Check out 'mancations' for lads and dads
Having been worshipped and adored recently on Mother's Day, I'm reminded of a stand-up routine by Chris Rock. Rock talks about Mom getting all the glory and thanked for a great meal or helping with homework, but you never hear anyone saying "Gee, Dad, thanks for paying the gas bill so Mom could make that chicken, or thanks for the electricity in this house so I can actually see my homework."
Dads and their support often come in under the radar, so why not surprise him with a trip for just the guys?
Perhaps it will become a lovely tradition as in the Zapata clan.
"My father and I have been trying to take a trip every few years," reports David Zapata of Chicago. "I'm 35 and we're trying to continue the tradition. Being a die-hard New York sports fan, this year we're planning on seeing the New York Rangers open the NHL season in Prague. But the best trip we went on was to Tikal, Guatemala, and the Mayan ruins," he explained. "The combination of the history and culture of Tikal with the festive, neighboring Flores made for an amazing experience. Let's just say we drank a few Gallos (the national beer) along the way."
Craig Scharton, a Fresno, Calif., CEO, has shared a trip with his boy every two years, starting with a weeklong visit to D.C. when he was 8.
"When he was 10 we went to Hawaii; at 12, we went to Florence, Italy; and when he was 14, we did a road trip through the Pacific Northwest. We split our time between camping/fishing and hotels. At 16, we went to New Hampshire, Maine and New York City," Scharton says.
The guys put photo albums together, adding hand-written comments by the pictures. Scharton's son is a 20-year-old college sophomore now who shows his visiting friends the albums and fondly recalls those trips. A father-son trip allows the guys to learn new things about each other and share some remarkable memories.
What male brain wouldn't be excited at the prospect of a safari? You needn't cash in Junior's college fund because this is a domestic wildlife safari at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The ranch has a full-time naturalist who organizes and leads wildlife safaris specifically geared toward fathers and sons. This summer, the resort offers four-hour wildlife safaris every day of the week ($95 per person) in Grand Teton National Park at dawn or dusk and a Best of Yellowstone full-day safari ($185 per person, includes picnic lunch, park fees and more) three times a week.
You're likely to see all sorts of critters, including bison, moose, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes and birds of prey, and then chronicle your adventure in your own wildlife journal. You might want to join a naturalist on a scenic nature hike, for an astronomy night or on a campfire program. Dads with older sons might enjoy extended programs, such as wildlife photography workshops or a Wolf Safari Weekend to see grizzlies, black bears and gray wolves in the heart of Yellowstone National Park. Father and son might come to better understand their own feuds if they opt for a bighorn sheep rutting weekend. Bighorn sheep face off in head-butting duels for mating supremacy.
Summer rates start at $250 per night, including breakfast. Take a look at www.springcreekranch.com or call (800) 443-6139.
Put away the passport and map of Costa Rica and head to Ohio for a daring zip-line canopy tour. The Hocking Hills Canopy Tours is Ohio's first zip-line tour and includes 3,200 feet of zip-line cables allowing you to fly over rock bridges, fern-covered gullies and cross the bluffs of the Hocking River (www.hockinghillscanopytours.com). Whether it's their first time or 10th, the 2½-hour tour includes three sky bridges, a rappel and a progression of 10 zip lines, designed to accommodate novices and experienced canopy tour enthusiasts.
OK, you won't see monkeys and toucans. However, the Hocking Hills, in southeastern Ohio, offers camp sites, cabins, cottages, lodges and inns tucked in the area's hills and hollows, plus there are nine state parks and several nature preserves to explore. For a look at lodging, go to www.1800hocking.com or call (800) 462-5464.
You might want to travel to one place where there's a host of "mancation" activities from which to choose. The Greenbrier resort, located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, offers more than 50 recreational pursuits. One day, learn the history of falconry, the sport of kings, and work with the resort's trained hawks and falcons. (Beginner and intermediate lessons are available.) The next day, learn to fly fish for rainbow trout or drop your line in another spot for wild largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish. You can hire a resort guide for half-day and full-day fishing excursions at off-property private and public trout streams.
Hike some of the trails, bike the scenic Greenbrier River Trail, white-water raft the roaring rapids of West Virginia's renowned New River or enroll in a guided paddling clinic. Father and son can practice teamwork in the two-person kayak or go solo; the gentle water makes it a good bet for kids of all ages.
Trade the paddle for a spatula and join the Masters of BBQ, a three-day demonstration course filled with hands-on classes and tastings headed by noted barbecue experts. Class topics include How to Build a Fire That Lasts, Chicken and Ribs and Rub Making, and are limited to 50 students each. Each weekend package includes three nights' accommodations, a welcome reception, daily barbecue demonstrations and classes, a night cook and daily lunch in the classroom prepared by the students. Summer dates are June 29 through July 2, July 13-16 and Aug. 17-20.
Not intense enough for him? Watch the testosterone levels peak during off-road driving. Get behind the wheels of luxury SUVs and put the beasts through their paces on a specially designed, off-road course along the 6,500-acre mountain estate. The Greenbrier Off-Road Driving School offers lessons seven days a week for your speed racers. (Minimum age is 16; guests younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.) Call (800) 453-4858 or zoom over to www.greenbrier.com.