Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

Will Smith will welcome five lucky Airbnb renters who snag $30 bookings for overnight stays at the real “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” mansion from the ‘90s sitcom. Royal perks include meals served on silver platters, a fly wardrobe, and turntables like DJ Jazzy Jeff’s. Book it at 11am PDT 9.29.20 for October 2, 5, 8, 11 or 14.

With wildfires ravaging the US West, Colorado’s Wild Barn Coffee is donating 100% of their profits on National Coffee Day, 9.29.20, to the GlobalGiving CA Wildfire Relief Fund. Wild Barn’s organic Nitro Cold Brew is spiked with two antioxidant superfoods: goji berries and cacao nibs. Sold in 6- and 12-packs.

The #1 bar in Victoria, BC and one of Canada’s 50 best, the gorgeous Q Bar at the iconic Fairmont Empress is a wowser. Equally stunning is its magical signature drink which changes colors from bold indigo to soft pink. Canada’s oldest craft distillery, Victoria Distillers, created indigo Empress 1908 Gin to do the trick.

Whether you’re new to golf or a high-handicap player needing to break bad habits, Wilson Golf’s Launch Pad Graphite Irons optimize loft so your swing floats above the turf, resulting in higher ball flight. These clubs really get the ball airborne, thanks to hollow construction that maximizes speed and distance.

A “monsterpocalypse” forces what’s left of humanity to take refuge underground. As survivors pair off, Joel braves the surface, facing the monsters between him and his high school sweetheart. Potentially as fun as “Zombieland” but with Michael Rooker in the Woody Harrelson role. VOD release drops 10.16.20.

Raise a glass to help local bars during Negroni Week. Through 9.20.20, Campari will match donations up to $200K to support unemployed bar workers. Others are donating a share of sales, like Cocktail Kingdom’s finger stirrers, Kegworks kits, Shaker and Spoon, Minibar delivery, and Campari purchases via ReserveBar.

Sleep easy with a clear conscience on silky-smooth, eco-friendly, cruelty-free Ettitude CleanBamboo lyocell bedding. Sustainably made from organic bamboo, it’s hypoallergenic and naturally thermoregulating for extra comfort as summer transitions into fall. Sheets and duvets come in 11 shades.

Since 1924, a blazing effigy culminates Zozobra, Santa Fe’s annual festival. The 50’ tall, villainous puppet is stuffed with 1,000s of “glooms” as kindling to burn away fears, failings, and flaws – from past-due bills to divorce papers. This year everyone will virtually torch glooms and watch the bonfire live 9.4.20, 8pm MDT on KOAT.

Your artisanal sourdough starter? No one is impressed. To wow ‘em with a truly badass skill, pop open a champagne bottle with a sword. Award-winning bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler – author of the The Bar Book – created Cocktail Kingdom’s machete-styled champagne sabre to help you perform the nifty trick.

After maturing eight years in Kentucky, Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon is aged another 5-10 months at sea on an Ocearch shark-tagging ship, crossing the equator four times, and visiting ports on five continents. Sounds gimmicky, but the salt air, temperature shifts, and the rocking of the ship is your passport to complex flavors.

As if the pandemic isn’t scary enough, paranormal fans will soon be able to enter the Upside Down at Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience. In October 2020, Downtown L.A. will become 1985 Hawkins, Indiana for a trippy one-hour road trip (in your own car for safe distancing) through the Starcourt Mall, Russian Labs, and more.

Bike Shed Motorcycle Club is an awesome London venue for food, drinks, events, and all things motorcycle. To celebrate BSMC’s opening in L.A., they teamed up with Indian Motorcycle for an exclusive apparel collection. Legendary bike builder Go Takamine, shows off our favorite piece: the BSMC x Indian Motorcycle Race Jersey.

Amusement parks promise death-defying rides, but New Jersey’s anarchic Action Park had an actual body count. HBO Max’s documentary exposes “the world’s most dangerous amusement park,” infamous for its insanely treacherous contraptions, lawless mismanagement, and glorification of the daily carnage. Drops 8.27.2020.

The cheery Ballo Stool by Humanscale combines functional design with the playfulness of an exercise ball. An ideal task seat, it comfortably tilts with your movements thanks to two pliable air-filled domes on an innovative center column. It can help correct posture and alleviate back pain by naturally aligning the spine.

Based on the writings of the legendary Bruce Lee, Warrior follows a Chinese martial arts prodigy in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the brutal 19th century Tong Wars between rival crime families. The 10-episode second season kicks off with new season regular Dustin Nguyen (“21 Jump Street”) 10.2020 on Cinemax.

Richard Branson revealed details of Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo’s sleek interior cabin. Each of the six reclining passenger seats minimize g-forces during boost and re-entry, relays flight data on a personal screen, has a pilot communication system, and comes with an out-of-this-world ticket price: $250,000.

Godzilla’s titanic turtle counterpart, Gamera, gets some long overdue respect with an aptly ginormous box set of his film library. Gamera: The Complete Collection includes 12 movies in high-def with Japanese audio and English dub tracks, an 80-page retrospective book, a 130-page comic, poster, and art cards. Drops 8.18.20.

Fans of classic whiskies from the American South take note: southern Australia nabbed a gold medal at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky, the first widely available Aussie whisky brand in the US. The easy-drinking spirit is known for its unique maturation style in red wine casks.

(Spoilers) This pre-battle scene from a Vikings episode in the final half of season six gives away the big secret from the mid-season finale’s cliffhanger. It involves Ivan the Boneless, his brother Hvitserk, Oleg of Novgorod, and his nephew… and the identity of a mysterious horseman. Vikings’ final season ends this fall on The History Channel.

Lido deck… The Final Frontier. Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas ship will transform into Star Trek: The Cruise V. Cast from TOS, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, and Discovery will be aboard, including George Takei, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis. Departs from Port Canaveral 2.26.22.

Electric bikes are a genius solution for eco-friendly transportation. The fun, flexible, user-friendly Tern HSD e-bike is designed to get you places (like outside for a change), carry passengers, and haul cargo up to 375 lbs. Shorter than standard bikes, the mighty, mini HSD folds or flips up to easily stow between pleasure cruises.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16-Year-Old has been called “the best American bourbon ever produced.” So where does a great distiller go from there? Back to fundamentals, with selected whiskey expressions like The Horizon Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a balanced 92-proof blend of two straight bourbons, perfect neat or on the rocks.

Nursing homes have been on a lonely lockdown for months. Robert Speker, activities coordinator for the UK’s Sydmar Lodge care home, decided to entertain residents by recreating famous LP covers with their photos. All funds from their GoFundMe campaign benefit Alzheimers Society, Age UK, and Dementia Friends.