Men's Journal

You may want to stay in and finish the tournament madness you started two weeks ago, but don’t miss a chance to kick off April with music and wakeboarding in Arizona, bourbon and BBQ in Maryland, and movies and wine in Vail.

By Cannon Kinnard and Nate Storey

 

Red Bull Wake Lab, April 3-4
Tempe, Arizona

The energy in Tempe will be high this weekend as the Red Bull Wake Lab and Tempe Music Festival both hit town. Pro riders Parks Bonifay, JD Webb, and Adam Errington will be among the many riders who enter the Wake Lab (a floating set of ramps and jumps that looks similar to a skate park) trying to elevate their sport to new heights on Tempe Town Lake. On Friday at 4:30, riders will use state-of-the-art pulley systems to slide across handrails, slingshot onto an elevated pool, and spin off a 16-foot quarterpipe. Bands will take the stage right next to the lake on both Friday and Saturday, with acts such as The All-American Rejects and 3 Doors Down headlining the Saturday night line-up ($45 per day or $75 for a two-day pass).

Travel and Accommodations:
The Fiesta Inn Resort has a $99 special for Wake Lab and music festival attendees. They also provide a shuttle to and from the airport Phoenix airport.

 

Maryland Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival; U.S Naval Observatory, April 4
Timonium, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

Here’s a perfect weekend in the Maryland and Washington D.C area to satisfy your animal appetites for barbecue and bourbon as well as your enduring fascination with the stars. Start your Saturday off at noon in Tomonium, Maryland, at the Maryland Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival. For $30 you’ll get a sampler glass and access to 60 beers, more than 40 bourbons, and plenty of quality barbecue. Technically, Maryland is south of the Mason-Dixon line, so go ahead and ride the mechanical bull to the beat of live music by new wave rockers The Reagan Years. After a day of boozin’ you can hop on the Light Rail and ride the 45 minutes into D.C. for a one-time opportunity to checkout the U.S Naval Observatory at 3450 Massachusetts Avenue. The free open house, from 3 to 10 p.m., will feature a visit to the 26-inch Great Equatorial telescope and the 115-year-old, 12-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope. (Added bonus: You’ll be able to set your watch to the country’s Master Clock!) After dark the telescopes will be trained on the Moon and Saturn, so be sure to save a few brain cells after the Beer and Bourbon festival to geek out.

Travel and Accommodations:
Timonium is only 13 miles from Baltimore. If you’re too tired to make it to Washington D.C., check out cheap hotel options near the Timonium Fairgrounds, which will host the Maryland Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival. Once in Washington, there are plenty of lodging deals to be found.

Texas Muddy Trails 5K and Crawfish Boil, April 4
The Woodlands, Texas

Even master-planned suburban communities like to get down and dirty on occasion. The Woodlands, 28 miles north of Houston, hosts a unique race this weekend called the Texas Muddy Trails 5K, with a course that winds its way through the beautiful 1,800-acre George Mitchell Nature Preserve. Race Day registration is $30, which includes a pass into the Muddy Bowl crawfish boil after the race. Enjoy a sampling from the cook-off entry teams, live zydeco music, and if games and crafts for any kids you might be dragging along. For the golf enthusiasts, this quaint little township is home to the three golf clubs with course designs from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Travel and Accommodations:
The Woodlands Resort is a great spot to lay your head after the race, starting at $200 a night. If you’re looking for something less lavish, grab a hotel and rent a car in nearby Houston. Check rates here.

 

Vail Film Festival, April 2-5; Taste of Vail, April 1-4
Vail, Colorado

Those itching to get to the mountains should head to Colorado for the Vail Film Festival and the Taste of Vail wine and food event this weekend. The film festival will show more than 50 films, with the awards ceremony on Saturday night at the Cascade Theater (screenings will take place Friday-Sunday beginning at 11 am). Get things started at the Opening Night Gala on Thursday night inside the Donovan Pavilion. At 12:30 on Friday hop on the Eagle Bahn Express Gondola for a Taste of Vail’s Mountain Top Picnic at the Scenic Eagles Nest on Vail Mountain. And when you’re not being a cinephile or oneophile, carve up some of the fresh powder that fell on Vail earlier this week ($97 for ski pass; vail.com).

Travel and Accommodations:
There are nonstop flights from 12 cities to Eagle County airport, about 20 minutes from Vail. Alternatively, Denver is a two-hour drive. The Holiday Inn Apex Vail has $109-a-night special rate for the film festival and provides free shuttle service to and from the Vail Village.