Facebook pxl

Showing posts with label Mancations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mancations. Show all posts

Gone Skiing: Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort

No comments:
I'm not a frequent visitor to Las Vegas ( any more ), and just like for most people, for me, Las Vegas has always associated with booze and gambling. But it doesn't have to be that way any more...

For those willing to venture about 45 minutes away from the Strip, will enjoy 30 acres of skiing/snowboarding terrain and beautiful scenery close to the glamorous city.



The Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort is located in the Lee Canyon area of Mount Charleston and has the distinction of being the only ski resort in southern Nevada.

I personally found out about this resort from the news recently.

The Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort the first ski area in the United States to open its lift served terrain for the 2011/12 season on Saturday, Oct. 8th.

There are only 140 inches of average annual snowfall, but the resort's snow-making capabilities keep the terrain 75 percent covered.

Before the opening, 9 inches of snow was a result of recent storms and the additional 4 inches was from LVSSR’s snowmaking effort. The snowmaking effort for the weekend used about 400,000 gallons of water from the area’s snowmaking pond, which holds 7.5 million gallons of water. This summer, LVSSR initiated a $35 million master development plan that will expand the number of trails to 50 and lifts to 10 once completed over the next 10 to 12 years.

Though, from what I read, the resort is considerably smaller than most popular ski destinations, this July, a plan was approved for a major expansion.

So, whether you're planning a mancation or fun with the family, bring your skiing/snowboarding gear with you.

Great mancation idea : Shooting real fully automatic machine guns in Las Vegas

No comments:

For many guys, Las Vegas is already # 1 destination to blow off some steam partying, drinking and gambling. The downside of all that is ....you won't remember shit drinking your face off for five days straight. But I guarantee you that no matter how drunk you are, you'll never forget this:
The Gun Store offers people the opportunity to shoot fully-automatic machine guns as well as handguns, rifles and shotguns...
I mean, we are talking about fully automatic M16, AK47, Uzi, M1A1 Tompson, M 249 Saw...



My suggestion, visit the store before you piss your money away on booze and hookers...because starting your story with : " I shot a fully automatic AK47..." beats " I got so wasted and almost hooked up with a fat chick..."


The Gun Store Las Vegas from nicholas Larralde on Vimeo.

"Easy Rider" Mancations

No comments:
Remember the movie? Two counterculture bikers travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of America and "Freedom". Classic! Why ? Because that movie captures the true reality of the open road and yet still had the philosophical edge.It shows that the adventure is not about the destination, but it's rather an odyssey of personal discovery. It questions what true freedom really is, whether anyone is truly free, and whether it can even fully exist ( now that's just LSD talking).



How many of us (men) have dreamt about becoming a "Free Spirit","getting away from all that", away from all those ''responsibilities''?

And what represents"Freedom" and "Free Spirit " better than good-ol' Harley Davidson?


EagleRider is the pioneer of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle rentals and the guided motorcycle tour business. Today, they are the largest motorcycle tourism company specializing in rentals of Motorcycles, ATVs, Dirt Bikes, Scooters, Snowmobile, and Watercraft.

You have a choice of : renting a bike, go on a guided or self drive tour, or go on a one-way trip between franchise rental facilities located in the most desirable tourist destinations in the world.

The self drive tours is a perfect idea for your next mancation. Self drive tour packages include:

-a late model motorcycle
-first-rate hotel accommodations
-a detailed day-by-day itinerary with lots of useful tips
-transfers between hotel and EagleRider location.


You can choose from a variety of 8-day and 3-day trips or have your personal "dream come true" tour custom designed by EagleRider's experts.

For Seattle EagleRider location visit their website here.

Guys extreme adventures in Washington.

No comments:
After my recent post about " mancations", I couldn't stop thinking whether guy's vacations should be just booze and strippers, "soft" adventures like biking, rafting, skydiving or something they will remember for a long, long time. I spent some time on the net and found some unbelievable adventures. Here are just a few of them: driving WWII tank, flying in a fighter jet, driving Formula 1 racing car, becoming a firefighter , special/covert/sea operations agent, piloting a submarine and more.
Everything from extreme adventures to extremely bizarre, like "pirate hunting" vacations to those interested in wielding AK-47's and shooting at pirates off the coast of Somalia ( just US$5,000+ AK-47's and ammunition available for rent each day).



Do we have anything that even remotely as extreme as those adventures in Washington State? Not quite, but here are a few ideas:

My first pick ( and my favorite one ) is...Stuntman School. Yes, right here in Mukilteo, Wa. This three week intensive training, with an emphasis on the most basic stunts found in film production, will include : precision driving,fire burns, martial arts, foot/stair/high falls, special effects and more. Whether you want to use this trainings to pursue a career as "stunt performer" or just want to perform your own basic stunts for your friends, you will have a lot of fun during those three weeks. To remember this unforgettable experience ( and show it to your friends), your entire training will be video taped. Who knows, may be you will become some big action star's double, living in Los Angeles or at least working at Six Flags or Disney.

My second pick is a bit more intense. While on a leisure walk around Pike Market, you are kidnapped and held for ransom. A terrorist attack closes the district and you find yourself in a fix. How do you stay alive? Let's start with... why you were at Pike Market... Just kidding. But if Pike Market happened to be captured by terrorists, you will need to know how to get to safety on your own and that what "Scout Urban Escape and Evasion" course will teach you. Even if you don't live in "challenging urban environments", you can feel like James Bond for a day and learn : " urban baseline movement and urban awareness training, the use of urban disguises and false papers/identification, lock picking, escaping from unlawful custody, obtaining and driving local transportation, the use of "specialized" urban gear, and instruction on how to develop urban escape and evasion go-bags, etc." Besides it's all very practical knowledge (the use false papers/identification,lock picking ? isn't it?) used in everyday life.

My next two pick are less extreme, but no less fun or practical.

NOLS - National Outdoor Leadership School takes people of all ages on remote wilderness expeditions, teaching technical outdoor skills, leadership, and environmental ethics in some of the world’s wildest and most awe-inspiring classrooms. No, it's not another adventure company. You won't be treated like a tourist and don't expect anybody to do everything for you. It takes practice to learn outdoor skills and time to develop leadership and the wilderness provides the ideal setting for this unique education.The Outdoor Educator courses, featuring backcountry travel, glacier travel, and rock climbing, are truly signatures of NOLS Pacific Northwest. One of their state-of-the-art facilities is located in Conway, Washington.
"The Pacific Northwest Trip Leader" one week course is designed for those who don’t have a lot of time or a huge budget but are motivated to learn the ABCs of leading groups in the backcountry.

My final pick is similar to NOLS with more in-depth approach to wilderness survival, ethnobotany, wildlife tracking, permaculture, and outdoor leadership. The Alderleaf Wilderness Certification Program prepares students to readily apply nature skills in environmental conservation, outdoor education, sustainable living, and beyond. With today's economy we all pretty soon will have to go back to our roots -learn how to build natural shelters, purify water, create friction fire, find wild food, and master a variety of wilderness crafts; develop the ability to accurately read tracks and signs made by mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects; learn how to properly identify, gather, and prepare wild plants for meals, medicines, and tools.
Tell me it's not practical? And skills like these will serve you for a long time.

But I am sure that is not all we have. There have to be crazier and more extreme adventures for man.

After my post on target shooting, I got a request to organize a "bachelor " party : booze, guns and camping. Isn't it the idea of "mancations" ? What would your ultimate "Man Adventures " be?

Dude, wanna go on mancation?

1 comment:
A recen article in the Seattle Magazine talks about the latest buzzwords in the travel industry, a spin-off on the girlfriends’ getaway marketing phenomenon-"Mancations". Although the term is new, the concept isn’t--as evidenced by the dozens of guy-getaway themed movies that have been around for ages ( "City Slackers",
" Without a Paddle", "Wild Hogs" are just a few).

So, what exactly is a "mancation "?



The Urban Dictionary, an online compilation of slang, offers seven definitions with the first:
"When men "engage in 'guy' activities that involve sports, camping, gambling, chasing women and most of all drinking amongst their ... male friends. No wives, mistresses or girlfriends allowed. Done in order to get in touch with their male-primal roots.Mancations provide the opportunity for men to get together and bond with guys from work or old friends from college"


Acceptable. But the way ?...

Although golf outings, sports events and fishing trips are the mainstays of male bonding, some of the fellas are branching out with high-velocity adventures like skydiving and bungee jumping, while others opt to kick back with spa treatments and back waxes.



Is there more to the guys' getaways than sex and drinking ?

When you were younger, what was you ultimate " mancation "? For lots of guys it has always been - Vegas, Atlantic City, Miami, Tijuana or the nearest strip club ( two days without leaving the club ? It happens).



But when we get older and our lives become busier and finding time to hang out is getting more difficult to find, do we still have to do " the old routine " (drinking, partying ), or is it the time to "confront our existential crises" and share our feeling ?

One thing is for sure, there is no " mancation" without booze. That's why many distilleries now days are capitalizing on this new travel trend. The famous Jim Beam and Knob Creek distilleries offer a guys-only tour of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail during National Bourbon Heritage Month ( did you know that in 2007, the U.S. Senate declared, by unanimous vote, September as “National Bourbon Heritage Month !).

You don't need to go "mancationing" in Kentucky, as our own Spokane’s Dry Fly Distilling—a boutique distillery that is one of Washington’s first—has become a popular destination for discerning vodka-, gin- and whiskey-loving men from around the Pacific Northwest. You will get hands on training opportunities in everything from Grain Handling and mash preparation to ...dealing with hang over ( not sure about that).

Following the footsteps of " City Slackers ", another " mancation " idea - Dude Ranches. Once you are boozed enough, make your way to the "K Diamond K Guest Ranch" , in Republic- an old gold mining town, 125 miles northwest of Spokane, where you can enjoy camping, fishing, hunting and white water rafting surrounded by fresh air and natural beauty ( make sure you watch "Brokeback Mountain" before going).



Too much bonding ?

One interesting fact :
Women's trips lean toward sharing life experiences ... related to their husbands, families, careers.
Men:
Men don't worry about other members' feelings.

And why should they? when there is booze to "taste" and women to chase- that's THE MANCATION !



Dude, you wanna bond?