Activities for dudes?
December 30, 2014 12:02 PM Subscribe
Surprising my boyfriend with a man-weekend. What does that mean?
My boyfriend's birthday is in Feb. I'm planning on flying his close friend (whom he hasn't seen for about a year, but was besties with in law school) in for Saturday/Sunday of my boyfriend's birthday weekend. My boyfriend also has a close friend in town that we spend time with frequently, who would be invited. All parties went to law school together and are close.
My plan is to surprise my boyfriend with his out-of-town friend and have our close-to-home friend meet up later on Saturday afternoon, and the three of them could hang out.
My question: What fun activity/event(s) can I send the three of them off to?
We are located in Sacramento and all parties are male, early 30's lawyers.
Possible complication: I was thinking beer tasting, but the out of town friend is Mormon and MAY not drink.
My boyfriend's birthday is in Feb. I'm planning on flying his close friend (whom he hasn't seen for about a year, but was besties with in law school) in for Saturday/Sunday of my boyfriend's birthday weekend. My boyfriend also has a close friend in town that we spend time with frequently, who would be invited. All parties went to law school together and are close.
My plan is to surprise my boyfriend with his out-of-town friend and have our close-to-home friend meet up later on Saturday afternoon, and the three of them could hang out.
My question: What fun activity/event(s) can I send the three of them off to?
We are located in Sacramento and all parties are male, early 30's lawyers.
Possible complication: I was thinking beer tasting, but the out of town friend is Mormon and MAY not drink.
Response by poster: Yes, I know I'm generalizing re: "what men like," but I would love as many suggestions as possible. They are the types of guys that would have a good time doing pretty much anything. Overall, less outdoorsy, I'd say.
posted by brynna at 12:06 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by brynna at 12:06 PM on December 30, 2014
Best answer: You should have his friends give you a list of things they like to do.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:07 PM on December 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:07 PM on December 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
I can appreciate that you want to get as wide a range of responses as possible, but, I mean, some men like strip clubs and gun ranges and Texas Hold'Em, some men like bespoke suits and barber shaves and single-malt Scotch, some men like pinball and microbrews and pizza places with a bunch of wacky toppings, some men like Crossfit and paleo and MMA, some men like antique stores and afternoon tea with artisanal macaroons. Not many men like all of those things. But all of those things are options.
Like I say, I can appreciate it that you want a wide range of responses. Here's another way we might improve the signal/noise ratio and narrow things down to a more useful set: if you let us know when in February this is happening, there's a good chance that someone will be able to offer some Sacramento-specific special-event possibilities.
posted by box at 12:19 PM on December 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
Like I say, I can appreciate it that you want a wide range of responses. Here's another way we might improve the signal/noise ratio and narrow things down to a more useful set: if you let us know when in February this is happening, there's a good chance that someone will be able to offer some Sacramento-specific special-event possibilities.
posted by box at 12:19 PM on December 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
If they are into guns, the Cordova Shooting Range in Rancho rents guns out for reasonable prices. Ammo is kind of expensive though, so they may want to pick some up elsewhere.
posted by sacrifix at 12:21 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sacrifix at 12:21 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yes, I know I'm generalizing re: "what men like," but I would love as many suggestions as possible.
Well, my husband likes crocheting and so a trip to a yarn store with comfy chairs and good coffee would be a great afternoon for him. Then going out to the orchestra or a Sarah Mclaughlin concert would be perfect.
So what you're really going to get are either: answers based on sexist stereotypes of what "men" like that "women" don't, or suggestions of things that "people" like.
I would ask his friends for ideas of stuff that they might want to do.
posted by sparklemotion at 12:22 PM on December 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
Well, my husband likes crocheting and so a trip to a yarn store with comfy chairs and good coffee would be a great afternoon for him. Then going out to the orchestra or a Sarah Mclaughlin concert would be perfect.
So what you're really going to get are either: answers based on sexist stereotypes of what "men" like that "women" don't, or suggestions of things that "people" like.
I would ask his friends for ideas of stuff that they might want to do.
posted by sparklemotion at 12:22 PM on December 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: They like fixing things, thrift store shopping, NPR, bespoke suits (yep!), trivia and challenges, cars, whiskey, gambling, beer, and fancy fountain pens. This would be Feb 7/8.
Thanks!
posted by brynna at 12:27 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thanks!
posted by brynna at 12:27 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Whiskey tasting?
Tickets to one of the NPR trivia shows, if they record nearby?
Buy them a really good single-malt and a poker set and let them have a classy-ish "guys night"?
I have some overlapping interests with your boyfriend/his friends (though I'm not really into fixing things or bespoke suits), and those are all activities - some of which could be construed as "manly" - that I would enjoy.
posted by breakin' the law at 12:38 PM on December 30, 2014
Tickets to one of the NPR trivia shows, if they record nearby?
Buy them a really good single-malt and a poker set and let them have a classy-ish "guys night"?
I have some overlapping interests with your boyfriend/his friends (though I'm not really into fixing things or bespoke suits), and those are all activities - some of which could be construed as "manly" - that I would enjoy.
posted by breakin' the law at 12:38 PM on December 30, 2014
Best answer: Go kart racing! (We haven't gone to that specific place since we live closer to the Bay Area than Sac)
Racing could be a first activity for the day, before any drinking or evening specific plans.
posted by Swisstine at 12:45 PM on December 30, 2014
Racing could be a first activity for the day, before any drinking or evening specific plans.
posted by Swisstine at 12:45 PM on December 30, 2014
Sacramento? Kings game.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:56 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:56 PM on December 30, 2014
Best answer: The answers you're looking for may be too specific for the Internet to supply since my version of a guys weekend (remote cabin, guns, booze, video games, explosives) might not appeal to your boyfriend and his friends at all. Ask his two close friends what they used to do for fun back in college. Have them do some variation of that.
He may just want to catch up with his friends if he hasn't seen them in a while. Something as simple as a gift card to a really nice steakhouse might go a long way.
posted by Diskeater at 1:03 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
He may just want to catch up with his friends if he hasn't seen them in a while. Something as simple as a gift card to a really nice steakhouse might go a long way.
posted by Diskeater at 1:03 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Pay for a rented Mustang/Jag/other fancy car for the weekend.
Could you arrange for a personal shopper/fitting at a fancy men's clothing store? (that one could be awkward, b/c who is going to pay for what they choose) Maybe you could get the BF a gift certificate to said fancy habedasher or whatever that is enough to pay for *his* suit and his buddies could tag along?
Are there any distillers near you that have tastings? If not, how about microbreweries or wineries?
Is there a Puzzle Room type facility nearish to you guys? You know, the type where your team has an hour to escape from a room by solving riddles/puzzles? Here is a San Francisco example. Minneapolis.
posted by sparklemotion at 1:33 PM on December 30, 2014
Could you arrange for a personal shopper/fitting at a fancy men's clothing store? (that one could be awkward, b/c who is going to pay for what they choose) Maybe you could get the BF a gift certificate to said fancy habedasher or whatever that is enough to pay for *his* suit and his buddies could tag along?
Are there any distillers near you that have tastings? If not, how about microbreweries or wineries?
Is there a Puzzle Room type facility nearish to you guys? You know, the type where your team has an hour to escape from a room by solving riddles/puzzles? Here is a San Francisco example. Minneapolis.
posted by sparklemotion at 1:33 PM on December 30, 2014
Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but I'm realizing I should have phrased the question: "What does your ideal weekend with your two best friends look like?" and siphoned off answers from there...
posted by brynna at 1:45 PM on December 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by brynna at 1:45 PM on December 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
If you and your BF live together, how about you stay with a friend and let them use your place as home base? Or why not rent them a small place up in Tahoe? That'd be a great weekend to me -- if someone flew in my friends (and their partners?), rented us a cabin up in Tahoe with a nice hot tub and deck, stocked the fridge, and left us lift tickets for one of the days.
posted by slidell at 3:02 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by slidell at 3:02 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Adventure sail on the Hawaiian chieftain in Oakland?
posted by small_ruminant at 3:21 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by small_ruminant at 3:21 PM on December 30, 2014
Something with a boat.
posted by oceanjesse at 4:22 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by oceanjesse at 4:22 PM on December 30, 2014
My ideal weekend with my best friends? Being locked in a recording studio in the woods...not sure how this is helping you, though. Why not just ask him or his friends?
posted by destructive cactus at 5:32 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by destructive cactus at 5:32 PM on December 30, 2014
My ideal weekend with my best friends (my best friends are women, but I don't know that it really matters)? There's a lot of great conversation. There are some times to just chill and enjoy each other's company. There are some games--card, board, video, bar trivia, something. There's something lightly physical--a bike ride, a hike, a long walk. There's a chance to be pampered. There's a museum or gallery, and a jazz or soul or hip-hop or experimental music show, or at least an indie movie or a karaoke night or something, and some great restaurant meals, and some great ones that we cook together, probably after a trip to the farmers market. There's some great booze, or, if people are into it, some, y'know, other great stuff. I don't know that your dude and his buddies would like any of that stuff, but I sure would, and I applaud your desire to make something like that happen for your dude and his buddies.
posted by box at 6:23 PM on December 30, 2014
posted by box at 6:23 PM on December 30, 2014
Was trying to find a track where you can rent them a racecar to drive, but came across this instead: http://www.cloud9living.com/sacramento. Lots of experience-y gift ideas there: hot air balloon, anyone? Hang gliding lessons; mammoth cave adventures... so many activities...
posted by hydra77 at 8:22 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by hydra77 at 8:22 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 12:04 PM on December 30, 2014 [1 favorite]