Road Trip to Thunder Bay

My best friend Cal and I decided we needed a road trip. Guys only.

It was our senior year of college in the 1990s, and by and large things were going great. Cal and I were both doing well in school, looking ahead to limitless opportunities, and rock solid as best friends. In the past we had been nearly inseparable; but as the year started, we both found ourselves in deep relationships with our girlfriends, to the point that we had been drifting apart from each other. Worse, as we settled in with our girls, I think we were beginning to feel... well, domesticated, which is a terrible thing for young guys in the prime of life. We actually liked our rough edges.

We decided we needed a weekend away, just the two of us, for one last hedonistic fling. Greasy food, too much booze... maybe a strip club on the sly. We were calling it "The Ultimate Male Bonding Experience." Our girls rolled their eyes, and left us to plan our fun.

Fall break was approaching, which gave us the perfect opportunity to get out of Dodge. Unlike the fabled Spring Break, Fall Break was nothing but a glorified long weekend, but it still gave us Thursday through Sunday to play around with. I had a car, so transportation was all set as well.

The problem was, where to go?

To really escape, we wanted to get as far away from our college in Minneapolis as possible. Looking at the map, Cal suggested driving to Chicago, but I had family there and went there all the time. Cal was from Kansas City and had family there, which similarly nixed that.

Then we looked north. What about Thunder Bay, Canada?

Thunder Bay was just north of the border along Lake Superior, which gave it the allure of an international destination. It was in the middle of the Northwoods, which was also a huge plus for us. And I mean, c'mon... the name alone sounds like a perfect place for some chest-thumping, male-bonding fun. We tracked down a lodge at the edge of town and made a reservation. Fortunately, mid-October is well past peak tourist season in the Northwoods, so we got a great rate.

All told, we were super excited, to the point that we were driving our girlfriends crazy with our talk of the Ultimate Male Bonding Experience. By the time our departure date came around, I think they were more than happy to be rid of us.

I couldn't have asked for a better road trip buddy. Cal was, to my mind, a great guy that any woman would be lucky to have. For one, he was smoking hot... and I say that as a guy who's never checked out guys before. He had led an active life growing up, and kept busy with several intramural sports in college. As a result, he had a perfect male form--strength and masculine grace, amply filled out with well-shaped muscles. It didn't hurt that he had a rounded butt that filled out his jeans, which was constantly turning women's heads. From our various adventures, I also knew he had a nicely hairy chest with a distinct happy trail running down from his navel, which added to his manly look. His face was as ruggedly masculine as his body, with eyes that were particularly striking.

Given his amazing looks, Cal could easily have been an arrogant asshole. And sure, he had a bit of young-guy cockiness to him, but in a way that made all of us all love him. He was a stand-up guy, the kind you could always depend on and intensely loyal. He was literally an Eagle Scout. More than anything, he just had this zest for life, a "grab life by the horns" mentality that made him just plain fun to be around.

We made a nice pair. My name is Rob. Like Cal I was six feet tall, 180 lbs. or so, and a ruggedly good-looking guy. My build was on par with Cal's, and like him I had a dusting of dark hair all over my body. Despite pressure from my girl, I refused to do any manscaping, and had a healthy bush around cock and balls. In terms of personality, I was much quieter than Cal. I think that's part of the reason I liked the guy so much--he did a great job of pulling me out of my shell. Even so, between us I'm also known as being "the funny one;" not exactly an obnoxious, class clown kind of guy, but one with a rapid-fire sense of humor and the ability to tell a great story on demand. We balanced each other out, and I was looking forward to some uninterrupted time with him.

The drive was relatively uneventful--the northland is not exactly at its most picturesque in mid-October. Cal and I couldn't care less. We were having the time of our lives, and really enjoyed reconnecting. Conversation flowed easily between us, colored in bravado, ball-busting, and snark.

But an 8-hour drive gave us time to reflect, too. we talked eagerly about our last year, and all the plans we had for the future. We talked about our girlfriends, as both of us had started wondering if she was "the one," or even what "the one" looked like to a young guy on the brink of independence. We argued nonstop about each other's music, and more often than not I had to bark at him that he was not going to put on this or that bullshit band on while I was driving. Cal also vented about his family, his dad particularly, who was convinced that his major was a waste of time and gave him endless grief about that. Cal's bravado couldn't hide the fact that that really stung. I stood by him, and while Cal would never say anything out loud, I know my support as he fought with his family meant the world to him.

All in all, the drive was great, and I was reminded about how much I liked him. How much we liked each other.

As we got closer to Thunder Bay, our excitement continued to mount. The last part of the drive was along Lake Superior--a massive inland ocean that really has to be seen to be believed. And the forest became darker and wilder, with massive pines jutting into the gray October skies. It felt for all the world like we were a pair of lumberjacks at the end of the world. Just what we were after.

Our room at the lodge was... odd. Its layout was asymmetrical, with one queen bed and a twin bed off to the side. Truthfully, I think the manager gave us a shit room because he didn't want a couple of college guys staying there at all. The TV was positioned for the main bed. We did paper-scissors-rock to see who got the better bed, and Cal ended up winning. The fucker.

Because it was getting late, we ate at the lodge's restaurant, and tossed back more than a few rounds. After a long day on the road, we were both pretty beat, more than a little buzzed, and crashed relatively early.

The next morning, we were rested and ready for fun. I had showered and dressed, and was sitting around spinning my wheels while Cal got ready. He came out of the shower with a towel around his waist and started digging through his clothes. I was struck by the fact that he was one sexy bastard. His body sparked a note of envy--how did he look so good? I mean, I was probably more active than he was, and... well, wowza. And oddly, I caught myself just... staring at him. I mean, not staring, but... well, staring at him. With an interest I couldn't quite put a finger on....

Wait... what the hell was going on? I've never been attracted to guys, and over the course of my life I've seen guys all the time in various stages of undress. Hell, I'd seen Cal in various stages of undress. Was this just the regular closeness I felt to Cal? Was it the fact that in the lead up to our trip I hadn't had much time romantic time with my girlfriend? It was just... surreal. As Cal toweled off, he was casually talking about this or that, but I was suddenly riveted by fact that in drying off his hair he was briefly flashing his hairy arm pits at me. Jesus... even the guy's nasty, hairy pits looked good.

He then turned away from me and dropped the towel from his waist. Goddammit, I think my mouth went dry. His ass was... Jesus Christ, a porn star couldn't have an ass that perfectly shaped. It was rounded, but unlike a woman's ass, this was as made of pure muscle. A man's ass. Strong. Lightly covered with hair, that got denser at the bottom. Fucking masculine. I had to violently wrench my head away to break the spell.

Jesus, Rob. Get it together.

Cal finished dressing, and when I turned back to him I was back in control. But still, I couldn't quite shake the odd feelings he had sparked.

Well, best bury them. I was sure I'd forget about everything once we got out and started having fun.

And indeed, our day of fun was fantastic. We loaded up on a huge, man-sized breakfast and set out exploring. Again, it was well past peak tourist season, which meant we had most places to ourselves. We got our bearings, saw a bunch of sights and by and large had a blast. Cal was the perfect travel buddy, leading the charge to see everything. I found myself in the bizarre position as being the voice of reason as he turned everything into some sort of cockamamie adventure. We were in our full glory, talking loud, going wherever the road took us. We found a British-style pub for dinner, and had a great night of fish and chips, darts, and futile attempts to gamble at a weird gizmo that looked like a slot-machine. Finally, we dragged ourselves back to our hotel.

It was weird. I didn't drift off to sleep right away that night, thinking about the day. And reflecting on how weird it had been that morning seeing Cal step out of the shower. I think Cal was having a rough time sleeping too... I could hear him rustling for a few minutes, apparently trying to get comfortable. I finally heard sounds as if he had thrown back the blankets, leading me to think he was going to get up and walk around. I guess he didn't, and the sounds quieted. I eventually drifted back to sleep.

The next morning, we had planned to hit one of the provincial parks outside of town. To avoid a replay of the previous morning, I loudly offered for Cal to shower first. I held it together while he showered... but the second he came padding out of the bathroom I rushed past him and into the shower. Part of it was, yes, I was feeling more than a little horny. My girlfriend liked sex and all, but no woman can ever match the needs of a 20-something guy. Back home, I jerked off all the time to relieve the pressure, but with Cal around that would be a bit awkward. I was tempted to stroke my semi-hard cock while in the shower, but I got cold feet as we had both had a habit of wandering in and out of the bathroom while the other guy was using it... best friends have no secrets. I just ran the water colder than necessary until my balls shrank down to nothing, and the urge passed.

While getting dressed, I tried to make small talk to keep my mind off my red-hot buddy. "Didja sleep well last night? I thought I heard you tossing and turning."

Cal froze. He wildly looked away, but not before I saw his face become flushed. His voice was... generally calm, but I knew him well enough to realize something was up. He stammered out, "Oh. Last night? I mean? No, I slept. Good in fact. You?"

This was bizarre... not at all the reaction I was expecting. "What's up, dude? I mean, I just heard you thrashing around and wondered...." And then it hit me. Thrashing around. Likely as horny as I had been, and in need of a cold shower himself. Clumsily, I blurted out, "Oh fuck, were you jerking off?"

He whipped around and stared at me. However red Cal's face had been before, it was now blazing with ruby fire. "Shut up, man! Jesus! I thought you were asleep! Fuck!"

It was now my turn to be embarrassed. Sure, guys endless mock each other about the very idea of jerking off, but it was something very different to openly call friends out on it when you've caught them doing the deed. I wasn't sure what to do, how to play this. "Aw shit, man," I hurriedly answered him. "Look, I'm sorry to put you on the spot like that. I mean... shit. Look, no guy should ever be embarrassed for doing it. I've needed to let fly since we got here, but I was afraid that you'd think...." Pause. "Well... I mean, I thought I was the only...." Pause. I let out a deep breath. "Cal, I'm sorry. We all do it. Nothing to be ashamed about. Shit, I totally invaded your privacy."

If I had stopped there, everything would have probably been fine.

But.

I don't where the next words I said came from, but I continued to babble on. "Man. It feels like I should jerk of in front of you to even the score with potential blackmail against each other. Or maybe we do it at the same time so we're even... you know, the male bonding extravaganza and all...." And at that moment a cold chill ran down my spine. Where did that come from? What the fuck was I saying? Jesus Christ, there was no way Cal wasn't anything but freaking out inside.

Shit.

I looked over at him in mortified terror, but he was looking at me... curiously. Thoughtfully. I drove on as breezily as I could, desperate to change the topic. "But that's for another time. I'm fucking starving. Are you about ready so we can grab breakfast?"

That seems to have worked... at least Cal was cool and collected as we got in the car and rode off in search of some chow.

There was a quietness between us. It wasn't exactly awkward, but my mind was spinning so rapidly, trying to come up with something to say, that I couldn't actually think of anything. Finally, Cal broke the tension. Directly.

"So Rob...," he began, "have you ever, well, actually jerked off in front of anyone?"

I wanted to swerve the car into a telephone pole. "Dude, I am so sorry about earlier. I don't know where that came from. No, of course I've never jerked off in front of anyone. Never done anything like that!"

"Even in your room, if your roommate was asleep?"

"Fine. Yes. Of course... I've been known to rub one out if I can hear him snoring. But fortunately, our schedules are different enough that I usually have time to let loose when he's not in the room. But not... you know, in front of anyone while they were watching. What about you?"

Cal nodded. "Yeah, I've jerked in front of a couple of girls, especially when one wasn't in the mood and I was in serious danger of blue balls. But never in front of guy. Funny."

We were both actively quiet. I half-wondered where the conversation would have gone to next, but at that point we pulled into the restaurant we were looking for, and dove into breakfast.

The subject didn't come up again, and we headed out for fun in the great outdoors. We had packed our hiking boots, and hit the trails in a park outside of town. It was crisply cold, but the physical activity kept us warm. It was like we reverted to 14-year-old boys. We ran around like a couple of wild men, with the whole forest to ourselves. At some point we had a sword fight from a couple of dead branches and played "King of the Log." Unfortunately, the weather turned and got the better of us; there was a few seconds of dazzling snowfall, but when the snow went to sleet, and then into a driving rain, we surrendered and went back to the lodge.

Once back in the room, we got out of our wet clothes, and crashed down on the bed in nothing but our underwear. It was mid-afternoon, giving us time to kill until dinner, but our options were somewhat limited. Cal turned on the TV and started flipping through channels, trying to find something we could watch, but the Canadian stations didn't give us many options--even the usual American sports were not on the air.

Finally, Cal looked at me. There was something... impish in his eyes. "You know, we have some time to kill. We could probably find a porno. And...."

"Huh. You thinking how neither one of us has jerked off in front of another guy before...?"

Cal smirked. "You said it yourself: we are looking for the ultimate male bonding experience." To my surprise, he dramatically cupped his crotch with his hand, jostling his junk through the thin cotton fabric of his boxers.

I laughed... kind of nervously, but not entirely. "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit," I exhaled. "This is crazy." After a moment of reflection, I turned back to him. "No one can know about this."

"You think I'm gonna tell anyone?" Cal shot back with a shit-eating grin. In a flash, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers and pulled them off, leaving him in his naked glory.

And "glory" was just the word for it. Sure, I've seen guys naked around the showers, or in the gym and all. But this was decidedly different. Cal had essentially invited me to look--to really look--at him. And not casually... sexually. So I did. And I couldn't take my eyes off him. Again, his muscled form was the picture of manhood. Hairy across the chest and down, spreading out to a hairy flat stomach.

But what had my undivided attention was his crotch--a hairy man-bush that framed a semi-gorged prick and a pair of magnificent balls. This was the first time I had really had a chance to study the masculine form in detail. Fuck. His dick was full, if not exactly hard, but I suspected it was a good seven inches when at full attention... or more. Fuck. Below were two hairy, egg-sized balls, freely lolling about his crotch. Fuck. He was a fucking sexual god.

My reverie was snapped as Cal tossed his boxers at me, hitting me full in the face. "You joining me or what?" He asked with a devilish smirk.

"Fuck you!" I snarked back. I theatrically grabbed the discarded underwear and brought it to my face, inhaling deeply. "Nice perfume you're wearing!"

Cal laughed out loud. "You fucking pervert!"

"Find us something raunchy on the TV!" I fired back. But the thing is, there was something else going on in my mind. I meant to do that in fun, and was fully expecting his shorts to have a nasty scent to them. But it wasn't nasty, it was... fucking hot. The reality is, while Cal fiddled with the remote, I took another whiff of his boxers to be sure. Fuuuuuuuuuuck. I had been right the first time. His scent was indeed all over them, and it was... masculine. Deeply masculine. I didn't quite know what to do with that... the scent was unlike anything I'd ever smelled before, and my dick responded. I quickly discarded his underwear and slipped out of mine.

Cal had found something good and turned back to me as, and the expression on his face was... unreadable. It was like he was going to make some hooting, bravado-laden comment about the big-titted lady on the screen, but in seeing me, that comment died on his lips. Instead, his eyes drank me in, openly leering. I'm hairy too, but maybe not quite as much as he was. He could clearly see my cock standing pretty tall, slightly shorter than his, but a lot thicker. My hairy balls rolled free.

I think it hit us that we were both stark naked, and... aroused. And the fact that we were seeing each other aroused was... arousing us further. This was not something that was part of the standard edition of The Guy Manual. But here it was. I instinctively reached down and slowly massaged my balls. Was I straining for release? Performing for my best friend, who was most definitely taking in the performance? Both?

"Wait one second," I said abruptly, then slid off the bed. Cal slowly jerked himself, now rock hard, and looked at me quizzically. I went into the bathroom and found the complimentary bottle of hand lotion among the freebee toiletries. I stepped back into the main room, again mesmerized by Cal's naked form sprawled out across the bed. Man.

I tossed him the bottle of lotion, which he caught and inspected. "Good man," he responded, then shook out a blob into his hand. Slowly, languidly, he started rubbing it all over his hard cock, groaning in satisfaction at the sensation. Fuck. It was completely normal, something I had done countless times before, but watching this sexy guy do it was incredibly hot. He wasn't performing sex, like the models in the porno. He was actually pleasuring himself, knowing exactly what he liked, and determined to enjoy himself. It was... real.