Men's Journal

Chicago Jazz Festival

Labor Day weekend is summer’s last hurrah, so spend yours kayaking under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, getting Jazzy in Chi Town, or beachin’ it at a surf festival on Cocoa Beach.

By Steven Kurtz and Nathan Storey

Full Moon Kayak, September 5
Sausalito, California

If your looking for a romantic getaway this weekend, take take a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Sea Trek Full Moon Paddle. Located just North of the city in Sausalito, enjoy a light paddle in a sea kayak right under the Golden Gate Bridge as the full moon rises in the distance. The expedition begins with a short introductory session on kayaking basics, so no experience is necessary. With the full moon rising over Angel Island, the lights from the city are that much more impressive from the water. Don’t forget to take a trip to Angel Island State Park while you in the area as well, as the island offers various hikes and bike rides as well as several secluded campsites. The Bay Area offers plenty of other outdoor adventures, including surfing and plenty of hiking trials. Check out Muir Woods to see some monstrous Redwoods and enjoy the crisp air.

Travel and Accommodation
There are several lodging options in Sausalito. There are many hotels to choose from but for the more adventurous, camp at Kirby Cove in the adjacent Golden Gate Recreation Area.

Chicago Jazz Festival, September 4-6
Chicago, Illinois

If kayaking and camping are not your cup of tea, experience a few days of top flight jazz music in Chicago’s Grant Park for the Chicago Jazz Festival this weekend. Going strong for over 30 years, this annual festival started when three smaller jazz fests joined forces at the mayor’s insistence. Enjoy several days worth of music, food, and fun with standout musicians including Dave Holland and Dee Alexander. Other possibilities for fun in the city: The Field Museum is definitely worth a visit, or if you find art more appealing than scientific findings, visit the Art Insititute of Chicago. Both museums are in the park area, just a short walk from the festival. Navy Pier is a little distance away from the park, but it is hard to recreate the feeling of riding the ferris wheel next to Chicago’s iconic skyline.

Travel and Accomodation
There are plenty of hotels to stay at when you’re in Chicago, so why not support the Chicago Green Hotels Initiative. Started in 2007, hotels that adhere to certain standards receive a Green Seal of approval.

NKF Pro Am Surf Festival, September 3-7
Cocoa Beach, Florida

This weekend will unofficially bring summer to a close, to the chagrin of many, but Cocoa Beach isn’t going quietly, hosting a huge surf festival and bash. The NKF Pro Am Surf Festival busts out of the gates on Thursday night at the opening party where you can schmooze with Hall of Fame surfers and enter a custom-board giveaway. The action gets started early Friday at Shepard Park where the Pro Am Surfing Competition gets underway. Keep the party going in the afternoon with live music at The Sandbar and the Mar Chiquita Bikini Contest at the pier. Hit up the taste of Brevard and Silent auction on Saturday night for the self-proclaimed “tropical party of the year.” When your tan is teetering on sunburn and you’ve grown weary of the sun, check out why the northeast of Florida is dubbed the Space Coast with a stop through NASA. The Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex is chalk full of exhibits like The Shuttle Launch Experience, which will probably bring you as close as you’ll ever get to the inside of a space mission. Let Tom Hanks’ baritone lead you on a journey to the moon in the IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3-D. Then spend Labor Day catching all the finals action culminating on the Cocoa Beach breaks.

Travel and Accommodation
Fly to Orlando and make the drive to Cocoa Beach. There are endless hotels to choose from depending on whether you prefer staying closer to the beach festivities or the Kennedy Space Center. Check them out here.

Print this article