When it comes to planning your guys weekend or mancation, the hotel is almost as important as the destination. This is going to be your home base for a few days and it will generally set the tone for the rest of your adventure. While I'm of the thought that different groups of guys can pretty much make anywhere work, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country is one of my favorites since it offers pretty much everything you'd need for the perfect escape with your friends.

While most people think about the coastal California cities Los Angles, San Francisco and San Diego, the reality is that this state is enormous and most of it is really only accessible by driving. A few weeks ago, we packed up our cars and joined 9 other bloggers on a once in a lifetime adventure exploring the deserts of California. From majestic Joshua trees to weird art, post apocalyptic scenery, wonderful weather, fun roads, and amazing people, this was a trip that I recommend trying for anyone who agrees that Driving Matters!

The Hotel Del Coronado is a famous and lavish resort in San Diego, several years ago I had the chance to stay at the resort, but I recently returned with friends to check out their Roast - beach bonfire and s'mores experience. "The Del" is a classic hotel that deserves to be part of your San Diego experience, no matter where you happen to be staying or who you are with. It somehow manages to combine the charm of a century old resort with modern amenities and a sense of gracious charm that is often lacking from today's newer beach resorts.

For many people, the Caribbean is an exotic land that is as a place for only the rich and famous. But it doesn't have to be that way and today there are many affordable ways to explore this beautiful part of the world, it's exotic islands and amazing food and friendly people. For me personally, cruising is one of my favorite ways to do this since I get a "sampler" of different islands so I know where I want to come back to in the future. Ironically, I started this way but now I really enjoy the experience of cruising itself since I never get bored and get to see somewhere new each and every day!

With the weather warming up, a bunch of you are about to hit the open road for Spring Break and even more of you will be planning family vacation trips this year. While you are going to be saving money almost immediately by avoiding air travel, that's just the beginning. As someone who has been enjoying road trips since I was a little kid, I've learned quite a lot about this subject and look forward to sharing my best advice with you!

This is a question I get on a pretty regular basis after I tell people what I do now. However, it seems that I have never really shared the story publicly about what motivated me to start not just this site but blogging in general. When I look back at my history along with stories from other great including Danica Patrick, Steve Nashe, Emmitt Smith and Emmanuel Sanders, I realize that just like with my start it was about passion for doing something and that lead to a drive to ignore people saying you couldn't do it. That's at the core of my story and the realization that even small things can be mighty!

Learning a new language can be a challenge for many of us and I'm certainly among that group. That's why I was excited when I was contacted by Babbel to check out their language system. There's no time like the beginning of the year to make the resolution to do new things and that makes it a great time to learn a new language. 

Way south in the Caribbean Sea are a couple islands that don't get as much love as their northern sisters but for those willing to take the trek south, there's a world of awesome and unique things waiting for you. Last fall, we visited Bonaire during a port day on the Carnival Sunshine. Here's some of the cool things that await you on your next visit.

When it comes to visiting Las Vegas, you can't help but be drawn into the glitz and uber luxury resorts of the strip or the quirky fun of downtown but there's a lot more to this city than gambling resorts. Luckily, I'm here to help you explore that "other side" of Las Vegas and we're kicked it off with a visit to The Range 702, Las Vegas's largest indoor shooting range!

I joke sometimes that I could "move into this place", but rarely could I actually do just that - till now. During our trip to Aspen for the 2016 Kia Optima launch this fall we stayed at a magnificent resort that redefined the word "luxury hotel" in my mind. The Viceroy Snowmass took an extraordinary amount of care when it designed these rooms and I'm sure even royalty from around the world that visit here probably say "wow this is nice!".

No matter how many photos or words I write, it won't do Mono Lake justice. This is a strange part of the country that is a beautiful and exotic natural wonder that you simply have to visit to understand. As a young boy growing up in California I recall science lessons in school talking about Mono Lake and the impact that man can have on nature. However it took a visit to the lake last fall to fully appreciate the landscape.

When I visit Disney World, one of my favorite parts is their resort hotels. While this is considered an afterthought at many attractions, Disney takes as much care and planning with where you sleep as they do with how you spend your day. Luckily, while there are some incredibly expensive hotel options at Disney World there are also plenty that are affordable and just as fun. A couple years ago I stayed at Pop Century and this year I decided to check out Disney's All Star Sports Resort during a quick stop at the park.

Allllllll aboard! It's time to take a journey into the past and explore a time when the west was barely settled and riches were sitting just below the surface of the earth simply waiting for someone to uncover them. During this time, one of the greatest mining booms in the United States happened in Virginia City, site of the 1859 Comstock Lode.

That discovery instantly turned men into millionaires and the city exploded from just a handful of miners to 25,000 residents. With that explosive growth and the city's remote location at 6,200 feet elevation on the side of a mountain, a railway was needed. While the V&T railway isn't the exact same as what once serviced the city, it is a great way for guests to reach Virginia City from Carson City today and it provides a better perspective on Virginia City's history than simply driving up the twisty turny roads.

South Lake Tahoe is an interesting mixture of high-rise casino resorts, modern ski condos in the Heavenly Village, and old independent motels. There's a relatively new player in the market now and that's Basecamp Hotel. The hotel has taken over the bones of a classic motel, renovated the crap out of it and has even built some all-new buildings too. It's an interesting boutique hotel that somehow actually creates the feeling that you're part of a community when you stay there.

Columbia Crest winery has been in operation for just over 30 years and in that time it has helped transform the Columbia River area of Washington State into one of the top wine producers in the world. It's a little strange maybe that when you think of the West Coast and wine, it's typically California and specifically Napa, Sonoma, or even Santa Barbara area. No one told these guys though, but through scientific research winemakers here discovered that the soils and environmental conditions had world class potential.

I stay in a lot of hotels. For better or worse it's the way I roll these days and while some are better than others - they all fundamentally work the same way. So, let's look at some of the tips and tricks to help make sure you have an awesome experience on your next trip.

Staying at a hotel room is always a great excuse to switch up your romantic side and try something new. While we've looked at some exciting and alluring adult themed hotel rooms in the past, that's not the full story. Luckily, for those of you who want to walk on the wild side without actually crossing over and living out your caveman fantasy these rooms should be perfect for you!

It gets hot in the desert and sometimes people go a little crazy. It's ok - craziness leads to innovation and new ideas... or at least some cool road-side attractions. That's the case in Baker, California - about halfway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. As someone who drives this route regularly but never stops, it was fun to spend a bit of time checking things out here last weekend.

There are many places that I am sure you dream of when it comes to planning your next guys weekend, but I bet Milwaukee isn't one of them. It should be though! This city located just north of Chicago has everything that you could possibly want for the ultimate guys weekend. That made it the perfect spot for four awesome bloggers to come together for an epic adventure sponsored by Kia and featuring the Optima, Sorento, and of course - the Kia Racing team. 

With Fourth of July behind us, it's time to focus on the remaining weeks of summer. How will you be spending these hot summer afternoons? From looking good to doing awesome things, it's up to you to make the right decisions and turn a "good idea" into an "Epic Adventure".