Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Samurai?

If so, this new tour in the Spring of next year (2010) might be of interest to you. Esprit Travel & Tours, specialists in tours which deeply immerse you into the heart of Japanese culture, is offering a new tour with a focus on the history and culture of the samurai. 

The way of the samurai, known as bushido, has fascinated westerners for hundreds of years.  In this very special tour, you will travel through Japan focusing on the era of the samurai, with introductions to the castles, battlefields, customs and the mystique of the samurai.  Visits to a range of original, reconstructed and castle ruins offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the ruling class of the samurai.

The independent wrestling circuit is a sideshow of sorts, and one that can easily entertain fathers and sons, a group of guys or even adventurous daters.

Countless “promotions” dot every state in the union. Some cater to a more “hardcore crowd” where fans are sometimes encouraged to bring their own trash can lids, stop signs and steel chairs for the athletes to use as weapons. Conversely, there are promotions that cater to a more family-friendly crowd, one that doesn't alienate crowds for the sake of shock, cussing and bloodletting.

While many guys weekend activities involve high impact sports such as sky diving and water skiing or athletic activities such as biking or hiking, sometimes it is nice to just float down the river in a tube with a case of beer and your closest buds.

While in Northern Michigan, we had a chance to do just that, tubing on the Lower Platte River.

A few different companies offer trips down the river, but the two main ones seem to be Riverside and The Honor Trading Post, we chose the Trading Post because they were friendlier and slightly cheaper.

Well folks, we are here in chilly but gorgeous Northern Michigan- Beulah to be exact and we couldn't have been welcomed better than by emerging from the drizzle that we followed all the way from Chicago. Litterally the moment we passed by Mukeegan the clouds parted, the rain stopped and the sun started shining. By the time we got to Beulah where we are staying it was sunny with high level clouds that prepared the way for a great sun set over Crystal Lake.

This is certainly a different land up here, the land is hilly and at least where we are, the dunes drop sharply into the lake area forming a panorama around Crystal Lake that reminds me something of the lakes in upstate New York - though on a much smaller scale.

If you have never been, fly fishing is as much an art form as it is a sport. While virtually anyone can stick a lure in the water and drag it behind the boat, fly fishing, IMO, requires even more understanding of your environment and brings you closer to nature - it is just you and the fish right there in the stream together.

There are trails of all sorts in this wonderful country, but North Carolina has created the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. If you love fishing and you love being out in god's country then you must at some point in your life visit this area.

One of the spots you should visit while in the area is the High Hampton Inn. Located in the heart of the new Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, the High Hampton Inn now features their very own fly fishing school!  Being the only trail of its kind in the U.S., fishermen can experience peak fishing in an area with temperatures that are generally 15 degrees cooler than lower-lying regions because of the 3,600-foot elevation.

The Boston Intercontinental now has an awesome mancation package, humbly titled the "Ultimate Boston Man Vacation". The package starts at $749, but it truely is an awesome package!

Starting with of course, one of the finest hotels in Boston, the package also includes deluxe accomodations for two, a "Power Breakfast" in Miel "Brasserie Provencale", a 30-min shave from "The Art of Shaving", a man-specific facial or massage at the SPA InterContinental, and a choice of one of their three fantastic excoursions - fishing, golfing, or sailing.

For more information, visit their mancation package page.

Every so often, I come across a cool town that isn't flashy and at the top of your mancation radar but might make a great destination for a quick guys weekend. One such town is Coos Bay Oregon.

Prior to a reader sending in the suggestion, I had never heard of the place but the name sounded funny and so I checked it out. What I found was that it has a lot of great stuff that would make a great guys weekend destination including fishing, boating, hiking, even some of the best sand boarding in the country.

Man Tripping began in early 2008 while my wife worked on building her women's travel website, Chick Vacations. While she build Chick Vacations, women's travel site focusing on budget travel ideas and exciting destinations in the United States - just for women, I began to get the travel writer bug as well! Quickly, I discovered that while there were hundreds of women's travel sites, nothing existed that was dedicated to promoting men's travel!

Man Tripping was Born...

Regardless of what you call it - Guys Weekend, Mancation, or a Boys Weekend, Man Tripping is the site to learn about new places to stay, explore things to do, discuss ideas, share stories, and maybe even meet other guys to join in on some awesome travel adventures for men.

What is a Mancation?

If you are reading this, then you probably already know what a mancation is and probably you have participated in at least one. Simply put, a Mancation is any excuse to get away from the real world, hang out with other men who enjoy the same things you do and have fun - without having to worry about your wife, girlfriends, or other female companions. It may involve drinking lots of cheap beer, expesive whisky, or sampling fine wines - or it can be dry. For the purposes of this site, we focus on a more mature interpretation of a mancation and only cover those aspects of being a man that would be safe to share with your wife - or your sons!

How you chose to enjoy your time is totally up to you and doesn't have to fit into any specific genre, but here are some common types of mancations or guys weekends that we cover on this website.

Mancation Ideas:

Like I mentioned above, pretty much any opportunity to spend time with the guys and away from the women counts as a mancation. However, many mancations tend to fall into the following categories:

Extreme Sports Mancations:

Extreme Sports Mancations focus on doing extreme things, such as sky diving, whitewater rafting, bungie jumping, heli-skiing in the rockies, and other activities designed to generate the maximum adrenaline rush.

Adventure Mancations:

While extreme sports are certainly an adventure, Adventure Mancations are once-in-a-lifetime trips such as running with the bulls or attending the La Tomatina Festival, in Spain, rafting down the Amazon River, or participating in an archiolgy dig in Mexico.

Metrosexual Mancations:

Men don't have to be cavemen and adrenaline adicts, metrosexuals are another audience that the travel industry is generating packages for. Metrosexual Mancations usually involve fantastic spa treatments, fittings for a custom suite, and staying at a luxury hotel with room service.

Outdoorsman and Leisure Mancations:

Hunting, fishing, golf, hiking - all activities that combine a love of outdoors with a scaleable amount of leisure and luxury. For instance, your hiking excursion could be roughing it on the Applachian Trail, or exploring glaciers in the morning, then returning to a fantastic lodge like the Chateau Lake Louise for high tea in the afternoon. Outdoorsy mancations are perhaps the most popular type of men's travel - but most guys probbaly don't even consider it a mancation. It is just having a blast with buddies from college, guys from work, or just spending some quality time as father and son.

Geek Mancations:

This is absolutely an under-rated and under promoted aspect of men's travel but as a card-carrying geek I think it is important to include things like going to E3 to hang out and "research" the latest and greatest new video games, to Gen Con for 24-hour marathons of Dungeons and Dragons and other RPGs, Comic-Con to see the latest and greatest new graphic novels, or Burning Man for, well... everything else.

Tour Mancations:

Tour Mancations are another very popular type of mancation. These typically take place over a number of years, or even just a few days. Examples of this could be a tour of all the Big 10 Football Stadiums, or attending an away game each year for your favorite sports team. Other examples include Brewery Tours, Wine Tours, or traveling the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. Often, the tour is just an excuse to go somewhere and the journey is as important as the destination.

Cruise Mancation:

Cruising is one of the most popular forms of travel and it is also one of the most affordable. Not suprisingly it can also make a great mancation. If you think that cruises are just for families, the newly married, and the nearly dead then you need to take a second look. Today's ships have TONS of awesome things for guys - including cigar bars, driving ranges, climbing walls and of course shore excursions and opportunities to explore nature

Educational Mancation:

Mancations can be educational too! This is a great opportunity to travel to Italy for a week of cooking classes, visit museums, or perhaps go to the Travel Channel Academy's Film School. After all, learning can be fun and it is a great excuse to go somewhere new!

Giving Back Mancation:

Typically mancations and guys weekends are selfish and oriented around "me time" or at least "us time", but being a man also means taking care of those less fortunate than yourself. Giving Back Mancations could involve traveling to New Orleans to help re-build houses for Habitat for Humanity, or maybe going to Africa to share your medical skills. Everyone has something they can do and this is a great opportunity to be a man, and doing good while traveling with the guys.

Staycation Mancation - Explore your Own Back Yard!

Finally, what if you can't afford to go to some exotic location or only have a few days and don't want to waste half of it traveling? A Staycation Mancation might be exactly what you need. This doesn't mean you have to stay in your home, it just means exploring your own back yard. Take your son downtown and treat him to something special that you remember from your childhood, or maybe rent a hotel room in the city and turn off the cell phones, stay up all night watching sports and drinking beer and enjoy not being nagged by the wife.

Like everything in life, it is important to be creative. These ten types of mancations certainly aren't the only ones, so I look forward to your feedback and getting to know you better through sharing your mancation photos and stories in our community!

If there is a single place in the world that it is safe to say that every guy has dreamed of visiting at least once, it has got to be the Playboy Mansion.

Now is your chance with this awesome sounding Summer Fling Party.

While the "Girls Next Door" are no longer there, there is plenty more to keep your eyes wandering including a tours led by Playmates, the Pool and Grotto, an Open Bar, and even special packages to make this the ultimate mancation.

As most of you already know, Michael Jackson passed away yesterday, June 25, 2009. As someone who grew up in the 80's this man had a huge impact on me, as he did millions of others around the world. So I wanted to share a collection of potential pilgrimage destinations around the country that you can visit to celebrate and remember this great artist, the Elvis of our generation.

The following Michael Jackson related locations don't have to be visited in any particular order and don't need to be visited this weekend, but are "must visit" locations for any true Michael Jackson fan.

If you have any additions please contact me and I'll add it to the article.

There are hundreds of great places to go for a golf mancation, especially along the South Carolina coast, but not many that offer virtually everything you could possibly want in the ultimate mancation or boys weekend. Luckily I was able to visit one earlier this spring! Wild Dunes Resort is located at the north end of Isle of Palms, South Carolina and the resort is certainly more than just another golf course.

Salt River Tubing is probably one of the most relaxing but fun macations you can take. Located in the beautiful Tonto National Forest near Mesa and a short drive from Phoenix you can spend the afternoon tubing down rapids in the lower Salt River.

Have you ever wanted to relive your past glory days when you were the stud athlete?

The Kramer Games, a series of events all around the country might be your opportunity to shine. Don't worry if you weren't a jock in high school or college, this is an opportunity to compete against other normal guys and have fun.

Of course, if you were a jock and kicked ass in basketball, baseball, or golf, this is your chance to show the world that you still got it!

Visiting Skydive Chicago was absolutely one of the best Mancations I have ever taken.

If you are looking for a high adrenaline trip skydiving with Skydive Chicago is the place to go. Skydive Chicago is located just west of the city in Ottawa, IL. Not only is this Chicago's Premier Dropzone but as far as I am concerned, they are also the BEST! With a 220 acre mega resort, top notch skydive instructors, and a vast amount of non-skydiving activites this is an ideal trip for guys looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush!

You can go whitewater rafting in the midwest? ABSOLUTELY! At Wildman's Whitewater Ranch in Niagara, WI, you can spend the morning surfing the rapids, and the afternoon enjoying a challenging rock climb, or perhaps a competative game of paintball!

I haven't had a chance to write stuff up yet about whitewater rafting, but certainly that is one of the great things to do for a guys weekend or mancation. A few years ago I had the opportunity to go rafting in Vermont and I had a blast. Whitewater rafting is a perfect opportunity for male bonding as it requires strength, ballence, wits, intelligence, and courage. Most of all, it requires teamwork and leadership or else your whole group is going to tip over or worse.

At the end of the day you and the rest of the group can share stories, drink beer, light a camp fire, and cook some great steaks. What more could you want in a mancation adventure?

So if going rafting is awesome, wouldn't being a whitewater rafting guide make the ultimate job?

Art of Manliness decided to find out as part of their "So You Want my Job" series.

Are you looking for a place where guys can go to get away from all the stresses of home life - spouses, children, weekend projects etc? How about visiting a place not to far away, a place where you can sleep in, play a round of golf or two, take a nap, eat wings, drink beer and enjoy a night of poker or billiards, all while enjoying a big game on the TV.

That's exactly what Carroll Valley Resort offers and it is located in the small Pennsylvania town of Carroll Valley, just outside of Gettysburg.

Click here for: 2010 Windsor Red Bull Air Race information.

Last year the Red Bull Air Race was split between Detroit and Windsor but this year apparently the host is just Windsor, though of course you should be able to observe the air race from either side of the Detroit River.

This year's event will be held June 13-14 and hopefully with lower gas prices it will be an even bigger success than last year, when nearly 750,000 people watched the air race.

Unlike last year when the naming rights and air race festivities were split between the Detroit and Windsor sides of the river, this year will be entirely Canadian. This is in large party due to the Canadian tourism agency that funded the 3.2 million dollars to bring it back, while the city of Detroit has other concerns besides tourism. As a result, all of the official activities will be on the Canadian side, including the airport, viewing stands, and other events. That isn't nessisarily a bad thing though as the two cities are seperated only by the river and the city of Detroit will benefit greatly from the tourist traffic being drawn to the officially "Windsor Red Bull Air Race".

If you are a guy and you have never been to a House of Blues you must check this place out.

There are House of Blues locations nationwide and if you aren’t a “blues” fan, don’t worry - there is a lot more than blues bands playing at these places. In many ways, House of Blues is a perfect destination for a guys weekend because they are unbelievably cool in that sort of magical way they are decorated where everything is just perfect from the lighting to the decorations on the wall.

That’s why I was excited to be invited out to Atlantic City to check out the House of Blues inside the Showboat Casino last month.

With gas more than $4 per gallon here in Chicago, I unfortunately had to cut back on my some of my travel plans. Unfortunately my trip to Detroit this weekend to see the Red Bull Air Race is going to have to wait until next year (I hope they return, or better yet, come to Chicago instead!). However, it made me start to think about some great guys weekend / mancation ideas that might not even involve traveling.

The term staycation has become a buzzword recently, mostly in reference to families cutting back on their family vacations … instead of packing everyone up and going to Florida the family will stay at home or near home and have a staycation instead.

But what about us guys?

What is the mancation equivalent of a staycation?

Camping Trip with the Guys:

So you may need a little bit of gas to drive to the campground, but for the most part, no matter where in the country you live there is probably a camp ground within an hour drive. Once at the camp ground, your gas guzzeling is over as you celebrate being a guy by hiking, fishing, boating, and generally enjoying the great outdoors.

Bird Watching:

Think of this as hunting with cameras and binoculars! Unlike hunting, there is no open or closed season, and there are great places to find beautiful and unique birds all around the country - even in urban areas.

Help Build a Home:

Since you are now starting to feel the pinch of high gas prices, imagine what it feels like to not be able to afford a home! There are projects all around the country, from Habitat for Humanity and other organizations.

Buy Something Fun and Throw a Guys-only House Party:

Instead of traveling at all, how about buying something cool for the home and throwing a party around it. This could be a new grill, home arcade machine, a margarita machine, kegerator, even an outdoor pool table. The money you could have lost on gas you can now enjoy for years to come. Just remember to buy something made in the USA where possible!