There are as many reasons for guys to travel together as there are places to go: thrill seeking, personal challenge or just good, old-fashioned bonding time.
Come travel with these North Shore fellas on their journeys of Manly Mayhem.
Peter Heck, of Glencoe, made his first foray into buddy travel with a windsurfing safari/bachelor party around Lake Michigan. Ten guys, equipped with an RV, traveled with no real itinerary and relished the unknown and unexpected.
Heck felt it satisfied some very primal instinct, something that was almost wired into their DNA. The camaraderie of these trips—navigating the unknown—only served to enhance the bonding experience. “It’s the challenges you remember,” Heck says.
Some, like Jeff Dreebin of Riverwoods, plan and execute a more complicated trip. Dreebin participates in an annual whitewater-rafting trip that started 30 years ago. Guides and rivers are selected a year in advance and the group varies a bit year-to-year. While the Class IV and V rapids provide the adrenaline rush, the planning includes proper bedding, chairs, food and wine, so the guys can comfortably reflect each evening on the day’s activities.
Personal challenge is another factor for people like Bruce Becker of Glencoe, who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to honor a significant birthday. Armed with his love of Africa, a frat buddy and a couple of cousins, he summited after a six-day hike up the Western Breach. It’s a trip he would like to do again.
No stranger to demanding athletic feats, Mike Zafirovski of Lake Forest has completed an Iron Man Triathlon, CEO Leadership Challenge and biked with some of the best in the world. He has also traveled extensively with his three sons and finds their travel time together incredibly meaningful.
While the destinations and activities vary and the participants may change from buddies to sons, it seems clear that time away on a “men only” trip satisfies the inner caveman. These macho men return with a fresh perspective, ready to embrace the daily life that awaits them on the North Shore.
Looking for adventure? Here are some companies that can help plan your guy getaway.
Alpine Adventures
Big Five Tours and Expeditions
Horizon & Company
