Men's Journal

Think you’ve got what it takes to be part of “the world’s toughest spectator sport?” Can you stomach a scoop of garlic ice cream? How about the brutal thrill of a redneck mud run? This weekend, you’re covered. With muck.

By Robert Moor, Chris Gayomali, and John Talty

Au Sable Canoe Marathon, July 24-25

Grayling, Michigan

Anyone who’s ever watched runners lope (or in some cases, limp) through the final stretch of a 26-mile race knows it can make for a surprisingly exhilarating experience—call it a contact runner’s high. This weekend, join the multitudes in Grayling, Michigan to watch a marathon of a different sort. The Au Sable Canoe Marathon, founded in 1947, invites paddlers to compete in the nation’s longest non-stop canoe race. Starting Saturday at 9 p.m., some 50,000 cheering fans will watch as the two-man teams hoist their canoes overhead and run in a dead sprint down to the Au Sable River. From there they paddle through the night and into the following day, aiming for Lake Huron some 120 miles (and six portages) away. Rugged stuff. And not just for the racers: the event is billed as “The World’s Toughest Spectator Sport” because a crowd of hardcore fans will follow the contestants from checkpoint to checkpoint throughout the race. The event website features a list of supplies a fan should carry, as well as the course’s 15 checkpoints and projected times for when racers will arrive. (A favorite spot is Alcona pond, where the fastest racers cut through the dawn mist.) The spectator guide can be found here.

Travel and Accommodations

The town of Grayling (three hours drive from the Gerald Ford International airport in Flint) is pretty slim pickings as far as lodging goes—mostly low-end motels and B-and-Bs. We suggest you rent a cabin on a nearby lake, just in case all that canoe watching makes you want to do some paddling of your own. The JR Resort, along the shores of Higgins Lake (27 minutes south of Grayling), has some; info can be found here.
-

Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 23-25

Gilroy, CA

Love garlic? Then the 32nd annual Gilroy Garlic Festival may be the closest you’ll get to your own foodie utopia. Last year’s gathering drew well over 100,000 attendees to help celebrate Gilroy’s eclectic mix of garlic-inspired edibles, making it one of the world’s largest food fests. This year’s menu features a thoughtful balance of mouthwatering snacks (garlic kettle corn, rosemary-garlic chicken sandwiches, and garlic rubbed fried artichoke hearts, for starters) anchoring a heap of creative foodstuffs for more adventurous palates (garlic infused chocolate, garlic watermelon, and the festival’s famous garlic ice cream top the list of weird eats).

The weekend’s entertainment also includes cooking exhibitions by Fabio Viviani of Top Chef fame, as well as an Iron Chef style cook-off featuring—surprise—garlic as the featured ingredient.

For ticketing and more information, refer to the event’s website.

Travel and Accommodations
Gilroy is an hour-and-a-half drive southeast of San Francisco, just off the 101 freeway. Lodging in Gilroy is pretty standard fair; if you’re up to it, drive an hour west to sit back and digest beachside in the breezy surf town of Santa Cruz. You may want to pack your surfboard.
-

Montana Mudfest, July 23-25

Haugan, Montana

Embrace your inner redneck and head to Haugan for a weekend of drinking, mud wrestling, and a bikini contest.

Almost all of the activities involve some variant of mud. One event former frat boys would surely love involves downing a beer and running as a four person team, in the appropriately titled “Chug ‘N Run.”

If gulping suds isn’t your thing but you still enjoy sloshing through wet dirt, the “Dash for Cash” money free-for-all might strike your fancy. Race organizers dump a bucket of bills at the end of a 150-foot mud pit and let participants battle their way to the cash.

Other activities in the Mud Games include a tug-o-war, a mud slip ‘n slide, and the aforementioned bikini contest. As part of the bigger festival, there is a concert and vehicle races in the “mud bogs”.

Tickets are $40, which gives you access to the mud games, mud bogs, and concerts, while it’s $35.00 to race.

Travel and Accommodations

If you’re into camping, you can camp at the Mudfest grounds for no cost. But if you’re looking to stay indoors, the Silver Dollar Inn is the place to be. Drive I-90 to exit 16; the closest airport is Missoula International.