Men's Journal

Try a different take on chocolates and roses this long weekend: Hear the call of the wild on a dog-powered sled trip in Canada, take a stab at some of North America’s premier ice climbing in Wyoming, or, between sips of local craft brews, boulder and surf the California coast.

By Chase Scheinbaum and Yang-Yi Goh

Dog Sledding in Algonquin Provincial Park, February 13-14

South River, Ontario, Canada

This weekend, embrace your inner Jack London and lead a team of Alaskan sled dogs across the rugged terrain of beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park. (Click here for more info.) Fall asleep as both the dogs and wind howl outside your wood-heated prospector tent. If you’re not a dog person, the area is perfect for a number of other winter sports, including snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing.

Travel and Accommodation

Fly into Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and rent a car. It’s about a 2-and-a-half to 3-hour drive to South River. If you plan on sticking around a couple extra nights, it’s best to stay in nearby Huntsville. There are plenty of hotels in town to choose from, but we recommend Cedar Grove Lodge. Its 19 rustic, eco-friendly cabins are perfect for kicking back by the fire after a long day in the cold.

12th Annual Water Fall Ice Festival, February 13-15

Cody, Wyoming

The frozen north of Wyoming beckons. Known as the Rodeo Capital of the World, Cody is also home to scores of waterfalls that line the Shoshone River Valley. These frozen tongues provide the venue for the 12th Annual Water Fall Ice Festival. Climbers can expect glorious ice climbing conditions with daytime temperatures in the high 30s, short approaches, and Bighorn Sheep sightings. In addition to the area’s Rocky Mountain charm and abundance of fat ice, it’s a gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

Hardcore snow junkies can have the park virtually to themselves — save for a few buffalo — for a ski tour if you’re staying a couple extra days. Yellowstone Expeditions offers fully guided ski tours, meals, and overnight stays in a yurt inside the park.

Taste the prime rib and a bit of Wild West history at Cody’s Irma Hotel, where Wild West personalities like Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane once stayed.

Travel and Accommodations

The Cody hotel offers ultra plush accommodations — there’s a hot tub — to warm cold digits after a day on the ice. Flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations are found in each of their 75 suites.

Cody is in a remote corner of the Rockies. You’ll be flying into Yellowstone Regional Airport if traveling by air, with many connecting flights going through Salt Lake City International Airport.

San Francisco Beer Week, February 5-14

San Francisco, California, and surrounding region

For a perfect weekend that involves perfect brews, head out to Northern California to catch the tail end of San Francisco Beer Week. With over 200 events spanning the 10-day festival, there are plenty remaining events scheduled for this weekend and a slew of Bay Area craft brews to sample.

Kick things off Saturday morning with the “Beerunch” at Barclay’s Restaurant & Pub in Oakland. Beer pairings will be recommended with the menu (click the restaurant’s link to view), but how could you resist MateVeza’s Organic Yerba Mate IPA, brewed with the South American tea?

Or if you’d prefer to wait until the evening to hit the hooch, check out Mickey’s Beach (a nudist beach as well as a climbing destination) on the other side of the Golden Gate for some classic moderate boulder problems, complete with soft landings and ocean mist. Click here for info.

Also try Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco for a unique melding of two of life’s great pleasures: beer and ice cream.

But what’s a trip to California without experiencing the legendary surf? Pack a wetsuit and zip over to Outer Sunset on the N Judah streetcar from downtown. Click here for more info about how to get there, what to eat while you’re there, and more.

You can end your nights in the area with $4 drafts at Alembic, where happy hour takes place from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Travel and Accommodation

Special Beer Week rates can be found at the following list of hotels for as little as $75 per night. Camping in redwood groves is an option, too, at Samuel P. Taylor State Park, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, in Marin County.

From San Francisco International Airport, rent a car or jump on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system and ride to downtown to hook up with the cable car network, if you prefer public transportation.