In what should become a really awesome regular feature on this here blog, I am taking a question from a reader. Here it is:
Dear Bark,
Long time reader, first time writer here. I‘m looking to go spend the weekend with some friends of mine somewhere fun. We are all about your age (mid-30’s) and some of us are single and some are not but have been given a “hall pass” for a weekend. They’re all thinking Vegas but I think that’s kind of cliché. Where would you go if you could pick somewhere in the US to go for a guy’s weekend and do it relatively cheap?
Thanks,
(redacted)
Oh, dear Redacted, I have just the answer for you. But you’ll have to click the jump (or look at the above picture) to find out.
First things first—you’re right. Vegas is completely cliché. I’ve been to Vegas enough (exactly once) to know that the kind of guys who go to “VEGAS BABY!!! YEAH! LETS DO THIS!!” pretty much always end up going home broke and full of tears and regrets. Unless you are truly a professional-level gambler (check) who doesn’t mind going up and down as much as a couple grand at a time (check, check), Vegas isn’t for you. You can’t afford to do Vegas correctly “relatively cheap.” You either need to spend a bunch of money, or you need to gamble enough to get comped everything on your NEXT trip. Vegas isn’t for you guys.
No, you need a city where you can do nearly anything you want (fine dining, beaches, shopping, nightclubs) but do it where there is a much better ratio of women to men, and where there is much less of a chance that you’ll be surrounded by douchebag amateurs.
The only real answer for you is Miami.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Book your stay at The Surfcomber on Miami Beach.
- Book dining reservations at Zuma
- Go to Nikki Beach, Clevelander, LIV, and Mansion at night
- Shop on Lincoln Mall during day
- Rinse, Repeat
Listen, you’re going to lose money in Vegas. You just are. So go have all of the nightlife and shopping, better weather, much better pools, and more beautiful people in Miami.
You’re welcome.
Send “Ask Bark” questions to barkm302@gmail.com. They can be about anything—relationships, travel, cars, music, etc. You’ll be glad you did.