We all know that our Cowboys make fabulous companions for weekend getaways. Thrillist created a list of the 25 best cities to spend a weekend, and it just so happens that a few of their picks are the cities where we have men.
- Philadelphia, PA
Must-eat/drink: Cheesesteak, duh. Get one at Pat’s. Or Geno’s. Or Pat’s. Wait, Geno’s. Aw heck, get one at both of these places.
Don’t leave without: While pics near the Rocky statue after you run up the art museum’s steps or at Pat’s and Geno’s in South Philly (aka “cheesesteak Vegas”) will probably generate the most interest on your social media feeds, if you want to quietly take in Philly’s cobblestone charm, snap up a sundae from Old City’s Franklin Fountain and stroll around the historic district. Or, head to Rittenhouse Square and read that book you’ve been meaning to finish while the city hums in the background.
Weekend highlights: Philly is more than Wing Bowl insanity, Rocky nostalgia, and gooey cheesesteaks; it’s a vibrant, unpretentious, blue-collar town and a perfect three-day destination. Between the world-class museums — the Barnes Foundation is a must-see — the gorgeous parks, peaceful walking trails, rockin’ live-music scene, and excellent food and drink, you will have a blast (even on a tight budget). In fact, with a little insider knowledge, you can find all kind of fun on the cheap. If you like a little culture mixed in with friendly comfort, Philly is the perfect place to visit
- Chicago, IL
Must-eat/drink: A burger at Au Cheval
Don’t leave without: An architecture boat tour, closing down a 4am bar, catching some comedy, getting out of Downtown
Weekend highlights: If you’ve never been to Chicago, it’s understandable that there are certain obligatory boxes you’re going to want to check, which is fine. Get that selfie in front of the Bean before hitting a museum or the aquarium if you must. Take an architecture boat tour (actually a fantastic intro to Downtown and the lakefront). Hit Second City or iO for some world-class comedy, and (obviously) consume the local holy trinity of deep dish, Chicago-style dogs, and Italian beef.
But you’re doing yourself a serious disservice if you spend your whole weekend tethered to the Downtown area, because the neighborhoods are where you find the city’s true pulse. Head north to Wrigleyville if sports are your thing, or to Lincoln Square for some Half Acre beer and incredible pie if they aren’t. Head west and walk the 606, a repurposed discontinued train line linking four of the city’s most vibrant (and delicious) neighborhoods. Head south to Bridgeport for the White Sox, yes, but also for Maria’s, a hybrid beer bar/bottle shop some call a “slashie” that you won’t want to leave. Just don’t spend your whole weekend within a couple of blocks of Michigan Ave, because you’re better than that.
- New York, NY
Must-eat/drink: Pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Deli
Don’t leave without: Waiting in line for the best smoked fish of your life at Russ & Daughters, drinking on a random person’s rooftop, visiting a weird museum, eating pizza in Brooklyn and dumplings in Queens, drinking at a dive bar until 4am, and ending a night at a 24-hour diner
Weekend highlights: You could spend a century in New York and still never eat, see, and do everything you’re “supposed to do.” You’ll probably feel compelled to eat at the city’s best restaurants and check things off your bucket list like burgers and pizza and cocktails, and you should by all means try a sampling of each of these — but there’s also a wealth of less-hyped activities and foods and drinks to be seen and had in New York City.
Go see “The Nasty Show” at the Comedy Cellar, a stage that everyone from Louis C.K. to Jerry Seinfeld has frequented, or check out one of our legendary live-music venues in Harlem. Eat your way through Chinatown for less than $5 and then ride the 7 train out to Flushing for the best wontons in hot chili oil of your life. Or, to see the Mets.
As for the other Met (the museum), if it feels stifling, go visit the Whitney or the Museum of the Moving Image instead. If it’s warm out, bike to the Cloisters or walk the Coney Island Boardwalk or head out to Rockaway for burgers on the beach. Before you drink cheap beer until close at a dive bar, treat yourself to one or two cocktails at a classic “old New York” bar that’ll transport you back to the ’20s. There are plenty of reasons to not spend your three-day trip waiting in line for speakeasies and Cronuts (though… those aren’t the worst ideas either…)
- Las Vegas, NV
Must-eat/drink: Wicked Spoon buffet at The Cosmopolitan. It turned the “buffet” concept on its head by offering better food in smaller portions, including tender cuts of meat from an in-house butcher shop. The idea is to sample lots of different gourmet dishes, rather than scooping as much mashed potatoes and shrimp cocktail onto your plate as possible.
Don’t leave without: Getting some action. Las Vegas is the hookup capital of the world and you can be a scoundrel on the prowl even if you don’t have a spouse back home. Invest in a table at a nightclub, spend a mortgage payment on bottle service, and watch the eye candy magically wander in your direction. OMNIA at Caesars Palace is a good choice if you like big-name DJs and crazy stuff that hangs from the ceiling. Or you can save a few bucks and have an actual conversation (if you’re into that sort of thing) at a historic dive bar off the Strip. Even the lobby bars in the casinos are great spots to meet someone new, especially all three levels of the Chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan. Just be careful your new friend isn’t looking for a business transaction. Despite popular misconception, brothels are limited to outside county limits.
Weekend highlights: Don’t blow all your vacation money on gambling. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of (maybe) scoring a big jackpot, but if you’re prone to rookie mistakes, stick to the penny slots. Speaking of mistakes… you’d be making one if you think everything in Vegas happens on the Strip. Make a detour Downtown where a new restaurant and nightlife boom is taking place. And if you need some peace and quiet, you’re just a short drive away from the mountains of Red Rock Canyon, the water of Lake Mead… and whatever you may or may not find at Area 51.
- Miami, FL
Must-eat/drink: Ropa vieja and Cuban coffee. Go to Versailles in Little Havana for the true experience.
Don’t leave without: Spending as much time as you can on the beach, or at the very least going out on the water. Miami is a lot more than just South Beach now, too; in a weekend you can see some of the best street art in the world in Wynwood, feel like you’re in another country in Little Havana (or, if you’re adventurous, Hialeah), and get a big-city experience among the steel-and-glass towers of Brickell.
Weekend highlights: The Miami you know from rap videos isn’t really accessible unless, well, you’re a rapper. So don’t think you’ll be making it rain at strip clubs and rolling around in a Bugatti all weekend. Come to Miami to enjoy some of the best food, nightlife, and beaches in America, and absolutely pack your wallet. Next to Manhattan it’s the most expensive place in country to party. But, hey, at least the beach is free.
- Austin, TX
Must-eat/drink: Brisket at La Barbecue
Don’t leave without: Swimming in Barton Springs, eating your weight in brisket, two-stepping unironically, and finding a new favorite band
Weekend highlights: Jaded old Austinites bemoan the fact that the city has become a revolving door of festival-goers, conference attendees, and bachelor party hooligans, but the reason Austin’s tourist economy has flourished in such a sometimes-frustrating manner is because it’s just such a damn nice place to spend the weekend. Its reputations as both the live music and barbecue capital of the world is well founded: you’ll find a dozen barbecue places that out-smoke most other major cities, and the wealth of local musical talent on any given night put even huge cities like New York or LA to shame.
Aside from barbecue, the food scene runs the gamut from chicken trailers to tweezer cuisine and approaches each style with a scrappy nature that you don’t see in more-established food cities. Beer fans will find a six-pack of fantastic breweries worth visiting, the cocktail scene is on the serious come-up, there’s no better place for sloppy bar-crawling outside of New Orleans or Memphis, and you can (and will) two-step with either a 75-year-old cowboy or a 25-year-old bearded dreamboat. In terms of non-gluttonous options, there’s a few solid historical stops to fill in the daytime hours (the state capitol building and LBJ Museum), but every minute not spent eating or drinking should probably be spent submerged in Austin’s antidote to triple-digit summer heat, Barton Springs.
- San Francisco, CA
Must-eat/drink: Half-cracked crab and oysters from Swan Oyster Depot; literally any cocktail from Trick Dog
Don’t leave without: Wandering up one of the many random staircases that help you climb SF’s famous, tiring-as-hell hills. The Lyon steps in Cow Hollow, for example, put you right into the Presidio, and give you an Instagram-worthy view of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and the Bay. And the ones on 16th Ave are worth checking out too.
Weekend highlights: Yes, we know that the tech boom and influx of people during the last few years have created animosity for a specific type of selfish city-exploiting people (namely tech bros and compassionless landlords), and that most of the rest of the country now views us in the stereotypes of newspaper articles and tone-deaf letters to our mayor. But guess what? It’s still a damn amazing and unique city, with beautiful hills and vistas and eateries and architecture you can’t find anywhere else. We still have one of the best city parks in the world (Golden Gate) with acres of trails that spill you onto the most random things, like nerds in full knights’ armor practicing their crossbows and swordplay, and our buffaloes.
The Mission still has the smallest concentration of the best burritos in the world (La Taqueria, El Farolito, etc.) and might actually be the best square mile to eat and drink in the United States. The Ferry Building feels like it should be a tourist trap selling SF sweatshirts and Alcatraz keychains, but instead offers up a dozen truly incredible eateries to hit before you cruise across the water to one of many postcard-worthy Marin towns. And speaking of tourists, if you want to play things that way, there are certainly worse things to do than eat fresh crab or bread bowls of chowder, or sip original Irish coffees in North Beach. Just avoid SoMa, bring a jacket, and embrace those hill-inflicted inevitable calf cramps, and you’ll be just fine.
- Nashville, TN
Must-eat/drink: Hot chicken/a Goo Goo Cluster (or three) and a Bushwhacker at Edley’s
Don’t leave without: Going to church, and we mean the Mother Church
Weekend highlights: Nashville is rapidly becoming as synonymous with food as it is music — hello hot chicken and BBQ! — attracting as many celebrity chefs as musicians and plenty of opportunities for delicious collaborations. (Planning a trip in the fall? Check out Music City Food + Wine Festival, founding members include Kings of Leon and chef Jonathan Waxman.) Take a guided tour of all the foodie hotspots with Walk Eat Nashville, hop on a Nashville Brew Bus to explore the local craft breweries, or treat your party to whiskey tastings at nearby distilleries like Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery and Corsair Distillery.
Having a great time in Nashville doesn’t mean you have to deplete your savings. There are more than 150 venues in town and many of them offer live music every night for FREE. And the honky tonks on Lower Broad play all day long, too — just don’t forget cash for the tip jars. You can even catch a show while buying records at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music or attend a live-to-acetate recording at Jack White’s Third Man Records.
While you definitely should hit Ascend Amphitheater, a 6,800-capacity outdoor venue on the riverfront, if you want to take in a larger act, there’s no better sound in town than one coming from Ryman Auditorium. As for sports, depending on the season you’re visiting, you’ve got the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, and the new 10,000-seat First Tennessee Park to enjoy a Nashville Sounds game. (Watch from the outfield on the patio of The Band Box with a frozen whiskey and Coke in hand. Just a suggestion.)
As you can see, lots of great choices for the cities where we have Cowboys. But don’t despair. If you want to go to one of the other cities, no problem. Our men can travel anywhere for a getaway when travel expenses are paid.
Source: https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-us-cities-to-spend-a-weekend-nashville-austin-charleston-providence