This is but one installment of 37 Things a Man’s Gotta Do This Summer, our annual compendium of everything worth seeing, doing, eating, drinking and generally making time for in your neck of the woods between now and September. Stay tuned all month for more.
The biggest crisis facing American men isn’t smoking or obesity. It’s loneliness.
And according to a study out of Oxford University, there’s one very simple way to fix this: spend more time with your friends.
So we compiled five superlative boys weekends near Los Angeles, engineered to satisfy every budget and preferred method of fraternizing.
Want to sleep under a sequoia … for $5 a night? Annex a surfing ranch? Experience Yellowstone from the fly-fishing resort of kings?
It’s all in there. Howling at the moon optional — though certainly encouraged.
The Shoestring: Camping in Sequoia National Park
Head over to Adventure 16 to pick up a tent and any other gear you may need … Book at either the Sunset Campground or the Azalea Campground — both have bear boxes and tree cover between sites … Grant’s Tree or Sherman Tree are huge, but so are their crowds. Fewer people will be on the Cedar Grove Trail … For dining beyond the campfire, Grant Grove Restaurant is new and serves a mean egg benny for that pre-departure brunch.
The Post-Grad: Surfing and Partying in Newport Beach
Who needs a swimming pool when you have the beach a few steps away at this eight-head beach pad? … Spend the day on the beach or a paddleboard from Island Paddle Board … Bear Flag Fish Co. has sushi-grade fish tacos and fresh coconuts to replenish your electrolytes … Hit 3-Thirty-3 for standard waterfront dining at night, and if you haven’t been nabbed by a cougar, head to Cassidy’s for some dive-bar action … On the way out of town, hit the Tackle Box for a b’fast burrito.
The Rainy-Day Fund: Surfrider Malibu
If you want to wake up and hit the break or zoom over to Zuma, it’ll be easy-peasy from Surfrider, a recently remodeled inn with beachy rooms and a roof deck where you can drink some cold ones … First night in, catch up with the crew and eat mind-blowing sushi at Nobu Malibu … The next day, book a late steak and eggs brunch at The Old Place in the hills … Once it’s digested, head to the Malibu Creek State Park for a little jump in the Rock Pool … Saturday night, hit the Saddle Peak Lodge for venison steaks and then a glass (or three) of Mackinlay’s Shackleton Rare Old Highland Malt in Saddle Peak’s new whiskey lounge, The Double Barrel Room.
Mexico City (3 images)
The Splurge: Mexico City
Mexico City is high up, cool in the summer and very urban, so dress accordingly … With its stucco arches and exposed wood beams, Busue is an 11-room boutique that was once the home of a famous Mexican journalist … Check out the Aztec temple beneath the Metropolitan Cathedral … Eat marrow sopas at Comedor Jacinta or drop some coin on Oswaldo Oliva’s 13-course tasting menu at Lorea, and kick off the day with pastries at NiN Coffee … At night, drink shaman cocktails at Xaman, catch a luchador wrestling match at Arena México or get down at either MONO or SENS, two superb nightclubs.
The Blank Check: Amangani Jackson Hole
You can’t beat the one-stop shop of white-glove services provided by the Amangani in Jackson: private horseback riding through Yellowstone or blue-ribbon guided fly-fishing. And the private villas are among the best in the world … Book through LAX’s private terminal to ensure quicker departure and hassle-free arrival … The food at the Amangani ranges from local elk to with grilled figs to tequila ceviche, all of which can be enjoyed while overlooking the Snake River Valley … In town, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar offers a standard Western experience, while The Rose is a cocktail saloon from the same folks behind The Walker Inn.
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