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Adventure Travel and Sports

21 Manly Man Adventures

Time to Man Up

 by Erica Walsh

Tired of karaoke on the Lido deck? Sipping strawberry daiquiris in a lounge chair? Parasailing? Inject your vacation with a little red meat, beer, adrenaline and engine power. These are Travel Channel's 21 manliest vacations.

21. Bob Bondurant High Performance Driving School
Chandler, Arizona

Kicking off the countdown is the perfect experience for those with a need for speed. The Bob Bondurant High Performance Driving School teaches you to drive like the pros. The 60-acre racing facility puts thrill-seekers to the test and provides the rush of a lifetime. Racing courses range from four hours to four days, and the only experience you need is a valid license.

20. Whistler Blackcomb
British Columbia, Canada
A two-hour drive from Vancouver on the twisting Sea to Sky Highway is the best snow sport mountain in North America. Home of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the mountain is both demanding and enormous. From heli-skiing to dropping into serious bowls, Whistler Blackcomb will test your courage and your skills.

19. Casa Fuente
Las Vegas, Nevada
If you don't feel like a man unless you're puffing on a high-end stogie, then Casa Fuente in Las Vegas is your new home away from home. The vast cigar selection can be paired nicely with signature cocktails, wine and cognac. Casa Fuente at Caesars Palace is a great way to ease into a night on the Vegas Strip.

18. ATV Sand Dune Riding
Little Sahara Recreation Area, Utah
If your mother ever told you to play nice in the sandbox, now's the time to throw her advice right out the window. At the Little Sahara Recreation Area in Utah's Sevier Desert, you can get on an ATV and play dirty. Amid the area's 60,000 acres are the White Sands Dunes -- the perfect spot to rev up, grab some air and eat some dust.

17. Peter Luger Steakhouse
Brooklyn, New York
From the desert to the concrete jungle, number 17 is the original Peter Luger's steakhouse in Brooklyn. The no-frills restaurant does two things well: serve steak and serve drinks. There's no better restaurant to satisfy a serious appetite.

16. Teva Mountain Games
Vail, Colorado
The annual Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, hosts the ultimate extreme competition for outdoor adventure sports. Extreme kayaking, bouldering, biking and dyno-climbing are just a few of the featured sports. The games also offer live music and some seriously big parties. As the saying goes, go big or go home.

15. Exchange Club's Ribfest
Naperville, Illinois
Nothing says manly like ripping some meat right off the bone. At the Exchange Club's Ribfest, you can feast on ribs from 17 world-class rib vendors in addition to visiting the festival's beer tents and concerts.

14. Stanford Antigua Sailing Week
Antigua, The West Indies
Sick of going to the Caribbean only to sip frozen drinks and get a tan? You're not a girl -- so pack a little action into the Caribbean by heading to the annual Stanford Antigua sailing week. Participants from all over the globe flock to Antigua each year hoping to win what is now considered one of the premier sailing regattas in the world. Whether you're a spectator or a sailor, it's sure to be the best time you've ever had on the Atlantic.

13. Go Zero G
Las Vegas, Nevada
Sometimes you need an adventure that's just out of this world. Enter Zero G in Las Vegas, Nevada. For a cool $5,000 you can climb aboard Zero G's Boeing 727 and experience pure weightlessness.

12. Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world's bourbon, which happens to be America's only native spirit. Sign up for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and, sure, you'll learn about the history of the drink and the process by which it's made -- but, most importantly, you'll taste a whole lotta bourbon.

11. Desert Mountain Biking
Moab, Utah
It's time to get dirty, sweaty and tired. Head to Moab, Utah, for some of the country's best mountain-biking. Utah's sun-baked sandstone is what bikers call "slick rock" and it allows for better traction and a more serious ride. Ride along the Colorado River through Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, then on to Dead Horse Point State Park.

10. Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
San Francisco, California
If you're looking to put your endurance to the test, look no further than the Accenture Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. The race includes a 1.5-mile swim from Alcatraz Island, an 18-mile bike ride on the Great Highway through Golden Gate Park and concludes with an 8-mile run through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

9. Great White Shark Diving
Guadalupe Island, Mexico
From San Diego you'll travel 200 miles south to Mexico's Guadalupe Island for what is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Shark Diver tours will place you inside a steel cage where you'll come face-to-face with the ocean's ruling predator. A five-day all-inclusive adventure can be yours for $3,100.

8. Invasion of Normandy Paintball War
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Gear up and head into battle at Skirmish USA's Invasion of Normandy Paintball War. For one weekend each year, they recreate the Invasion of Normandy with over 3,000 paintball soldiers. Get a team together and head once more into the breach.

7. Motorcycle Week
Laconia, New Hampshire
This year marks the 86th anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week. Throw on some leather, and get some power between your legs -- the festival features live music, a bike-building competition and, of course, races.

6. Rafting the Zambezi River
Zambia
Number 6 on the countdown takes us a world away from New Hampshire. In Zambia only the truly brave of heart risk whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River. The river is classified as a high-volume, pool drop river, and it floods between February and the end of June. At times, the volume is four times that of the Colorado River, so make sure you're prepared before running the Zambezi.

5. Guinness Storehouse Tour
Dublin, Ireland
Next up is a close encounter with man's real best friend: Guinness. The Guinness Storehouse tour will take you step-by-step through the brewing process and the tasting laboratory. The tour ends at the Gravity Bar overlooking Dublin. Here you'll enjoy a complimentary pint of Guinness and find yourself realizing it really is a lovely day for a Guinness

4. Baja 1,000
Baja California, Mexico
Each fall, the Baja 1,000 lures risk-loving speed freaks in all vehicle classes to rip through one of the world's most dangerous racecourses. Enter the race for $200, but make sure to sharpen your driving skills -- this race is in the big league.

3. Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Come on, it's the City of Sin. Where else can you get a steak cooked to perfection, gamble at blackjack and poker tables, take a spin at the roulette wheel, smoke a high-end stogie and enjoy some adult entertainment? It's Vegas. ‘Nuff said.

2. Bungee Jump
Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa
For one of the world's sickest adrenaline rushes, bungee jump off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa. It's the highest single-span arch bridge in the world and the jump from the top is the world's highest commercially operated bungee jump. Test your manhood as you perch from the catwalk and prepare to plunge over 235 yards. Yes, that's over two football fields straight down.

1. Kings and Corn Trip
Chugach Gorge, Alaska
The number-one adventure takes place in the rugged Alaskan wilderness. Experience five days of non-stop action on the Kings and Corn Trip featuring King Salmon fishing, corn-snow heli-skiing and white-water rafting. Hiking, fishing and extreme sports -- you can't get more manly than that.



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