"I'd tell them we're on a 'mancation,' " Meadows says jokingly. "That kind of clicked with people."

A lot of people.

Without realizing it, Meadows and his friends - Bill, Paul and Chris, who have taken a yearly vacation together, just the boys, since 2002 - have been part of a growing trend in the travel industry: getaways for guys. Meadows, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., likes to think he and his fellow mancationers coined the term (they registered the site www.originalmancation.com to share their vacation stories and help others plan their own mancations), which is now a buzzword in the travel business.

In just a few years, the male-bonding vacation has morphed from predictable bachelor-party fare to more adventuresome outings centered on golfing, fine dining, extreme sports, wine appreciation, and even spa treatments. One could argue that the concept of hunting and fishing trips for just the boys is hardly new. But when was the last time you heard groups of guys waxing ecstatic about their adventures parasailing, snorkeling, rafting or even cooking together?

The days of guys spending their leisure time in sweats, drinking beer and watching TV for days on end (however luxurious that might sound to some folks) are over. Yesterday's vacation sloths are today's intrepid mancation studs.

"Within the past three years, we've seen a lot of growth in mancations," says Erin Kozlowski, director of sales and marketing at Catalina Hotel & Beach Club in Miami's South Beach. "Yes, we have the typical bachelor-party groups that come down, but we also have groups of guys who want the full treatment that women's vacations have traditionally had. They're getting picked up in a limo; they're getting planned, scheduled trips. They want to do everything in style."

Kozlowski's boutique hotel has organized mancation excursions such as deep-sea fishing, Everglades tours on airboats, and group parasailing. And like traditional women-only outings, there's a touch of finesse about the new mancations, including cocktail parties, fine dining, and such poolside pampering as massages or pedicures.

Jason Baker, former head concierge at Wynn Las Vegas resort, couldn't agree more.

"For the longest time, men came home from work, had their meal, sat down in front of the TV, and that was it. Meanwhile, the wives were getting out and having these vacations with the girlfriends. Now guys are saying, 'I want a part of that,' " Baker says.

That "part" has grown up in the last six years, he says. "I've certainly seen an increase in gentlemen escaping the wives and the children and getting from behind the remote control," Baker says. "A lot of them come here just to escape - from everything."

They're escaping with kayaking trips down the Colorado River, skydiving, and racetrack driving lessons, all of which the Wynn staff is only too happy to organize for them.

Indeed, the genesis for this interest in boys-only vacations comes from the popularity of all-girl getaways. As men have grown more accustomed to and accepting of spa indulgences, they have started seeking more of the creature comforts that women have demanded on their vacations. Last year, 30 percent of all spa-goers were men, and 40 percent of resort and destination spa business came from men, says Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinder Inc.

"Clearly, we're seeing a lot more men at spas. The stigma that this is a female thing only has really changed," Ellis says. "Why? Men have gone to spas and have told more men. And the spas themselves have made it more man-friendly. They have more treatments that are geared specifically for men as opposed to women's treatments with men's name on it."

There's a trend toward men-only spas - clublike environments where men can get a shave, play pool, have a drink, take a steam, and unwind in luxurious man caves. The man-sloth may be alive and well, but he's also got a deep-cleansing pore refiner drying on his face.

According to a market research survey of more than 3,500 online users conducted for I'm in! (www.imin.com), a Web site that coordinates and creates gender-specific trips and events, 34 percent of male respondents reported taking at least one guy trip a year, and 67 percent stated they take two or more such trips a year. The majority of these mancationers are married guys.

Just like Meadows. He and his buddies, who traveled to Nashville in 2006 and went whitewater rafting in West Virginia last year, are planning to go mountain biking, hiking and golfing in Arizona or New Mexico this summer.

Why do they do it? There are a lot of reasons, Meadows says. There's the concept of challenging one another, whether it be golf or rock climbing; encouraging one another; and completing a task.

And then there's the fun. Guy fun.

"You want to go out with your family and do things, but you also want to get out with your friends," he says. "Guys are a little more Neanderthal. If guys are given the opportunity for a long weekend, they want to go out and play with their pals. For five days, you get . . . away from your everyday responsibilities and get to be a kid again. You get to tell the same stupid jokes every year."

What's not stupid is how much effort the spa and travel industry is putting into the growth segment of mancations. Destination spas and hotels are creating programs for men that go beyond the obvious activities, Ellis says. There are programs for men that emphasize yoga, offer boxing training, fight obesity with a boot-camp-style regimen, sharpen culinary skills, and target sexual reawakening. There are programs for spiritual healing.

"The term metrosexual is been there and done that. Now, one of the new terms is metrospiritual," Ellis says. "They're going beyond grooming for something that feeds your spirit and feeds your soul. Spas do that very well."

You probably won't find Meadows & Co. aligning their chakras, though. Their mancations usually involve beer and not shaving for a few days.

"In Phoenix, we stayed in a hotel having a 10-year reunion of what appeared to be an all-girls school," Meadows says. "We were really bummed about that."

Best Spas for Men

Based on more than 5,000 votes submitted last year to SpaFinder.com.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Atlantic City

Canyon Ranch
Tucson, Ariz.

Canyon Ranch
Lenox, Mass.

The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Asheville, N.C.

La Costa Resort & Spa
Carlsbad, Calif.

Lodge at Torrey Pines
La Jolla, Calif.

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Ojai, Calif.

Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
Las Vegas

Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Princess
Scottsdale, Ariz.

SOURCE: SpaFinder.com