area. This AVA is nestled southeast of Charlottesville, and northwest of the capital, Richmond. This particular AVA stands out among most others because of the history in the area along with the great wine. Any true American oenophile should have this region on their list of places they must visit.

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.

Alaska is a pretty distinct place with it's own unique native culture that often blends with a heritage of miners, gold seekers, and other colorful folks seeking a future in America's Last Frontier. For folks from the "lower 48" these words can be confusing to say and challenging to understand. We love to explore and share fun and unique ways to experience new cultures, so we're excited to share this list of words and cultural vocabulary provided by the folks at Visit Anchorage.

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. 

What happens in winter to the wide-open lands that are so good to go hiking and off-road driving? Does it simply go to sleep, only to be woken up again in the spring? NO! It turns into a winter playground ready for snowmobiling. One of the best places in the United States for the ultimate snowmobile adventure is Montana. Let’s take a look at what you can expect here!