We love our dear ol’ dads, but let’s get real. Shopping for Father’s Day stinks. When you ask pop what he wants on his special day, he typically mumbles something like “I don’t need anything.” Consequently, we wind up getting him another electric razor, a t-shirt, or an 8 pack of tube socks. Frankly, we’re tired of the tube sock scene and how many razors does one dad need anyway? That’s why we got our geek on and started brainstorming what dad really wants for Father’s Day.
What’s a Gift Experience?
Our research transported us to the magical land of experiential gift-giving. These are gifts that offer dad an experience rather than another soulless mug that collects dust in the cupboard. We’re talking full-on, sensational experiences that encourage smiles and are sure to manifest life-long memories. Dad might even get so jazzed by the adventure you facilitated for him that he may want to make it a family tradition for every Father’s Day in the future!
The key to a smash-hit experiential gift for dad is to get on board with his top interests. Is your dad a self-proclaimed chef? A Jack Nicklaus in his own mind? Maybe dad is a gearhead and loves classic cars, or perhaps fly fishing is his bag. You get the idea. Walk a mile in dad’s unwanted tube socks to get a sense of what he would love to explore or learn more about. In other words, don’t take him to a floral arrangement party if he’d rather be learning how to identify edible mushrooms during a foraging expedition (yeah, that’s a real thing, even for dads). Here are a few ultra-keen suggestions for those discerning dads in your life that will up your gift-giving game on Father’s Day.
Glamping it Up: The old days of dad hooking a pop-up camper on the back of the station wagon for a camping weekend are long gone. Sure, those were great memories, but a sophisticated camper dad is looking for a more refined experience in nature that doesn’t require him to trudge through the woods carrying a roll of toilet paper to conduct his morning constitutional. Icky! Enter the wondrous realm of glamping. This is a new era of camping that affords campers luxurious locations smack dab in the heart of any wilderness you can imagine. A little research into glamping sites will open up an array of unique yurts, accommodating cabins, and titillating tents in breathtaking settings that put the old pop-up tent to shame.
Crafty Beer Blasts!: To be clear, we’re not dissing our beloved Lone Star beer, but modern-day, discerning dads have cultivated their beer tastes more towards tailored, finely crafted brews. You could wrap a ribbon around an artisanal 6 pack of craft beer and give it to dad, but why stop there when you could give him an experiential beer adventure for Father’s Day? Think outside the six-pack and give pop a tour of some of our greatest local craft breweries. Or better yet, sign dad up for a craft beer-making class so he can concoct his own brews. Who knows, he might decide to pay it forward and make awesome ales for friends, family, or even you! We call that a beer bonus!
Culinary Quests: If your dad wears the apron in the family, there are loads of gift experiences in the cooking world he will love. We’re not talking about giving him a gift basket of hot sauces or dry rubs (although that could be cool too)…we’re talking highfalutin, rootin’-tootin’ down-home cooking experiences done in style. We Texans love our barbecues, and so do a lot of dads. So why not kick up this Father’s Day BBQ by exposing your spatula-wielding dad to the joys of luxury outdoor kitchens? Do some research into deluxe outdoor cooking, and you’ll find these are superior build-outs that allow your pop to create maximum culinary delights that will tickle the taste buds of friends and family invited to any backyard party. If an outdoor kitchen build isn’t an ideal experiential gift for dad, then consider taking dad on a full-on foodie food tour in Houston. These are curated culinary experiences that are certain to satisfy dad’s appetite for creative cooking.
Whatever direction you decide to go with gift experiences for dad, we hope these ideas inspire you to ditch the tube socks and start thinking in terms of full-bodied adventures for dad this Father’s Day. We know he will love the thought and research you’ve invested, and will appreciate being submerged in a new experience that will have him smiling from ear to ear. Happy Father’s Day ya’ll!
