California

Prior to last week I hadn't really thought about visiting Temecula - but after two nights at Carter Estate Winery and Resort, I can't wait to go back. Temecula is one of the many wine California wine regions and is located about an hour north of San Diego and two hours south of Los Angeles. It's nestled right in a fabulous part of California that is similar to the Rhone Valley and the Mediterranean. That means you're in for a treat here since it's more than just grapes. You've got olives and a big chef's garden used to prepare meals from over at the Vineyard Rose restaurant at their sister property, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa.

In the world of steak, sometimes bigger is better and other times it is all about being ridiculous and over-the-top. This $100 steak at Greystone Steakhouse in San Diego's Gaslamp firmly belongs in that second category. The 3oz Japanese Wagyu steak comes topped with 24 karat gold flakes, hand shaved black truffle and is served on a slab of fine marble. 

I think most of us have heard of a grape stomp - whether it is a memory from an old TV show like I Love Lucy or an email from a local winery inviting you to compete, it's a fun way to spend a late summer or fall afternoon with friends. I attended my first grape stomp as a guest of South Coast Winery in Temecula last week and it was an eye-opening experience. Not just for me - but for many of the competitors too. What seems like an easy task is actually way more complicated... if you want to win!

The first time I considered the idea of flying a Mexican airline, all sorts of thoughts went through my head. Would it be safe? Would I be able to communicate with the crew? And yeah... negative stereotypes popped in my head too. Last week though, Volaris invited me to join them to celebrate their new service to Loreto, Mexico from San Diego / Tijuana and it was a great experience. Sure, nothing is perfect - this is a budget airline but the price is right, the flight felt safe, the plane was very clean, and each of the staff that I met was friendly. Beyond that, there's not much more to ask for an airline... and frankly, I often find less from American airlines.

While conventional history suggests that the wine industry in California is relatively new - the truth is thanks to the Spanish Jesuit missionaries we've been growing grapes in California for more than 300 years! While most Americans think of "California" as a US state, "California" is actually the stretch of land that includes Alta California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. National boundaries and centuries of politics can make things complicated when it comes to a heritage like this. However, the role that the Catholic church's Mission System played is clear. So let's grab a glass of "missionary wine" and explore some history of wine in California and indeed that of wine production in the New World itself.

Northern Sonoma County's Wine Road has a fabulous assortment of hotels, inns, and bed & breakfasts available but the Geyserville Inn combined all of the best aspects of each type of property. The rooms were modern like a hotel, it was small and personal like an inn, and the restaurant on-site had the personality of a home-cooked breakfast that you might find in a bed and breakfast property. Whether you are looking for a place to stay on a guys weekend, romantic getaway, or even a wedding or vow renewal, this place is near perfect.

Ok, so that's a bit of a click-bait title since the reality is that almost every winery is unique and brings with it a personality and decor that is special in its own way. However, for guys who are looking for the "experience" of doing a Sonoma wine tour rather than the connoisseur looking only to visit their favorite, most technically excellent wineries, there are some vineyards and tasting rooms that are better than others. The sweet spot is when winemakers are able to blend excellent wines with a fun unique experience that guys of all levels will enjoy visiting. Thanks to the folks at the Sonoma Wine Road, for helping put this awesome itinerary together for us. 

In the past few years, it seems like virtually every casino in Southern California has transformed from a gambling hall to a full-on "Vegas-style Resort". Ironically, one of the largest casinos in the country, San Manuel Casino is among the last to embrace this trend (though they have their own hotel resort opening next year). Instead, they have what superficially seems like just another business hotel set in a commercial development. Looks can be deceiving though and Bear Springs Hotel is a fabulous property for anyone looking for a guy weekend getaway where they can do off-roading during the day and hit the tables at night. 

I absolutely love Alaska Airlines. They somehow have managed to maintain the small town friendly attitude that has made them an essential part of life for thousands of people on the west coast. They have now started expanding service at Sonoma County / Santa Rosa airport to and from a variety of west coast destinations and a huge perk about flying with Alaska is that wine flies free! That's right, you can check a full case of wine like you would any other bag - except there's no fee if you are a Mileage Plan member (free signup).

It’s a perfect time to be planning a summer or fall getaway to the beautiful California Central Coast wine country and the folks at Bianchi Winery sent over some images to entice me to visit. What do you think? Are you ready to head out to Paso Robles for a romantic wine weekend with great views, hot days, and cool nights sipping some of the best wines in California?

Casinos are an interesting place to visit. They are designed as a wonderland of fabulous experiences designed to get you to loosen up and spend as much money as you can in pursuit of riches. Increasingly though, the goal isn't just having you walk out with money... but instead feeling like you had an amazing experience. For a moment in time, you aren't a plumber or middle-management guy at a marketing agency. Tonight you are an international playboy dining on fabulous food, drinking spirits from the toppest of shelves, and maybe even dropping a chunk of change on that table you think is lucky. While most high-limit lounges are purposely segregated from the rest of the floor and guarded to keep the riff-raff out, The Vault Gaming and Provisions at San Manuel Casino brings that excitement and opens it up to anyone who might want to test their luck.

Compared to other parts of the country, Southern California doesn't really have a lot of great places to escape to on weekends. Truthfully there's amazing terrain all around us but really very few destinations that I can see wanting to escape to vs just doing day trips. While I've been to Palm Springs several times now, there's another answer that's even closer - Lake Arrowhead. It's quite literally a world apart and while it shares a similar elevation and crisp clean mountain air as Big Bear... it's a completely different experience.

There are a lot of trails in Southern California, but here's three of my favorites because they are scenic and have a variety of terrain but aren't too technically arduous. While the Colorado ZR2 is a phenomenal vehicle that can conquer pretty much anything that you throw at it, sometimes it's nice to know that and never test the limits. This is especially true for novice off-roaders since those limits are often YOURS, not the vehicle itself. These trails a great for exploring and having fun while getting away from civilization for a few hours.

Now it's 25th year, Taste of The Gaslamp is one of the biggest food and wine events in San Diego and it's a great opportunity to check out a bunch of different restaurants around town. I live downtown so I can walk to virtually anything I want - but I've gotten into a rut and only go to my favorites these days. Unfortunately the restaurant industry is a dynamic environment with new places opening and old places closing almost on a daily basis. This means that while I have my favorites - it can be hard to find new ones... before it's too late. So, this gave me (and other residents) the opportunity to explore them for one low price.

Babe's BBQ and Brewhouse is located in Rancho Mirage, CA about the middle of the "Greater Palm Springs" area and that makes it a great spot to meet up after a day of golf, off-roading, or in our case driving at the BMW Performance Center. With a combination of Latin Fusion, a variety of BBQ styles, and craft beer it's got something for everyone.

Today we're talking with Australia roots rock artist, Hamish Anderson about one of his favorite cities - Los Angeles. 

The BMW Performance Center in Thermal, California (Palm Springs) is one of my favorite places to visit. It's an interesting experience that sits in a great middle ground between a "racing school" and an "exotic driving experience". While those two ends of the spectrum tend to dominate this space, on both of my visits to the Performance Center I've found that their staff and facilities scales well to what the client wants and needs to learn. What I like about this approach is that your takeaways will be far more valuable than simply a a big smile on your face. These are skills that will ultimately make you a better driver and a better man.

For most people, a visit to Palm Springs involves fine dining, shopping, touring mid-century modern architecture, and golf. For me, Palm Springs represents all of that, but also a home base for some awesome off-road adventure. Not everyone has a good truck or the skills needed to navigate beyond the reach of pavement and road signs. That's why I'm a big advocate of taking a Jeep tour from a trusted operator. Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours is the biggest operator in the area and based on our tour with Lane and her Jeep, "Red Cloud" we can understand why.

Millennial and hipsters are changing the face of travel and nowhere is that more evident than Palm Springs due to the huge popularity of the Coachella Music Festival. For better or worse, as this two week festival grows bigger each year and brings more people out to the desert, Palm Springs it becoming a year-round destination for hipsters. Hotel Paseo, located in Palm Desert - about half way between the Cochella Polo Grounds in Indio and Palm Springs in the north end of the valley is in a perfect location to take advantage of this trend. We stayed there last month as part of a #MenWhoBlog trip and while it has all the elements that millennial would love - avocado toast, air stream trailers, and giant connect for games... it was laid back enough to not be obnoxiously hipster.

Father's Day is coming up and I think I speak for most men and we'd love a great big hunk of meat for dinner. There's a wide spectrum of options out there today from high-end steakhouses to grabbing a steak at the diner down the street but the middle space seems filled with marginal options. Sure, these chain restaurants are good but inevitably they miss the mark when it comes to quality, preparation, and atmosphere. That's why I was truly surprised after my visit to Black Angus Steakhouse here in San Diego earlier this week. Despite being part of a chain that's operated in the western United States for more than 50 years it felt like an independent location with good quality food and a fun atmosphere that while kitschy - felt genuine.